A collection of useful phrases in Sorani Kurdish, which is spoken in western Iran and much of Iraqi Kurdistan.
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 | Soranî (Sorani / Central Kurdish) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Bi xêr bî |
| Hello (General greeting) | Sillaw Ew kata bash Em kata bash (Çonî?) چۆنی |
| Hello (on phone) | Elu |
| How are you? | (Çonî?) چۆنی (le chyay?) لە چییای؟ |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | من باشم، سوپاست دەکەم، ئەی تۆ؟ (mn bashim, swpast dakam, ay to?) |
| Long time no see | Demêke tum nebînîwe |
| What's your name? | Nawî tu çiye? (Nawt chya?) ناوت چییە؟ |
| My name is ... | |
| Where are you from? | Xelkî kam deverî? (To khelky kwey?) تۆ خەڵکی کوێیت؟ |
| I'm from ... | |
| Pleased to meet you | (Xoşhalim bi nasînit) خۆشحاڵم بە ناسینت |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
Beyanî baş |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
Roj baş |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
Êware baş |
| Good night | Shaw Khosh; Shaw bash |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
Xuda li gel |
| Good luck! | Xoşbext bî! (Bekhtewer beet) بەختەوەر بیت |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
Noş |
| Have a nice day | (Rojêkî xoş) ێك ڕۆژ باشى هەيە! |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
Noşigyan |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
Xuda li gel |
| I don't know | (Mn nazanm) من نازانم |
| I don't understand | (Tênagim) تێ ناگه م (Mn te nagem) من تێ ناگەم |
| Please speak more slowly | Tikaye, tozê hêwaş tir qise bike |
| Please say that again | Tikaye, dîsan bîllêrewe |
| Please write it down | Tikaye, ewe binûse |
| Do you speak English? | ئایا زمانی کوردی قسە دەکەیت؟ (Aya zmany englizy qse dekety?) |
| Do you speak Kurdish? | Kurdî qise dekeyt? ئایا زمانی کوردی قسە دەکەیت؟ (Aya zmany kurdy qse dekety?) |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
(tenha kemekek) تەنها کەمەکێک |
| How do you say ... in Kurdish? | Çon delley ... bi Kurdí? |
| Excuse me | Lêm bibûre |
| How much is this? | (Eme bi çende?) ئەمە بە چەندە؟ |
| Sorry | (Bibûre) ببوورە |
| Please | |
| Thank you | Sipas dekem (supas) سوپاس |
| Reply to thank you | شایانی نیه |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | Awdestxaneke li kwê ye? |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | Em pîyawe hemû parekey dedat |
| This lady will pay for everything | Em afrete hemû parekey dedat |
| Would you like to dance with me? | Hez dekeyt legel ma bireqsî? |
| I miss you | |
| I love you | Xoştim dewê; Min tom xoş dewêt; Ji te hez dikîm |
| Get well soon | Hîway selametît bo dexwazim |
| Leave me alone! | Wazim lê bêne! |
| Help! | Yarmetîm berê! |
| Call the police! | Polîs bang lê ke! (telefon bke bo polees) تەلەفۆن بکە بۆ پۆلیس |
| Christmas greetings | ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻛﺮﻳﺴﻤﻪﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت ﻭ ساڵی ﺗﺎﺯﻩﺗﺎﻥ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت (jachny krismastan piroz bet u saly tazetan piroz bet) ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻛﺮﻳﺴﻤﻴﺴﺖ ﺑﻪ خۆشى بێت (jachny krismiset be khoshy bet) |
| New Year greetings | ساڵی ﻧﻮێت ﭘﻴرۆز بێت (saly nwet piroz bet) |
| Easter greetings | Cejnî Hêkesûr pîroz bê |
| Birthday greetings | Cejnî li daykbûnit pîroz bê Rojbûnit pîroz bê Rozhi la daikbunt piroz bet ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻟﻪ ﺩﺍﻳﮏ ﺑﻮﻭﻧﺖ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت (Jachny le daik bunt piroz bet) |
| Congratulations! | Pîroz be! |
| One language is never enough | Yek ziman her bes niye |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | Seyarey balindîyekem pirr ye li marmasî |
Translations mostly provided by Goran Sadjadi.
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 Sorani Kurdish:
Information about Kurdish | Phrases (Kurmanji) | Phrases (Sorani) | Numbers (Kurmanji) | Numbers (Soranî) | Yezidi alphabet | Tower of Babel | Learning materials
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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