Talking about time in Wolof involves more than simply learning the numbers from the previous page. Wolof has its own vocabulary for hours, minutes, days, months, and periods of the day, as well as several grammatical constructions for saying when something happens.
Modern Wolof uses the same seven-day week and twelve-month Gregorian calendar familiar from English and French, but the names of the days and months have their own Wolof forms. Speakers can also refer to time through broader expressions such as today, yesterday, tomorrow, morning, afternoon, and night. (Janga Wolof)
Basic Units of Time
Some of the most useful basic time words are:
| English | Wolof |
|---|---|
| time / hour | waxtu |
| minute | minit / miniit |
| second | sekond |
| day | bés |
| week | ayu-bés / semen |
| month | weer |
| year | at |
The word waxtu is particularly important because it can mean both time and hour, depending on context.
For example:
Ban waxtu la?
What time is it?
Benn waxtu.
One o’clock.
When referring to an hour on the clock, numbers are commonly combined with waxtu.
The Parts of the Day
Wolof divides the day into several commonly used periods:
| English | Wolof |
|---|---|
| morning | suba |
| daytime | bëccëg |
| afternoon | ngoon |
| evening / night | guddi |
| midnight | xaaju guddi |
These categories do not always correspond perfectly to the boundaries of English morning, afternoon, evening, and night. They are useful time-of-day expressions rather than exact scientific divisions.
The preposition ci is commonly used when saying that something happens during one of these periods:
ci suba — in the morning
ci ngoon — in the afternoon
ci guddi — in the evening/night
For example:
Dinaa ñëw ci suba.
I will come in the morning.
Dafa liggéey ci ngoon.
He/she works in the afternoon.
The exact interpretation of these expressions can depend on context.
Asking What Time It Is
One common way to ask the time is:
Ban waxtu moo jot?
What time is it?
Another form encountered in Wolof learning materials is:
Ban waxtu la?
What time is it?
The expression jot is associated with the idea of a time being reached or having arrived, so expressions such as waxtu … jot can be understood as asking which hour has been reached.
Saying the Hour
The basic pattern is straightforward:
[number] + waxtu
For example:
Benn waxtu.
One o’clock.
Ñaari waxtu.
Two o’clock.
Ñetti waxtu.
Three o’clock.
Juróomi waxtu.
Five o’clock.
Fukki waxtu.
Ten o’clock.
Notice that the number may take a modified form when it occurs before waxtu, just as numbers can take different forms when they modify larger numerical units.
The number system therefore remains important when telling time. Someone who knows how Wolof numbers are constructed already has most of the vocabulary needed to express the hour.
Minutes
Minutes can be added to an hour in much the same way that smaller numerical amounts are added elsewhere.
For example:
Fukki waxtu ak benn
ten hours + one
can express 10:01 when the context is specifically clock time.
More commonly, practical expressions focus on familiar divisions of the hour, such as fifteen or thirty minutes.
Quarter Past
Fifteen minutes can be expressed using fukki fanweer, literally a numerical expression based on fifteen:
fukki fanweer — fifteen minutes / a quarter of an hour
Thus an expression such as:
Waxtu ñaar ak fukki fanweer
can mean:
2:15
The exact phrasing can vary among speakers and sources, particularly between more traditional and contemporary ways of expressing clock time. (Janga Wolof)
Half Past
Half an hour can be expressed with:
genne-wall — half an hour
For example:
Fukki waxtu ak genne-wall a jot ci suba.
It is 10:30 in the morning.
The expression is literally built around the idea of half of the hour. (Janga Wolof)
Minutes Before the Hour
Wolof can also express a time in relation to the upcoming hour, rather than simply counting forward from the previous one.
The expression des na means that something remains or is left.
For example:
Fukki waxtu des na fukki minit ak juróom.
can be understood as:
Fifteen minutes remain until ten o’clock.
This corresponds to 9:45.
This way of expressing time is conceptually similar to English expressions such as quarter to ten, although the Wolof construction is more literally based on the amount of time remaining.
For example:
Des na fukki minit.
Ten minutes remain.
The same construction is useful outside of clock time as well. Des na can describe an amount of time that remains before something happens.
Using Morning, Afternoon, and Night
Wolof can specify which part of the day is meant by adding a time-of-day expression.
For example:
Juróomi waxtu ci ngoon.
Five o’clock in the afternoon.
Fukki waxtu ci suba.
Ten o’clock in the morning.
Juróomi waxtu ci guddi.
Five o’clock at night.
This is especially useful because a bare numerical hour does not necessarily communicate the same AM/PM distinction that English speakers may expect.
Modern Wolof writing and digital contexts may also use the familiar 12-hour or 24-hour clock, particularly where a numerical time is being written rather than spoken.
