Kurdish Language

Kurdish is an Indo-European language spoken by the Kurdish people in the Middle East. It has several dialects, with Kurmanji and Sorani being the most widely spoken. Kurdish is primarily written in the Latin script in Turkey and Syria, while Sorani uses a modified Arabic script in Iraq and Iran.

Introduction

The goal of this guide is to provide a basic understanding of the Kurdish language, focusing on the Sorani dialect. This guide will cover essential phrases, greetings, and basic grammar rules to help you start communicating in Kurdish. Keep in mind this is not a comprehensive guide, and its main focus will be on conversing. We won't be using latin script in this guide and will use romanized Kurdish instead.

Dialect Focus

Our focus will be on the Sorani dialect, which is spoken in parts of Iraq and Iran. Sorani is known for its rich literary tradition and is one of the two official languages of Iraq. Sorani Kurdish is characterized by its use of the Arabic script, which has been adapted to accommodate Kurdish phonetics. Also, Sorani has many sub-dialects, for example, the Erbil and Sulaymaniyah dialects, which can differ in pronunciation and vocabulary. For example, the word for "why" is "لۆ" (Lo) in Erbil and "بۆ" (Bo) in Sulaymaniyah. We will be learning the Hawleri dialect, with the mention of standard equivalents where necessary. In Sorani dialect male and female do not have different pronouns.

Tense

Sorani Kurdish has the following tenses: Prsent/Future, Simple Past, Continuous Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Perfect. Check the following example:

Tense English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic)
Un-conjugated to eat khwardn خواردن
Present/Future I eat / I will eat dakhom دەخۆم
Simple Past I ate khwardm خواردم
Continuous Past I was eating damkhward دەمخوارد
Present Perfect I have eaten khwardeetm خواردیتم
Past Perfect I had eaten khwardbwm خواردبووم

Phrases

Greetings

Since majority of Kurdish speakers are Muslims, greetings often include religious phrases. Main one is "سلام علیکم" (Salaam Alaikum), which means "Peace be upon you." The response is "وعلیکم السلام" (Wa Alaikum Salaam), meaning "And upon you be peace." However, there are also a more formal greeting "سڵاو" (Slaw), which means "Hello." The response is also "سڵاو" (Slaw), however, that is really something you would say when greeting someone online or in a text message. If you meet someone in person, you would use "سلام علیکم" (Salaam Alaikum) instead.

Other Greetings

The following are some very rarely used greetings, but they are still good to know:

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
Hello Slaw سڵاو
Good morning Bayanit bash بەیانیت باش
Good night Shawt shad شەوت شاد

Common Phrases

The following are some common phrases that you might find useful in everyday conversations:

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
How are you? Choni? چۆنی؟
How are you? Kuy? کوی؟
I'm fine, praise be to God Bashim, Alhamdulillah باشم، ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ
I'm fine, thank you Bashm, supas باشم، سوپاس
What is your name? Nawt chya? ناوت چیە؟
My name is Azad Nawm Azad e ناوم ئازادە In Kurdish, the name is usually followed by "a" (ه). For example, if your name is Azad, you would say "Nawm Azad a." (ناوم ئازاده). However, if the name ends with A, like Sara, you would add an e before the "a", like this: "Nawm Sara ya." (ناوم سارا یە). Also, usually just saying your name is enough if someone asks for your name, so you can just say "Azad" (ئازاد).
Where are you from? kherki kendari? خەرکی کێندەری؟
I am from Erbil kherki Hawler m خەرکی هەولێرم Similar to the name, the place is followed by "m" (م). For example, if you are from Erbil, you would say "xerki Hawler m." (خەرکی هەولێرم).
Where do you live? La ke dazhi? لە کێ دەژی؟
I live in Erbil La Hawler dazhim لە هەولێر دەژیم Similar to the previous example, the place is followed by "m" (م) to indicate possession, similar to "my" in English. For example, if you live in Erbil, you would say "La Hawler dazhim." (لە هەولێر دەژیم).
What do you do? Ch dakay? چ دەکەی؟
What do you do? (job) Ch ish dakay? چ ئیش دەکەی؟ The word "ish" (ئیش) means "job" or "work".
I am a student dexeenim دەخینم The word "dexeenim" (دەخینم) means "I am studying" or "I am a student."
I am a teacher mamostam مامۆستام
I work at ... company La companyay ... ish dakam لە کۆمپانیای ... ئیش دەکەم The word "companyay" (کۆمپانیای) means "company." You can replace the "..." with the name of the company you work for.
Nice to meet you khosh halim خۆش حاڵم You could also say "pe khosh halim" (پێ خۆش حاڵم), which means the same thing.
Welcome Ba kher bey بە خێر بێی This phrase originally means "May you come with goodness.".
Goodbye khwa hafiz خوا حافیز This phrase originally means "God protect you.".

Telling Time

Telling time in Kurdish is similar to English, but the structure is a bit different. The word "saat" (سەعات) means "hour," and "daqqa" (دەققە) means "minute." The word "w" (و) means "and." Usually you would say the hour first, followed by the word "w" (و) (and), minutes, the then "ya" (یە) at the end to indicate "it is." For example, "Saat do w bist daqqa ya" (سەعات دوو و بیست دەققە یە) meaning it's 2:20. The "ya" (یە) at the end is used becuase the word "daqqa" (دەققە) ends with "a" (ە) so when that happens you use "ya" (یە) instead of "e" (ە). For example, "Saat se w neew a" (سەعات سێ و نیوە) meaning it's 3:30, where "neew" (نیو) ends with "w" (و) so you use "a" (ە) at the end instead of "ya" (یە).

