Kurmanji Kurdish Fort The Beginners

Kurmanji Kurdish, Lesson 1 1
LESSON 1

INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn the Kurdish alphabet small letters, capital letters, vowels and
consonants country names and some cities in Kurdistan.
By the end of this lesson;
you will produce Kurdish sounds correctly.
you will learn new words.
you will gain certain skills so that you can pronounce new words correctly.
you will learn basic greeting phrases.
you will be able to introduce yourself and ask about personal information.

Elfabe / Alphabet
The Kurdish language uses three different alphabets: The Kurdish latin alphabet based on the
Roman script; the alphabet based on the Arabic script and the alphabet on the basis of the
Cyrillic alphabet. The Kurdish Latin alphabet is the most frequently used alphabet for
Kurmanji. It is used in the parts of Kurdistan that are situated within the borders of Turkey
and Syria, and by the large Kurdish diaspora community in Europe and North America from
these two countries. The alphabet based on Arabic script is used in Iraqi and Iranian
Kurdistan, while Cyrillic is used only in ex-Soviet countries. In this course we will be using
the Roman-based alphabet.
There are 8 vowels and 23 consonants in the standard Kurdish Roman-based alphabet. In the
chart below the Kurdish letters are listed and you can listen to their pronunciation by clicking
on the sound file image next to each letter.

Roman
Script
Example English example IPA
A,a agir (fire), xan (house) father [a]
B,b ba (good), bira (brother) bell [b]
C,c cil (clothes), civak (society) jungle []
, ar (four), keik (girl) butcher []
D,d dwar (wall), beden (body) door [d]
E,e en (forehead), dest (hand) bat (British English
pronunciation)
[]
, (grief), str (star) bait [e:]
F,f ferheng (dictionary),
berf (snow)
farmer [f]
G,g genim (wheat), seg (dog) get [g]
H,h heyv (moon), duh (yesterday) head [ ] h
I,i ciwan (young),
zivistan (winter)
bit [],
] [
, ro (today), havn (summer) meet [ ] i:
J,j jan (grief), bajar (city) beige []
K,k kur (boy), dayik (mother) book [k]
L,l leymn (lemon), mil (arm) light [l]
M,m mamoste (teacher), dem (time) mother [m]
N,n nav (name), nan (bread, food) name [n]
O,o ode (room), roj (sun, day) odour [o]
P,p pit (back),

dapr (grandmother)
party [p]
Q,q qelem (pen), aqil (reason) (Arabic Qaf) [q]
R,r rbar (river), bihar (spring) Two pronunciations, like
in Spanish (pero-perro)
One with a single tap, one
rolled front r.
[]
[r]
S,s ser (head), mast (yoghurt) sun [ ] s
, ekir (sugar), at (peace) share [ ]
T,t tirs (fear), kitb (book) table [ t]
U,u kurd (Kurd), du (two) bull []
, d (laud), bir (eyebrow) foot [u:]
V,v vala (empty), av (eye) violet [v]
W,w welat (country), bawer (belief) wine [w]
X,x xewn (dream), baxe (garden) cf. Scottish: loch [x]
Y,y yek (one), giya (grass) yellow [j]
Z,z zengil (bell), azad (freedom) breeze [z]

Table 1. The Vowels in Kurmanji (approximate phonetic values)

Front Central Back
Closed
i

u
Half-closed o
Open a

The vowels represented in the writing by <i> and <u> are quite close and may be difficult to
distinguish in some varieties of Kurmanji.

Table 2. The Consonants in Kurmanji
Bilabial Labio-
dental
Dental/
Alveolar
Post-
alveolar
Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Plosive p b t d k g q
Fricative f v s z j x h
Affricate c
Nasal m n
Approximant w y
Tap / Trill r
Lateral l

Note: In addition to the consonants shown in chart, some Kurmanji words contain sounds that
are not usually noted in the standard orthography, though often noted in dictionaries. They
are some special forms of the plosives and affricates. Native speakers are aware of these
sounds, and can hear and produce them readily. For learners, however, they are difficult to
perceive and at this stage need not be introduced. You will still be understood even if you do
not produce them correctly; we will discuss them in a later lesson with some examples.

Text: Rojba!

Two students sit next to each other in the first lesson at their university. They introduce
themselves to each other, saying their names and where they are from.

Zeyneb : Rojba. Nav min Zeyneb e. Nav te i ye?
Good day, my name is Zeyneb. What is your name?
Ehmed : Rojba. Nav min Ehmed e.
Good day, my name is Ehmed.
Zeyneb : Tu ji ku der y Ehmed?
Where are you from, Ehmed?
Ehmed : Ez ji Diyarbekir me; l tu?
I am from Diyarbekir. (And) you?
Zeyneb : Bi rast! Ez j ji Diyarbekir me.
Really! I am from Diyarbekir too.
Ehmed : Ser avan, gelek kfxwe bm.
How nice. I am (lit. was) very happy.
Zeyneb : Ez j pir kfxwe bm. Tu kurd ?
I, too, am very happy. Are you a Kurd?
Ehmed : Er, ez kurd im, l tu?
Yes, I am a Kurd, (and ) you?
Zeyneb : Ez j kurd im. Ha, mamoste t.
I am a Kurd too. Oh, the teacher is coming.
Ehmed : Ba e. Em d pa biaxivin.
OK (lit. it is good). We will talk later.
Zeyneb : Ba e.
OK.

