A collection of useful phrases in Kurmanji Kurdish, which is spoken in Turkey, Syria, and northern parts of the Kurdish-speaking areas of Iraq and Iran.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).
| English | Kurmancî (Kurmanji / Northern Kurdish) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Tu be xér hatî ye! (sg) Hun be xér hatî ye! (pl) |
| Hello (General greeting) | Rojbash (frm) - Good day Ser chava ser sera (inf) Silav |
| How are you? | Tu chawa ye? (frm/sg) Chawa ye? (inf/sg) Hun chawa nin? (frm/pl) Hun chawa ye? (inf/pl) |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | Ez bashem spas (I'm fine thanks) |
| Long time no see | Mi(n) te zood nedîtî ye! |
| What's your name? | Navé te chî ye? (frm/sg) Navé we chî ye? (frm/pl) |
| My name is ... | Navé mi(n) ... e |
| Where are you from? | Tu jè kî dere ye (yî)? (frm) Tu jè ku ye (yî)? (inf) |
| I'm from ... | Ez jè ... me |
| Pleased to meet you | Ez kefxwesh bûm! |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
Beyanîbash (sg) Spéde bi xer (sg) Sibaha te bi xér (sg) Beyanîbash (pl) Spede bi xer (pl) Sibaa we bi xer (pl) |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
Rojbash |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
Evarbash, evara te bi xér (sg) Evarbash, evara we bi xér (pl) |
| Good night | Shevabash Sheva te bi xér (sg) Sheva we bi xér be (pl) |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
Bi xateré te (sg) Bi xateré we (pl) Ogher be / Oxir be (response) Oghra te a xéré be (reply) Bi xér o slametî (reply) |
| Good luck! | Serkeften (be)! (frm) Serkeftin be! (frm) |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
Noshî can be! (frm) Nosh be! (frm) Nosh! (frm) |
| Have a nice day | Roja te xwesh be! (sg) |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
Noshî can be! |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
Rêwîtîya te baş be! (frm) Rewîtîa te xwesh be (frm) |
| Do you understand? | Tu têdigihijî? |
| I understand | Ez fem dikem (frm) |
| I don't understand | Ez fam nakim (frm) Ez fam nakem (frm) |
| Yes | Balé (frm) Belé (frm) Eré (frm) Aré (frm) |
| No | Na |
| Maybe | Belkî (frm) Begî (frm) |
| Please speak more slowly | Tu kari hedî bivéje (frm) Tu kare Hedî bibéje Hedî bivejé Jè kerema xwe hédî bibéje: Jèkerema xwe hedî bivejé |
| Please say that again | Dîsa bibéje, Jè kerema xwe dîsa bibéje Dîsa bivéje, Jè kerema xwe dîsa bivéje |
| Please write it down | Jè kerema xwe binivîsîne (frm) Tu kari jè kerema xwe veya binivîsîne (frm) Tu kari véya binivîsîne (frm) Ev binivîsîne, (inf) |
| Do you speak Kurmanji? | Tu kurmanjî dèpeyvé? (frm) Tu kumnajî zané?(frm) Tu kumanjî dizané? (frm) Tu kurdî zanî? (inf) Kurmajî zanî? (inf) |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
Eré/balé, ez pichék(î) kurmanjî dipeyvem (frm) Eré/balé, ez pichikek kurmanjî depeyvem (frm) Eré/balé, ez hinekî kurmanjî dipeyvem (frm) Balé/eré, hinekî Balé/eré pichek Balé/eré pichukek |
| How do you say ... in Kurmanji? | Em chawa ... bi kurmanjî dibéje? (frm) Em chawa dibéje ... bi kurmajî? (frm) Tu chawa dibéje ... bi Kurmanjî? (frm) Tu chawa bi kurmanjî dibéje ...? (frm) Chawa em ... bi kumanjî bibéjin? Chawa em ... bi kurmanjî dibejèn? |
| Excuse me | Mi(n) Biburîne (frm) Mi(n) bibore Mi(n) affu bike Af bike(frm) |
| How much is this? | Chiqas e? Chuqas e? Ev chiqas e? Ev chuqas e? |
| Sorry | Bibure (frm) Mi(n) affu bike Mi(n) bi borîne Bi bexshe(frm) |
| Please | Jè kerema xwe! |
| Thank you | Spas (frm) Gelek spas (frm) Zor spas (frm) Spas dikem (frm) Mala te avabe (frm) |
| Reply to thank you | Spas xwesh (frm) Ser chava (frm) Tishtek nabe (frm) Tishtek pé nay e! (frm) |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | Tualet li ku ye? Tualet lè kuy e? Banyo lè kuy e? Tualet lè kî deré ye? (frm) Hemam lè kiwe ye? Hemam lè kî deré e (frm) |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | Ev camera éwé pere hertishtî bide (frm) Ev jamèra éwé pere hertishtî bide (frm) |
| This lady will pay for everything | Ev xanéma éwé pere hertishtî bide (frm) Ev janèka éwé pere hertishtî bide (frm) |
| Would you like to dance with me? | Tu dixwazé bi mi(n) re bazde? Tu dixwazé bi mi(n) re bireqs e? |
| I miss you | Ez berya te dikèm (frm) |
| I love you | Ez te hez dikèm (frm) |
| Get well soon | Xode shifa xere bishîne (frm) Xode slametye bide (frm) Derbasbun be (frm) |
| Leave me alone! | Dev jè mi berde! Dev jè min berde! |
| Help! | Hawar! (frm) Alîkarî bike! (frm) |
| Fire! | Agèr ! (frm) Agir ! (frm) |
| Stop! | Bisekène! (frm) Bisekine! (frm) |
| Call the police! | Telefonî polisa bike! (frm) |
| Christmas greetings | Noela we o ser sala we pîroz be! (pl) Noel o ser sal piroz be! Noel o ser sala te pîroz be (sg) Cejna we Noel o ser sala we pîroz be! Cejna we Noel û ser salê we pîroz be! Rojî daykbûnî Hezret Îsa pîroz |
| New Year greetings | Cejnî Salî Nwê pîroz bê! |
| Easter greetings | Eshtéra te pîroz be! (sg) Eshtéra we pîroz be! (pl) |
| Birthday greetings | Rojbuna te pîroz be! |
| One language is never enough | Zimanek hîch ne bes e Zimanek tené ne bes e Yek ziman ne bes e |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | Hoverkrafta mi(n) tijé marmasî e |
Corrections and additions by Brandon Istenes, and Seyit Sakin of the Kurmanjî National Council
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Hear some phrases in Kurmanji Kurdish:
Information about Kurdish | Phrases (Kurmanji) | Phrases (Sorani) | Numbers (Kurmanji) | Numbers (Soranî) | Yezidi alphabet | Tower of Babel | Learning materials
Other collections of Kurdish phrases
http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Key-Phrases-in-Kurdish
http://polyglotclub.com/language/kurdish/post/5071
http://wikitravel.org/en/Kurdish_phrasebook
http://learn101.org/kurdish_phrases.php
Dari, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish (Sorani), Mazandarani, Ossetian, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Tajik, Zazaki
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