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
What time is it? Saat chanda? سەعات چەندە؟
It is 1:00 Saat yak e سەعات یەکە
It is 2:15 Saat do w pazda daqqa ya سەعات دوو و پازدە دەققە یە You can also say "Saat do w charega" (سەعات دوو و چارێگە) meaning it's quarter past two.
It is 3:30 Saat se w si daqqa ya سەعات سێ و سی دەققە یە You can also say "Saat se w newa" (سەعات سێ و نیوە) meaning it's half past three.
It is 4:45 Saat char w chl w penj daqqa ya سەعات چار و چلو پێنج دەققە یە You can also say "Saat penj charegy dawe" (سەعات پێنج چارێگی دەوێ) meaning it's quarter to five.

Volcabulary

Numbers

Kurdish uses the Arabic numeral system, but the pronunciation of numbers are different. Similar to English, numbers from 1 to 10 have unique names, while numbers from 11 to 19 are a bit different. The numbers from 20 to 90 are formed by combining the base number with the letter "w" (و) for "and" and the unit number. For example, 20 is "bist" (بیست), and 21 is formed by adding "w" and "yak" (یەک) to it, resulting in "bist w yak" (بیست و یەک).

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
One Yak یەک
Two Doo دوو
Three Se سێ
Four Char چار Also spelled as "Chwar" (چوار).
Five Panj پێنج
Six Shash شەش
Seven Haft حەفت
Eight Hasht هەشت
Nine No نۆ
Ten Da ده
Eleven Yazda یازدە Also pronounsed as "Yanza" (یانزە) in some regions.
Twelve Dwazda دوازدە Also pronounsed as "Dwanza" (دوانزە) in some regions.
Thirteen Sezda سێزدە Also pronounsed as "Syanza" (سیانزە) in some regions.
Fourteen Charda چاردە Also spelled as "Chwarda" (چواردە).
Fifteen Panzda پازدە Also pronounsed as "Panza" (پانزە) in some regions.
Sixteen Shazda شازدە Also pronounsed as "Shanza" (شانزە) in some regions.
Seventeen Hafda حەڤدە
Eighteen Hazhda هەژدە
Nineteen Nozda نۆزدە
Twenty Bist بیست
Thirty Si سی
Forty Chil چل
Fifty Panja پەنجا
Sixty Shast شەست
Seventy Hafta حەفتا
Eighty Hashta هەشتا
Ninety Nawat نەوەت
Hundred Sat سەت Also pronounsed as "Sad" (سەد).
Thousand Hazar هەزار
Million Melion ملیۆن
Billion Milyar ملیار

Pronouns

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
I Mn من
You (singular) Atw ئەتو Also pronounsed as "To" (تۆ).
He/She/It Aw ئەو
We Ama ئەمە Also pronounsed as "Ema" (ئێمە).
You (plural) Ango ئەنگۆ Also pronounsed as "Ewa" (ئێوە).
They/Them Awan ئەوان

Question Words

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
What Ch چ Also pronounsed as "Chy" (چی).
Who ke کێ
Where La ke لە کێ Also pronounsed as "Kwe" (کوێ) or "La kwe" (لە کوێ) or "La kendar" (لە کێندەر).
When Kangy کەنگی Also pronounsed as "Kay" (کەی).
Why Lo لۆ Also pronounsed as "Bo" (بۆ).
How Ku کو Also pronounsed as "Chon" (چۆن).
Which Kama کامە Also pronounsed as "Kam" (کام).

Time

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
Century Sada سەدە
Decade Daya دەیە
Year Sar سار Also pronounsed as "Sal" (ساڵ).
Month Mang مانگ
Week Hefta هەفتە Also pronounsed as "Hafta" (حەفتە).
Day Roj ڕۆژ
Hour Saat سەعات Also pronounsed as "Katjmer" (کاتژمێر).
Minute Daqqa دەققە Also pronounsed as "Daqiqa" (دەقیقە).
Second Saniyya سانیە Also pronounsed as "Chrka" (چرکە).

Months of the Year

Usually unless officially stated, otherwsie months are referred to by their numbers. Like "January" is refered to as "Mangy Yak" (مانگی یەک), which means "Month One". The word "Mang" (مانگ) means "month" or "moon".

Days of the Week

The days of the week in Kurdish are similar to those in Arabic, with some variations in pronunciation. The week starts on Saturday, and the names of the days are derived from Arabic.

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
Saturday Shamma شەممو Also pronounsed as "Shamma" (شەممە).
Sunday Yaksham یەکشەم Also pronounsed as "Yakshamma" (یەکشەممە).
Monday Dusham دووشەم Also pronounsed as "Dushamma" (دووشەممە).
Tuesday Sesham سێ شەم Also pronounsed as "Seshamma" (سێشەممە).
Wednesday Charsham چارشەم Also pronounsed as "Charshamma" (چوارشەممە).
Thursday Penjsham پێنج شەم Also pronounsed as "Penjshamma" (پێنج شەممە).
Friday Juma جومعە Also pronounsed as "Hayny" (هەینی).

Colors

English Kurdish (Romanized) Kurdish (Arabic) Notes
Red Sor سۆر
Blue Shin شین
Green kask کەسک Also pronounsed as "Sawz" (سەوز).
Yellow Zard زەرد
Black Rash ڕەش
White Spi سپی
Gray Bor بۆر
Orange Narnji نارنجی
Pink Pamba پەمبە Also pronounsed as "Pamayee" (پەمەیی).
Purple Mor مۆر
Brown Qawayee قاوەیی