Single-phase ytterbium sulfides (Yb2S3 and YbS) were synthesized by sulfurization of Yb2O3 with CS2 gas and heat treatments. Four kinds of Yb2O3 powders with different particle sizes and specific surface areas were employed as starting materials. When specific surface area of Yb2O3 powder is about 50 m2/g, a new polymorphic form Yb2S3 with an orthorhombic structure could be obtained by the sulfurization at 600°C for 8 hr. Single-phase hexagonal Yb2S3 was also synthesized form former three kinds of Yb2O3 powders by sulfurization above 1000 °C for 8 hr. Subsequently, the synthesized Yb2S3 powders were heat-treated under different conditions. Upon heat treatment at 1000 °C for 3 hr in Ar/CS2 atmosphere, orthorhombic Yb2S3 phase underwent phase transition to hexagonal Yb2S3 phase. Moreover, XRD results showed that orthorhombic Yb3S4 was main phase after heat treatment at 1050°C for 8 hr under Ar atmosphere and Yb2S3 disappeared upon prolonged (12 hr) heat treatment. Single Yb3S4 phase could be obtained after treatment at 1000 °C for 3 hr, or at 1200 °C for 1 hr, under vacuum (~1.2×10-3 Pa). YbS was formed upon treatment at 1200 °C for 5 hr. Single-phase YbS with a homogeneity range of YbS1.11-1.15 could be synthesized by treatment at 1500 °C for 3 hr. PartialYb2S3 transformed to Yb3S4 at 1300 °C for 1 hr by spark plasma sintering.