Kí ni ipa ọ̀rọ̀ "sí" nínú gbolohun Ó fi èbùn náà fún mi sí orí tabili?

In the sentence Ó fi èbùn náà fún mi sí orí tabili (he/she put the gift for me on top of the table), the word sí introduces the location where the gift was placed, on top of the table. A word that links a noun to the rest of the sentence to show relationships such as place, direction, or time is called a preposition, which in Yoruba grammar is termed ọ̀rọ̀ amúlò.

Sí is not a sign of devotion, a demonstrative word pointing something out, or a narrative word used for storytelling; its only job here is to connect the action of placing the gift to the place it was placed, which is exactly the work a preposition does.

To spot a preposition in a Yoruba sentence, look for a short word that answers where, when, or in what direction something happens; sí, ní, and lára are common examples.