Noon and Midnight
There are also conventional expressions for the middle of the day and middle of the night.
Midi can be used for noon, particularly in contexts influenced by French.
Xaaju guddi literally means half of the night and is used for midnight. (Janga Wolof)
These expressions illustrate an important point: Wolof speakers can combine native Wolof expressions with vocabulary shared with French or other languages, particularly for modern schedules, institutions, and formal situations.
Days of the Week
The seven days of the week have established Wolof names:
| English | Wolof |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Dibéer |
| Monday | Altine |
| Tuesday | Talaata |
| Wednesday | Àlarba |
| Thursday | Alxamis |
| Friday | Àjjuma |
| Saturday | Aseer |
These forms are also reflected in modern Wolof localization data used by Unicode and other software systems. (Unicode)
Some sources and speakers use variant forms. For example, Gaawu is also widely encountered for Saturday, while older or alternative sources may give different spellings or forms for some days. This is a useful reminder that Wolof spelling is not always completely uniform across sources, particularly when words have been transmitted through different regional, historical, or French-influenced writing traditions. (Janga Wolof)
Talking About Today
The basic word for today is:
tey
For example:
Tey la.
It is today.
More naturally, tey is usually combined with the rest of the sentence:
Tey la ma ñëw.
I came today.
The exact grammatical construction used with a time expression depends on what is being said about that time.
Yesterday and Tomorrow
Three particularly useful expressions are:
démb — yesterday
tey — today
suba — tomorrow
The word suba therefore has an interesting dual use. It can mean morning, but in another context it can mean tomorrow.
Context distinguishes the meanings.
For example:
ci suba
in the morning
versus:
Suba laay ñëw.
I will come tomorrow.
This is a good example of why Wolof vocabulary should not always be learned as a list of one-to-one English translations. The meaning of a word is determined partly by the construction and context in which it occurs.
Other relative-time expressions can be built around these basic words. For example, expressions equivalent to the day after tomorrow and the day before yesterday are also found in Wolof, although speakers may choose somewhat different formulations depending on region and context. (ResearchGate)
Months of the Year
Modern Wolof has established names for the twelve Gregorian months. Contemporary standardized and digital sources generally use forms such as these:
| English | Wolof |
|---|---|
| January | Samwiyee |
| February | Fewriyee |
| March | Mars |
| April | Awril |
| May | Mee |
| June | Suwe |
| July | Sulet |
| August | Ut |
| September | Sàttumbar |
| October | Oktoobar |
| November | Nowàmbar |
| December | Desàmbar |
These names show substantial historical influence from French, as is also visible in many other areas of modern Wolof vocabulary. They have nevertheless become part of ordinary Wolof usage and should not be treated simply as French words being inserted into an otherwise Wolof sentence. The forms are represented in Wolof-language calendar data, including Unicode’s Wolof locale information. (LocalePlanet)
You may encounter different spellings in books and websites, such as saawiye, feewirye, awriil, suwe, septàmbar, or deesàmbar. These differences reflect the history of Wolof orthography and variation between sources rather than necessarily indicating different months. (Janga Wolof)
Saying the Date
Calendar dates combine the number of the day with the month and year.
For example:
Tey la fukkeeli fan ak juróom ci weeru Desàmbar.
This can be understood as:
Today is the fifteenth day of December.
The word fan means day, and dates can therefore be expressed using the idea of a particular numbered day within a month.
The ordinal form of the number is used when identifying the day of the month. For example:
benn — one
bu njëk — first
ñaar — two
ñaareélu — second
ñett — three
ñetteélu — third
fukk — ten
fukkéelu — tenth
The exact spelling of ordinal endings can vary between sources, but the general principle is consistent: the number is converted into an ordinal form when it identifies a position or sequence, including the day of a month. (Janga Wolof)
Asking What Date It Is
Several question patterns are encountered for asking about the date.
For example:
Tey la lan?
What is it today?
More specifically, a learner may encounter:
Tey la lan kañ?
What date is it today?
and:
Tey la ban fan?
What day/date is it today?
Different learning materials give somewhat different formulations, reflecting the fact that Wolof has several ways of asking about temporal information. (Languages at UF)
The important distinction is between asking:
- what day of the week it is
- what numbered day of the month it is
- what month it is
- what year it is
These can be expressed through different question constructions.
Days, Dates, and Weeks
The word bés means day, and it can occur in expressions referring to calendar days as well as the general concept of a day.
For example:
bés bi
the day
bés bu nekk
every day / each day
A week can be referred to as an ayu-bés, literally a grouping or period of days. The French-derived semen is also encountered in some materials.