Greetings (Silav)

Merheba/Silav/Silamun eleykum Hello
Beyanba/ spde bi xr/Sibeha te bi xr Good morning (to one person)
Beyanba/ spde bi xr/Sibeha we bi xr Good morning
(to more than one person)
Rojba Good day
varba/vara te bi xr Good evening (to one person)
varba/vara we bi xr Good evening
evba /eva te bi xr Good night (to one person)
evba /eva we bi xr Good night
awa y? How are you sg.?
awa nin? How are you pl.?

Good bye (Xatirxwestin)

Bi xatir te Good bye (to one person)
Bi xatir we Good bye (to more than one person)

Response to bi xatir te/we

Oxir be/Oxira te ya xr be/Bi xr silamet Good bye

Grammar / Rziman 1

A The personal pronouns
The pronouns of Kurmanji corresponding to English I, you etc. have two forms, which we will call Direct and
Oblique. Their uses will be explained below. The forms are the following:
Person Direct Oblique
I ez min
you tu te
he/she ew w (him), w (her)
we em me
you hn we
they ew (e)wan

Usage
The Direct forms are used for all subjects in the present tenses, for example:

Ez kurd im I am a Kurd

and for the subjects of intransitive verbs in the past tenses.
(Intransitive verbs are verbs which cannot take a direct object, e.g. go, climb, die, laugh.)

The Oblique forms are used everywhere else, for example, to express the possessor of something:

Nav min Ehmed e. My name is Ehmed

We will discuss the use of the Direct and Oblique forms in more detail later.

B Expressing to be in the present tense
In the simple present tense, there is no independent word for is, are, am in Kurdish. Instead, endings are added to
the last word of the sentence that indicate the person involved. For example, to say I am a Kurd in Kurdish we
say literally I Kurd-am. These endings are actually written separately as though they were independent words,
but they are really unstressed short forms pronounced as though they were part of the preceding word. They
have slightly different forms depending on whether the preceding word ends in a vowel or consonant. The forms
of these endings are as follows:

After consonant: After vowel:
Ez kurd im I am a Kurd Ez ji Diyarbekir me I am from D.
Tu kurd You are a Kurd ... y You are ...
Ew kurd e He / She is a Kurd ... ye He / she ...
Em kurd in We are Kurds ... ne We are ...
Hn kurd in You are Kurds ... ne You are ...
Ew kurd in They are Kurds ... ne They are ...

Ez ne kurd im I am not a Kurd Ez ne ji Diyarbekir me I am not from D.
Tu ne kurd You are not a Kurd ... y You are ...
Ew ne kurd e He / She is not a Kurd ... ye He / she ...
Em ne kurd in We are not Kurds ... ne We are ...
Hn ne kurd in You are not Kurds ... ne You are ...
Ew ne kurd in They are Kurds ... ne They are ...


Wordlist
ba good
be mayitbe(aformoftheverbbnbe,become)
biaxivin letstalk(aformoftheverbaxaftintalk,speak,seefut
lessons
ure
bimne mayitremain(aformoftheverbmanstay,remain)
birast really!
bixr good
bm (I)ha
verbb
vebecome/was(1stpers.sg.pasttenseformofthe
nbe,become)
i what
d indicatesfuturetenseoftheverb
ders lesson
diim Igo,Iamgoing(aformoftheverbn to go)
em we,2ndpers.pl.pronoun
er yes
var evening
ez I,1stpers.sg.pronoun
gelek very,many
ha oh
ji from
j too,als
...)
o,aswell(usedaftertheworditrefersto:ezjItoo
kfxwe happy
kek anaddressformformales
kder where
mamoste teacher
merheba hello
min 1stpers.sg.objectpronoun(seeGrammar1)
na/ne no
nav name
ne not(negation)
niha now
pa lateron
pir very,many
pit after
rojba goodday;haveagoodday
seravan youarewelcome(literally:oneyes)
ev night
sibeh,beyan morning
silav greeting
te 2ndpers.sg.obliquepronoun(seeGrammar1)
t (he/she)comes,iscoming(
come)
presenttenseoftheverbhatin
tu you,2ndpers.sg.pronoun
xatirxwestin totakefarewell,tosaygoodbye
xwendekar student
xwe good,enjoyable

Exercise 1.
Two students are meeting in the school canteen. Fill in the blanks from their conversation
with the forms presented above.
Dara : Beyanba! Nav .... Dara ye. Nav .... i ye?
Daner : ...............! Nav min Daner e.
Dara : .... ji ku der y Dara?
Daner : Ez ji Qamiloy me; l tu?
Dara : .... j ji Duhok me.
Daner : Kfxwe bm kek Dara.
Dara : Ez j kfxwe bm.
Daner : Ez niha diime ders. Bi ............ te.
Dara : Oxir be!

Exercise 2.
Fill in the blanks according to the information given in the dialogue above.

Daner
Nav . Daner e. Ez ji Diyarbekir ..
. xwendekar im. Ez kurd .

Exercise 3.
Below, there are questions for you! Please write true answers for the questions.
a. Nav te i ye? b. Tu ji ku der y?

c. Tu kurd ? d. Tu xwendekar ?

