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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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 |
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 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. |
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 |
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 |
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). |
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). |
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".
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). |
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 |