The seven-day week is therefore familiar in contemporary Wolof-speaking societies, but everyday speech does not necessarily require an exact numerical date every time a past or future event is discussed.
A speaker may instead refer to:
- yesterday
- today
- tomorrow
- a particular day of the week
- next week
- last week
- a particular month
- a season
- a religious or cultural occasion
- a period of the day
The appropriate level of precision depends on the situation.
Seasons and Longer Periods
Time is not always expressed through clocks and calendars.
In Senegal and The Gambia, seasonal references can be especially important because the annual climate is strongly marked by the rainy and dry seasons. Wolof has vocabulary for these broader periods, and speakers can refer to a season when an exact calendar date is unnecessary or less relevant.
The rainy season is commonly associated with nawet or related forms, while the dry season has forms such as noor or nor in different sources and varieties. Older descriptions and contemporary sources do not always agree on the exact forms or their spelling. (ERIC)
This is another useful reminder that expressions of time are not limited to the Western clock-and-calendar framework. A time reference can be as precise as a minute or as broad as a season.
Time and Grammar
Time expressions can occur in several different positions in a Wolof sentence.
For example:
Tey, dama jàng Wolof.
Today, I am studying Wolof.
Ci suba laay ñëw.
I will come in the morning.
Démb la dem.
He/she went yesterday.
The time expression may therefore appear at the beginning of the sentence, before or around the main verbal construction, depending on what the speaker is saying and what information is being emphasized.
This connects directly with Wolof’s broader system of focus and information structure. A time expression is not simply an optional English-style “extra” attached to the end of a sentence. Its position and grammatical construction can contribute to how the sentence presents information.
Time Reference Without an Exact Clock Time
Wolof also has many ways to express approximate or relative time.
A speaker may refer to:
- earlier
- later
- soon
- already
- still
- before
- after
- for a long time
- for a short time
- every day
- sometimes
- often
- never
Some of these are expressed through individual words, while others require particles, phrases, or larger grammatical constructions.
This is important because tense and time expression are not the same thing. Wolof can indicate when an event takes place through its verbal system as well as through separate time expressions.
For example, a sentence can contain both a verbal construction indicating temporal information and an explicit word such as démb or tey.
Dates in Modern Life
In contemporary Wolof-speaking environments, people regularly encounter several systems of dating and timekeeping at once.
A person might use:
- Wolof names for days and months
- French names or expressions
- numerical dates such as 15/12/2026
- the Gregorian calendar
- Islamic-calendar dates for religious occasions
- clock times written digitally as 15:30 or 3:30
This multilingual and multi-calendar environment is reflected in actual Wolof usage. Wolof does not exist in isolation from French, Arabic, English, and other languages used in Senegal and The Gambia.
The result is that a Wolof speaker may move between systems depending on the setting. Formal documents, schools, transportation, businesses, religious settings, and everyday conversation can each favor somewhat different conventions.
Learning Time and Dates
A useful way to learn this topic is to build it in layers.
1. Learn the basic time vocabulary
Start with:
waxtu — time/hour
minit — minute
bés — day
weer — month
at — year
suba — morning/tomorrow
ngoon — afternoon
guddi — night/evening
démb — yesterday
tey — today
2. Learn the days of the week
Practice saying all seven days without translating them mentally into English.
3. Learn the months
Because many month names resemble their French counterparts, they may initially be easier to recognize than other Wolof vocabulary. Pay attention to their Wolof spelling and pronunciation rather than automatically pronouncing them according to French rules.
4. Practice whole clock times
Start with:
Benn waxtu.
One o’clock.
Ñaari waxtu.
Two o’clock.
Fukki waxtu.
Ten o’clock.
Then add:
ak … — plus …
and learn expressions involving fifteen minutes, half an hour, and time remaining until the next hour.
5. Practice relative time
Move beyond the clock:
démb — yesterday
tey — today
suba — tomorrow
Then combine these with parts of the day:
démb ci suba — yesterday morning
tey ci ngoon — this afternoon
suba ci suba — tomorrow morning
The exact phrasing used in natural conversation can vary, so listening to speakers is particularly valuable here.
One Important Distinction
English speakers often think about time in three separate systems:
clock → 3:45
calendar → December 15
relative time → yesterday
Wolof can express all three, but the grammatical constructions do not necessarily mirror English.
A number used for an hour is not simply the same construction as a number used for a calendar date. Likewise, suba can mean morning or tomorrow, depending on its context. A word such as bés can refer to a day generally, while a numbered day in a calendar uses an ordinal construction.
Learning these as patterns rather than translating each English phrase word-for-word makes the system much easier to understand.