Country names
Franse France n China
Almanya Germany Rusya Russia
Ingilstan England Hindistan India
talya Italy Iraq Iraq
Espanya Spain Amerka USA
Swd Sweden ran Iran
Siws Switzserland Sriye Syria
Tirkiye Turkey Norwc Norway


end bajarn Kurdistan / Some cities of Kurdistan

Bajar/city
Navn din /other
names
Dewlet/state
Afrn Afrin Sriye
Agir Ar Tirkiye
Amed Diyarbakr Tirkiye
Amd Amuda Sriye
Bedls Bitlis Tirkiye
Bokan Bokan ran
Cizr Cizre Tirkiye
Culemrg Hakkari Tirkiye
Drsim Tunceli Tirkiye
Dihok Dohuk Iraq
Dlok Antep Tirkiye
Efrn Afrin Sriye
Erzingan Erzincan Tirkiye
Erzirom Erzurum Tirkiye
Gurgum Mara Tirkiye
Helebe Halepe Iraq
Hewlr Erbil Iraq
dir Idr Tirkiye
lam lam ran
Kerkuk Kerkk Iraq
Kirmaan Kermanah ran
Mehebad Mahabad ran
Melet Malatya Tirkiye
Mexmr Mahmur Iraq
Mezra Elaz Tirkiye
Mrdn Mardin Tirkiye
Midyad Midyat Tirkiye
Msil Musul Iraq
M Mu Tirkiye
Qamilo Kamili Sriye
Qers Kars Tirkiye
Riha Urfa Tirkiye
Semsr Adyaman Tirkiye
Seqiz Sakz ran
Srt Siirt Tirkiye
Silman Sleymaniye Iraq
Sne Sanandaj ran
Urmiye Urmiye, Wirmiye ran

Wan Van Tirkiye
ewlik Bingl Tirkiye
lih Batman Tirkiye
irnex rnak Tirkiye
Xarpt Elezz, Elaz Tirkiye
Zaxo Zaho Iraq


LESSON2
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn numbers, colors, asking about age, describing people, kinship
terminology,moreaboutpronouns,copula,interrogativesanddosomeexercises.
Bytheendofthislesson;
youwilllearn:
theezafeconstruction
certainstructuresyoucanseeindailylife
gender
thecopulainthepresenttense:howtonegateit
Text: GulnMalbataW
Nav min Guln e. Ez20 sal me. Ez diime Zanngeha Stenbol. Ez li vir, li Stenbol dijm.
LmalameliMrdnye.Dayikbavminliwirdijn.NavbavminHekme.Ew45sal
ye.NavdayikaminGulcaneew43salye.Bavminfirokare.Firogehawpirnemezin
e.Dayikaminnaxebite.Ewbermalye.Dayikaminhersaltvir.Xwikekeminheye.Nav
Zilxayeew10salye.avnwreinporwdirje.Ewdiedibistanaseretay.
zdibetlaneyandediimecemwan.
w
E
Wordlist
ap uncle
ba good,well
bav father
be(bibe) mayyoube(presentsubjunctive2personsingularofbntobe)
bermal housewife
bike mayhe/s
make)
hedo(presentsubjunctive3personsingularofkirintodo,to
bira brother
bir hungry
cem at,to
chez
,byusedinconnectionwithpeopleandtheirhomes,cf.French
,Persianpie.
av eye
awa/awan how
cotkar farmer
dayik mother
dide in(circumposition)
dibistan school
die he/shegoes(3
rd
personsingularpresent theverb for ntogo)
diime (I)go(1
st
pers.sg.presentprogressiveofntogo)
dijm (I)live(1
st
pers.sg.presentprogressiveofjn/jiyantolive)

dijn (they)live(3rdpers.pl.presentprogressiveofjn/jiyantolive)
dirj tall,long
bijjk doctor
firogeh shop
firokar shopowner
emr life,age
gelek many
her every
heye thereis,exists(alsousedinexpressionsofpossession,seebelow)
jin woman
kar work,job
km few
kurt short
l but
li in(preposition)
livir here
liwir there
mal house,home
mam/ap uncle
mamoste teacher
mr man
mezin big
naxebite doesn
work
otwork(3
rd
personsingularneg.presentfortheverbxebitnto
)
nav name
nexwe ill,sick
pir many,much
pirs question
por hair
re black
sal year
sal literallyyeared,thatis,withyears,ofage
sax healthy
seretay elementary,primary
betlaneyan holidays,vacations
t he/shecomes(3
rd
personsingularpresentfortheverbhatintocome)
ten only

n/t th thirsty
vir here(location)
xerab bad
Xwed God
xwikek asister
wordx
(fromxwiksisterwithanindefinitesingularendingek).The
wehisalsousedforsister
ynte yours
zanngeh university
zarok child
Translation:
MynameisGulchin.Iam20yearsold.IgotouniversityinIstanbul.Ilivehere,inIstanbul.
ButmyhomeisinMerdin.Mymotherandfatherlivethere.MyfathersnameisHekim.He
is 45 years old. My mothers name is Guldjan and she is 43 years old. My father is a
shopkeeper. His shop is not very big. My mother does not work. She is a housewife. My
mothercomeshereeveryyear.Ihaveasister.HernameisZelikhaandsheis10yearsold.
ereyesareblackandherhairislong.Shegoestoprimaryschool.DuringtheholidaysIgo
othem.
H
t
1 Hejmar/Numbers

Thecardinalnumbersareasfollow:
1 yek 11 yanzdeh 21 bstyek 40 il

did 2 du/ u 12 dozdeh 22 bstdu 50 pnc
3 s/sis 13 szdeh 23 bsts 60 st

4 ar 14 ardeh 24 bstar 70 heft

5 pnc 15 panzdeh 25 bstpnc 80 het

6 e 16 anzdeh 26 bste 90 nod
k
7 heft 17 hevdeh 27 bstheft 100 sed
t e

8 het 18 hejdeh 28 bsthe 101 sedy
9 neh 19 nozdeh 29 bstneh 200 dused

0 deh 20 bst 30 s/sih 300 ssed
/ 2008duhezarhet
1
1000 hezar 2000 duhezar 0 net sifir
bers reformedwiththeconjuction Compoundnum a ,asin
bstyek(21) ile(46) nodneh(99) sedyek(101)
1
itet
1. Exercise
Wr henumbersinletter.
4 ______ 9 ______ 33 ______ 49 ______
23 ______ 121 ______ 65 ______ 51 ______

35 ______ 139 ______ 54 ______ 69 ______
47 ______ 142 ______ 78 ______ 91 ______

Theordina umb sareasfollows:

ln er
yekem(n) 1st heftem(n) 7th szdem(n) 13th nozdem(n) 19th
duyem(n) 2nd hetem(n) 8th ardem(n) 14th bstem(n) 20th

syem(n) 3rd nehem(n) 9th panzdem(n) 15th bstyekem(n)21st
)
) (n
arem(n) 4th dehem(n) 10th anzdem(n 16th bstduyem(n)22nd
ncem(n 5th yanzdem(n) 11th hevdem(n) 17th bstsyem )23rd
th hejdem(n) 18th sihem(n) 30th
p
eem(n) 6th dozdem(n) 12
omeexpressionswithordinalsare:erchanyyekemn(thefrstworldwar),cara
uyem(thesecondtime)
S
d
2 Asking utage(temen abo age)
uendsaly? Howoldareyou?
wendsalye? Howoldishe/she?
T
E
Tuendsaly?
Gulna litalkabouttheirfamilies.Theyaskeachothersage. ndherroommateAs
Guln:
Asli:
Asli,tuendsaly?
Gul
21.Ltu?
n:
Asli: te?
Ez20salme.Dayikbavteendsalne?
j51salye.Yn
Gul
Dayikamin48salyebavmin
n:
Asli:
Dayikamin43salyebavminj45salye.
Gul te?
Xwikbiraynteendsalne?
n: j22salye.Yn
Asli: daye10salye.
Xwikamin14salyebiraymin
xwikekheye.Navwey
Gul demrwdirjbike!
Minten
n:
sli:Sa
Bae.Xwe
xbib.
uln:
A
G
Tusaxtir.
Guln:
Asli:
Asli,howoldareyou?
Gul
21.(And)you?
n: father?
Asli: hatabout)yours?
Iam20.Howoldareyourmotherand
Gul
Mymotheris48andmyfatheris51.(W
n:
Asli:
Mymotheris43andmyfatheris45.
Gul
Howoldareyoursistersandbrothers?
n: .
1
(Whatabout)yours?
Asli:
Mysisteris14andmybrotheris22
Gul
Ihaveonlyonesister.HernameisSheydaandsheis10yearsold.
n:
sli:Th giveyoualonglife).
OK.MayGodgrantthemalonglife!
ankyou(lit.Mayyoubehealthy,mayGod
uln:Youarewelcome(lit.Youmorehealthy).
A
G

1
In Kurdish: is also 22.

.1 Exercise
sw rthequestions.
2
Readthedialogueandan e
1. Asliendsalye? ...
2. Gulnendsalye? ...
ne? 3. DayikbavAsliyendsal ...
4. DayikbavGulnendsalne? ...
. XwikaAsliyendsalye? ...
. XwikbiraynGulnendsalne? ...
5
6
3 KinshipTermin l al) o ogy(nonobligatorymateri
m
nd
bapr grandfather bkzava brideandgroo
a dapr grandmother jinmr wifeandhusb
bav,bab father xizim,nas relative
dayik mother malbat family
k xwi sister mam,ap fathersbrother
bira brother met fatherssister
ke daughter xalet,xalt motherssister
ur son xal mothersbrother
ev grandchild xwikbira sisterandbrother
k
n
3.1. Some examples for the usage of kinship words:

a) Hekm bav Guln ye.
b)
c)
d) Gulcan Hekm jin mrn hev in.
Zilxa kea Gulcan ye.
Guln kea Gulcan ye.

Grammar / Rziman 2

A The verb to be in the present tense again: negated forms
You will remember from lesson 1 that to express to be in the present tense, a set of endings is used, as in the
following examples:
ez nexwe im I am ill (nexwe = ill, sick)
tu t y You are thirsty (thn/t = thirsty)

To make the negative form of such sentences, the negation particle ne is positioned before the complement
(whatever is negated), and stressed. The negation marker ne can not come right before or after the copula. For
example:
Ez ne nexwe im. (I am not sick) Em ne nexwe in. (We are not sick)
Tu ne t y. (You are not thirsty) Hn ne thn ne. (You are not thirsty)


B Gender
All nouns in Kurmanji have gender, either masculine or feminine. It is important to know the gender of a noun
because it affects the form of the case marker, and of the Ezafe marker (see D below).

Nouns that denote persons, or higher animals, have the gender corresponding to their meaning. For example, the
nouns ap uncle, bav father and mr man are all masculine because they denote male beings. Xwik sister
and bk bride on the other hand are feminine, because they refer to feminine beings. But for nouns denoting
objects, you just have to learn the gender with the noun. For example, av eye is masculine, but mal house is
feminine r these nouns; however some rules can be
formula
. There is not a general rule organizing gender fo
refeminine
ted,forexample:
sa
e
thenamesofcities,countriesandtown

abstractnounsendinginarefeminin
ne

infinitivesusedasnounsarefemini

theinfinitivesfromverbsarefeminine
ref

geographicalnamesa eminine
Numbersandcolorsaremasculineetc.
The names of items of womens clothing are generally feminine, items of mens clothing are
generallymasculine
Words borrowed from other languages are most commonly assigned feminine gender when they denote
objectsratherthanlivingbeings.