The Main Patterns
The most useful patterns to remember are:
[number] + waxtu
→ a clock hour
[hour] + ak + [minutes]
→ an hour plus additional minutes
[hour] + des na + [minutes]
→ minutes remaining until the hour
ci suba
→ in the morning
ci ngoon
→ in the afternoon
ci guddi
→ in the evening/night
démb
→ yesterday
tey
→ today
suba
→ tomorrow / morning, depending on context
[ordinal] + fan + ci + [month]
→ a numbered day within a month
The most important thing is not to memorize one English-to-Wolof translation for “time” or “date.” Wolof has a network of expressions for locating an event within the day, within the week, within the month, within the year, or relative to the present moment.
The next pages can build on this system by looking at other numerical contexts, including money and measurements.
I kept the page fairly broad so it can serve as the main reference point for the whole numbers section, while leaving detailed currency and measurement constructions for their own pages. One particularly useful nuance here is suba: it can mean both “morning” and “tomorrow,” and the surrounding construction determines which meaning is intended.
Wolof Vocabulary for Time
| English | Wolof | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Waxtu | [waxtu] |
| Hour | Waxtu | [waxtu] |
| Minute | Minit | [mi.nit] |
| Second | Sekond | [se.kɔnd] |
| Morning | Suba | [su.ba] |
| Afternoon | Ngont | [ŋɡɔnt] |
| Evening | Guddi | [ɡud.di] |
| Night | Géejji | [ɡeːdʒ.dʒi] |
Telling Time in Wolof
Time in Wolof uses the word waxtu to indicate the hour. For minutes, numbers are added after the hour.
| English | Wolof | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| What time is it? | Ban waxtu la? | [ban waxtu la] |
| It’s 1 o’clock | Waxtu juroom benn la | [waxtu dʒu.rɔm bɛn la] |
| It’s 2:15 | Waxtu ñaar ak fukki fanweer | [waxtu ɲaːr ak fu.ki fan.wer] |
| It’s half past 3 | Waxtu ñett ak genn wàllu | [waxtu ɲɛt ak gɛn walu] |
| It’s 10 minutes to 4 | Waxtu ñeent nekk fukki waxtu ci kaw | [waxtu ɲɛnt nɛk fuki waxtu tʃi kaw] |
Key Notes:
- Fukki fanweer: Fifteen minutes.
- Genn wàllu: Half an hour.
- Ci kaw: “On top of” or before the next hour.
Days of the Week in Wolof
Days of the week are integral for scheduling and discussing events.
| English | Wolof | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Altine | [al.tin] |
| Tuesday | Talaata | [ta.laː.ta] |
| Wednesday | Alarba | [a.lar.ba] |
| Thursday | Alxames | [al.xa.mɛs] |
| Friday | Aljuma | [al.dʒu.ma] |
| Saturday | Gaawu | [ɡaː.wu] |
| Sunday | Dibéer | [di.beːr] |
Months in Wolof
Although modern Wolof often uses French months, traditional Wolof names for months are deeply tied to the Islamic calendar and natural cycles.
| English | Wolof (Modern) | Wolof (Traditional) | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Janwiyeer | Gamou | [dʒan.wi.jeːr] |
| February | Feebar | Kori | [fe.bar] |
| March | Maaris | Cëkka | [maː.ris] |
| April | Abiril | Wër-wër | [a.bir.il] |
| May | Mee | Suufi | [meː] |
| June | Suwi | Bërkër | [su.wi] |
| July | Sulet | Lën | [su.lɛt] |
| August | Ut | Farataax | [ut] |
| September | Septambar | Naari bés | [sɛp.tam.bar] |
| October | Oktobar | Njàar | [ɔk.to.bar] |
| November | Nowembar | Tawaxar | [no.wɛm.bar] |
| December | Desambar | Lewoo | [de.sam.bar] |
Seasons in Wolof
Senegal and The Gambia have a climate centered around two main seasons, reflected in Wolof vocabulary:
| English | Wolof | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Rainy Season | Ndoxum weer | [ndɔxum wɛr] |
| Dry Season | Ràbi | [ra.bi] |
Common Phrases for Dates and Time
| English | Wolof | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| What day is it today? | Lan moo jog ci bés bii? | [lan moː dʒoɡ tʃi bɛs biː] |
| Today is Monday | Bés bu nekk Altine la | [bɛs bu nɛk al.tin la] |
| When is your appointment? | Ban waxtu la sa yoon? | [ban waxtu la sa joːn] |
| See you tomorrow | Ba cañaar | [ba tʃa.ɲaːr] |
| Yesterday was Sunday | Démb du Dibéer la | [dɛmb du di.beːr la] |
| What is the date today? | Lan la fan bi tay? | [lan la fan bi taj] |