C The indefiniteness suffix
A bare noun in Kurmanji can have a definite reading, or a very general reading, depending on the context. For
example, hesp can mean either the horse, or perhaps horses in general. There is no definite article in
Kurmanji corresponding to English the. But if we want to talk about a horse, we add the suffix -ek to the noun:
hesp-ek a horse, jinek a woman, gundek a village, mamosteyek a teacher etc.

Grammar / Rziman 2 (continued)

D The Ezafe construction
The Ezafe is a vowel that links all kinds of attributes to a noun, for example adjectives, possessors or
prepositional phrases. In standard orthography it is written as part of the noun. Kurdish is like French or Spanish
in that the noun comes first, and then it is followed by the attribute. We refer to the initial noun as the head
noun. A typical Ezafe construction from the texts is the following:
nav min

Head noun Ezafe particle Possessive modifier

The bare form of the head noun is nav name, and the Ezafe here is . The modifier can also be an adjective, as
in zarok nexwe the sick child.

The Ezafe particle takes different forms according to the gender and the number of the head noun. In the
example above, the head noun is masculine and singular. If the head noun is feminine, then the ezafe has the
form -a: xwika min my sister
If it is plural, the ezafe is -n hevaln me our friends (me=Oblique form of 1
st
pers. pl pronoun)

If the noun ends in a vowel, a -y- is put before the Ezafe:
birayn min my brothers

The Ezafe also takes a different form after the indefiniteness suffix (see C above). This gives us four different
possibilities for the Ezafe in the singular:

1. FEMININE, NO INDEFINITENESS SUFFIX: FORM OF SUFFIX
mala me (our house) behra Wan (Lake Van) -(y)a
2. FEMNNE, WTH NDEFNTENESS SUFFX:
sveke sor (a red apple) jineke bedew (a beautiful woman) -e
3. MASCULINE, NO INDEFINITENESS SUFFIX:
em Ferat (the Euphrate River) deriy darn (the wooden door) -(y)
4. MASCULINE, WITH INDEFINITENESS SUFFIX:
mrek bilind (a tall man) kevirek belek (a colorful stone) -

Three further points about the Ezafe:

D1 The free or demonstrative Ezafe
First, the Ezafe can also be used without a head noun. In this case, it always takes an initial -y. It means
something like English one ... as in my one, or the red one. Consider the following example:

biray min 12 sal ye. L y te? My brother is 12 years old. And your one? (i.e. and your
brother)?

D2 Multiple Ezafes
One noun can be modified by several modifiers, and in that case, each modifier will require its own Ezafe:
Pirtka biray min My brothers book
Pirtka heval biray min The book of my brothers friend
Pirtka xwika heval biray min The book of the sister of my brothers friend

D3 Possessors in the Oblique case
The Possessor in an Ezafe construction always goes into the Oblique case (see next lesson for more details on
this). You have already learned the Oblique case of the personal pronouns (see Lesson 1). This means that
whenever a pronoun is a possessor in an Ezafe, it takes the Oblique form (bav min my father, bav w her
father etc.). We will learn about the Oblique case of nouns in later lessons.


LESSON 3

INTRODUCTION

In this unit you will learn new grammatical structures in the present tense and use them in
meaningful contexts, certain names for occupations, expressions of frequency and terminology
for month and the days of the week.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

Ask about jobs
Tell the time
Ask about and describe habits and routines
Use existensial expressions such as heye/hene

1. Text: Rojeke Min / My Day (literally: one day (roj-ek) of me)
Ez xwendekar im. Nav min Salih e ez 22 sal me. Ez li Stenbol dijm, li mala mam xwe
dimnim, l malbata min li Diyarbekir dij. Ez sibehan z radibim, di saet 8an de. Pit ku ser
avn xwe diom, ez tat dixwim diim zanngeh. 5 dersn min hene. Ez gelek ji dersn xwe
hez dikim; ji ber ku em di dersan de pirtkn gelek balk dixwnin nqan ba dikin. Ez di
saet 1 de li gel hevaln xwe firavn dixwim ay vedixwim. Di zanngeh de gelek hevaln
min hene. Hindek hevaln min tirk in hindek j kurd in. Ez bi hevaln xwe yn kurd re bi kurd
diaxivim, l mixabin hindek hevaln min n kurd kurd nizanin. Pit firavn ay, em dsa
diin ders. Pit nvro ten du dersn min hene. Yek ji van dersan edebiyat e. Di dersa edebiyat
de em tekstn edebiyata amerik dixwnin. Ez taybet ji helbestn T. S. Eliot hez dikim. Di kurd
de j helbestn Eliot hene. Ez j carnan helbestan dinivsim. Dersn min di saet 5an de xelas
dibin. Pa tm mal di saet 7an de li gel mam, jinmam zarokn wan em v dixwin ay
vedixwin. Mam min mamoste ye jinmama min j parzer e. Ez piran heta 11an dersn xwe
dixebitim pa j bo saetek pirtkek dixwnim di seat 12an de dinivim.

Translation:
I am a student. My name is Salih and I am 22 years old. I live in Istanbul, I am staying at my
uncles home, but my family lives (in Kurdish plural since there are many members) in
Diyarbekir. I wake up early in the morning (in Kurdish: in the mornings) at eight 8 oclock. After
washing my face (lit. head and eye), I have (lit. eat) breakfast and go to the univerisity. I have
five courses. I like my courses very much because we read very interesting books in the courses
and have good discussions. At one oclock, I have lunch and drink tea with my friends. I have
many friends at the unversity. Some of my friends are Turks and some are Kurds. I speak
Kurmanji (Kurdish) with my Kurdish friends, but unfortunately some of Kurdish friends do not
know Kurdish. After lunch and tea we go back to the courses. In the afternoon I have only two
lessons. One of these lessons is literature. In literature class we read texts of English literature. I
particularly like the poems of T. S. Eliot. Eliots poems are also (to be found) in Kurdish
(translation). I, too, sometimes write poetry. My courses are finished at 5 oclock. Then I go
home and at 7 oclock I have (lit. eat) dinner and tea with my uncle, his wife and their
children.My uncle is a teacher and his wife is a lawyer. I generally study (lit. work on my
lessons) until 11 oclock and then I read ( a book) for one hour and at midnight I go to sleep.


1.1 Exercise
Answer the questions according to the passege.

1. Nav w i ye? ................................................................
2. Ew i kar dike? ................................................................
3. Ew li ku dij? ................................................................
4. Ew di saet endan de radibe? ................................................................
5. end dersn w hene? ................................................................
6. Ew ji kjan dersn xwe hez dike? ...............................................................
7. Ew keng v dixwin? ................................................................
8. Mam jinmama w i kar dikin? ...............................................................
2. Asking About Jobs
Tu i kar dik? What is your job?
Tu bi i mijl ? What are you busy with?
Ew i kar dike? What is her/his job?
Bav te i kar dike? What is your fathers job?
Ez endazyar im. I am (an) engineer.
Ew mamoste ye. S/he is (a) teacher.
Dayika w wirmend e. His mother is (a) consultant.

3. Saet / Time
The basis of expression is saet hour

Saet end e? What time is it?
Saet deh e. It is ten.
Saet nzik aran e. It is close to 4 cclock.
Ji diduyan re arkek heye It is a quarter to 2.
aran arkek dibore. It is a quarter past 4.

3.1. Exercise
Write the time according to the pictures below.
Saet end e?

Saet ..................... ............................. ............................. .............................

........................... ............................. ............................. .............................
Wordlist

amrn mitbax kitchen utensils
arvan flour
bajar city
balk interesting
ba good, well
bazar bazar
bi qas saetek for one hour
carinan somtimes
cil berg clothes
ark quarter
ay tea
danstandin shopping
ders lesson, course, work
diaxivim I speak, I am speaking (1st person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb axavtin to speak)
dibore he/she/it passes, is passing (3rd person singular form of smple present
tense for the verb bihurn to pass)
diim

I go, I am going (1st person singular form of simple present tense for
the verb n to go)
diin

we/you/they go/are going (1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural form of
simple present tense for the verb n to go)
dikin

we/you/they do/are doing (1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural form of
simple present tense for the verb kirin to do)
dijm

I live (1st person singular form of simple present tense for the verb
jiyan to live)
dimnim I stay/am staying (1st person singular form of simple present tense for
the verb man to stay)
diom I wash/am washing (1st person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb tin to wash)
dixwnim I read/am reading, I study/am studying (1st person singular form of
simple present tense for the verb xwendin to read, to study)
dixebitim

I work/am working (1st person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb xebitn to work)
dixwim

I eat/am eating (1st person singular form of simple present tense for the
verb xwarin to eat)
dsa again, once more
edebiyat literature
edebiyata amerik American literature
endazyar engineer
erzan cheapness, low prices
fk fruit

firavn lunch
gelek/gelek very much
girng important
heftey carek once in a week
helbest poetry, poem
hem tit everything
heta till/until
heval friend
heye/hene

there is / there are, exists/exist (also used in expressions of possession,
see below)
hk egg
hindek some
ji from
ji ber ku because, since
Jinmam/jinap uncles wife
kar work, job, task, duty
keng when
kjan which
kue street
kurd Kurdish
l but, however
li aliyek din on the other side/ part
ligel with, together with
malbat family
mam/ap paternal uncle
mamoste teacher
mast yoghurt
mijl busy
mixabin unfortunately
nave region
nzik close
nizanin we/you/they do not know (negative form of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person
plural of simple present tense for the verb zann to know)
niqa discussion
nivk butter
nvro noon
parzer lawyer
plav / sol shoes
piran majority; usually, generally, often

radibim

I wake up (1st person singular form of simple present tense for the
verb rabn to wake up)
pa later, then
pit ku after
rken cheer, being cheerful
sarinc refrigerator
sebze vegetable
ser av literary head and eye, face
sibehan in the morning(s)
ekir sugar
wirmend consultant
r milk
v dinner
tat breakfast
taybet especially, specifically
tax quarter (Swedish kvarter), neighbourhood
tekst text
ten alone, only
tm I come/am coming (1st person singular form of simple present tense for
the verb hatin to come)
tirk Turkish
vedixwim I drink/am drinkng (1st person singular form of simple present tense for
the verb vexwarin to drink)
xelas dibin they finish (3rd person plural form of simple present tense for the verb
xelas bn to finish)
xelk/xelq the folk, people
xwarin food
ya batir what is more, moreover
ya rast indeed, In fact
yek ji wan one of them
zanngeh university
zarok child
z quickly, early


Grammar / Rziman 3

A Expressions of existence (there is / there are)

To say that something exists, or is, Kurmanji uses the existential verb hebn. In fact, it is
really a combination of a particle he- plus the verb bn (to be), but most descriptions of
Kurdish treat it as a verb in its own right, and we will follow that tradition here. But it is
useful to remember that it is based on the verb bn, because this makes it easier to understand
the conjugation. In the present tense, the familiar forms of the copula endings (see Grammar
in lesson 1) are simply added to the particle he-, yielding:

Ez he-me I am, exist Em he-ne
Tu he-y you are, exist Hn he-ne
Ew he-ye etc. Ew he-ne

In practice, only the third person forms heye and hene are used frequently. They generally
mean there is and there are respectively:

Li bazar gelek tit hene. At the market there are many things.
Li vir jinek heye. There is a woman here.

The negative form is tune/nne:

Li vir jinek tuneye / nn e there is no woman here

B Expressions of possession
Kurdish, unlike Persian, does not have a verb corresponding to English have. To say I have
two brothers, or something similar, different constructions are used in Kurmanji. They are
based on the existential verb hebn discussed above. To say I have two brothers, two
possibilities are available:

Possibility 1 (with Izafe):
Du birayn min hene literally: two brothers of me exist

Possibility 2 (without Izafe, the possessor comes at the beginning of the sentence and
is in the Oblique case):
Min du bira hene literally: for me two brothers exist

Both of these constructions can be found in Kurmanji; different books and descriptions prefer
different ones. We have chosen the second one here, which is more commonly used in the
south of the Kurmanji speech area, particularly in North Iraq around Zakho and Dohuk. But
the other possibility is absolutely acceptable, and in many textbooks it is preferred.

Some further examples of the second possibility:
Min xwikek heye. I have a sister.

Du piskn te hene./Te du pisk hene. You have two cats.
Ezmneke w heye./W ezmnek heye. She has an exam.
Pereyn w hene./W pere nne. He does not have money.
Pirsek ete heye./Te pirsek heye? Do you have a question?
Li bazar penr tuneye/nn e. There is not cheese at the bazar.

C The Reflexive Xwe
The reflexive pronoun xwe has different meanings and usages. It always has the same form,
regardless of how it is used.
1. It can be used as possessive pronoun in an Izafe construction:

Ew ji dersn xwe hez dike She likes her courses.
Ez li gel malbata xwe dimnim. I stay with my family.
Tu li kilda xwe diger? Are you looking for your keys?

2. It can be used as reflexive pronoun as in:
Xelk ji xwe re li bazaran danstandin dikin. The people do shopping for themselves
in bazaars.
Ez xwe li ry te dibnim. I see myself in your face.
Dayika min bi xwe mamoste ye My mother is (a) teacher herself.

3. The reflexive xwe can only be used when it refers to the subject of the sentence it occurs in,
and in this context, it must be used. Compare the following:

Ez ji dayika xwe hez dikim I love my mother (xwe refers back to the subject Ez)
Tu ji dayika min hez dik You love my mother (xwe cannot be used here, because
the subject of the sentence is Tu you, not the same
person as the possessor in dayika min my mother
In contexts like this, a form of the Oblique
personal pronoun (see Lesson 2) is used.

C Dema Niha / The Simple Present Tense (Part 1)

1. Verbs in general: stems and infinitive
Each verb in Kurdish has two stems, or basic forms: a present stem, and a past stem. Each
stem is used as the basis for different tenses, moods etc., by adding various prefixes and
suffixes, which will be explained during the course. In this lesson we look at the simple
present tense.
The usual way of referring to a verb is by its infinitive, which is based on the past stem of the
verb. The infinitive is the form that a verb is listed under in the dictionary. It is formed very
simply by adding -n to the past stem. If the stem ends in a consonsant, then a short buffer
vowel -i is inserted before the -n. The formation of the present stem, on the other hand, is
often irregular (see below).

Here are examples of the basic forms of some verbs from this lesson:

MEANNG INFNTVE PAST STEM PRESENT STEM
speak, talk axaft-in axaft- axiv-

eat xwar-in xwar- xw-
read, study xwend-in xwend- xwn-
work xebit-n xebit- xebit-
see dt-in dt- bn-
wash t-in t- o-
do, make, put kir-in kir- k-
give da-n da- d-
know zan-n zan- zan-

2. The simple present tense
The simple present tense is used for all actions performed in the present, whether continuous
or regularly recurring. It is formed from the present stem (see previous point), to which a
prefix di- is attached. Then the personal endings are added according to each person.
Examples of conjugations are as follow:

Ez di xebit im I work / am working

present tense prefix present stem personal ending

kirin (to do) xwendin (to read, study)
Ez di k im Em di k in Ez di xwn im Em di xwn in
Tu di k Hn di k in Tu di xwn Hn di xwn in
Ew di k e Ew di k in Ew di xwn e Ew di xwn in

If the verb stem ends in a vowel, the personal endings are as below:

tin (to wash)
Ez di o m Em di o n
Tu di o y Hn di o n
Ew di o Ew di o n

3. The negative form of the simple present tense is derived by replacing di- with the na-
negation marker:

xwarin (to eat) xebitn (to work)
Ez na xw im Em na xw in Ez na-xebit-im etc.
Tu na xw Hn na xw in
Ew na xw e Ew na xw in

However, there are two exceptions to the negation marker. The negative form of the present
tense prefix for the verb zann (to know) and karn (to be able) is formed by replacing di-
with ni- instead of na-:

zann (to know) karn (to know)
Ez ni zan im Em ni zan in Ez ni kar im Em ni kar in
Tu ni zan Hn ni zan in Tu ni kar Hn ni kar in
Ew ni zan e Ew ni zan in Ew ni kar e Ew ni kar in

3. Common irregular verbs in the present tense:
There are two irregular verbs conjugated differently both in affirmative and negative
sentences in present tense. These are hatin (to come) and ann (to bring).

Hatin (to come)
Affirmative Negative
Ez tm Em tn Ez naym Em nayn
Tu t Hn tn Tu nay Hn nayn
Ew t Ew tn Ew naye Ew nayn

Ann (to bring)
Ez tnim Em tnin Ez naynim Em naynin
Tu tn Hn tnin Tu nayn Hn naynin
Ew tne Ew tnin Ew nayne Ew naynin

5. Compound verbs
The verb vexwarin (to drink) which was previously used in the text is a compound verb,
based on a particle ve- plus the verb xwarin eat. We will deal with these verbs in a different
lesson, but for the time being it is important to note that the present tense prefix comes
between the preverbal particle and the present stem:

from vexwarin the first person singular present is: ve-di-xw-im
from rabn get up the first person singular present is: ra-di-b-im


6. Exercises

6.1 Translate the following phrases into Kurdish:

1. At seven O'clock I come home.
(note: destinations in Kurdish are usually put after theverb)
2. I dont know.
3. What does your father do (what is his job)?
4. They are not coming.
5. Rojbin (girls name) doesnt like her (own) teacher.
(like: hez kirin, the object is introduced with the preposition ji)
6. We are drinking water (av).
7. They are not drinking milk.
8. She studies American literature.
9. We dont work at the bazar.
10. Who is reading my book? (book is feminine - see Izafe in Lesson 2!)
11. We have a large house.
12. He has two sisters.
13. I dont have yoghurt.
14. When is your brother coming?

6.2 Translate the following into English:

1. Ez ro naym. (ro=today)
2. Hn keng diin ders?
3. Nav heval te i ye?
4. Em li gel malbata xwe dimnin.
5. Min xwikek heye.
6. Min pere nn e.
7. Tu ji dayika min hez dik
8. Tu ji dayika xwe hez dik
9. Ez dest xwe diom.

List the infinitives from all the verbs you used exercise 6.1 and 6.2. If you used a form of to
be, write the infinitive bn.

(for example: in the first sentence in 6.1 you used a form of the verb hatin come)


1
LESSON 4

INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will continue to discover more about the simple present tense,
prepositions, postpositions and circumpositions and different time expressions.

By the end of this lesson you will:
have learned about prepositions, postpositions and circumpositions and contracted
prepositions
have learned a number of expressions for describing times
deepened your knowledge of the present tense of a variety of different verbs, both
simple and complex

1. Tekst: Mala Nrgiz
Nrgiz hesabgir e ew li Amed dij. Maleke Nrgiz heye. Mala w bik e; l bel pir
irn e. Di mala w de du ode, mitbexek, serokek dairek hene. Nrgiz ne zengn e; l
bel mala w pir rengn e. T de her tit heye: televzyon, palgeh, mase kurs, tabloyn
wneyan, dolab sp, xaleyeke sor, gul guldank, gelek titn din. Mala w li
dervey bajar ye. Cih mala w pir xwe e bi dar hnah ye. Li rex mala w,
parkeke lstin seyran heye. Park pir nzik mala w ye; di navbera mala w park de
bi ten kolanek heye. Park ne mezin e; l bel paqij fireh e. Di w park de her cure dar
giya hene.
Nrgiz di mala xwe de bi ten nn e; piskeke w heye. Nav piska w Kunc ye. Kunc
pir irn e; l hinek m e. Her gav derdikeve ser mase nivnan. Di cih xwe de
nasekine. Nrgiz di dawiya heftey de naxebite. Rojn em, sibeh mala xwe paqij dike
var j die cem hevaln xwe. Jiyaneke Nrgiz ya aram rihet heye. Ew ji mal hal
xwe pir raz ye.

Translation: The House of Nrgiz
Nrgiz is an accountant and she lives in Amed. Nrgiz has a house. Her house is small
but very sweet. In her house, there are two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a restroom
(toilet). Nrgiz is not rich but her house is quite colorful. There is everything in it: TV,
armchair, table, chair, paintings, cupboard and coffee table, a red carpet, a vase with
flowers, and many other things. Her house is outside of the city. The neighbourhood of
her house is green and there are trees around (lit. with trees and greenness). Next to her
house there is a park for playing and jogging. The park is very close to her house; there is
only one street between her house and the park. The park is not large (lit. big) yet it is
clean and airy. In that park, there are all kinds of tree and plants (dar giya tree and
plants are in sngl. form, the plurality is observed on the verb hene).
Nrgiz is not alone in her house; she has a cat. The name of her cat is Kunc. Kunc is
very sweet but she is little bit naughty. Always goes on the table and bedding (nivnan is
the plural form in K.) She (Kunc) does not stay in her place. Nrgiz does not work on the
weekend. On Saturdays, in the morning (sibeh) she cleans her house and in the evening
goes to her friends. Nrgiz has a calm and comfortable life. She is very content with her
situation.


2

Exercise
Read the text and answer the questions as accurately as possible:
1. Nrgiz li k der dij?
2. Maleke Nrgiz ya awa heye?
3. Di mala Nrgiz de end ode hene?
4. Mala Nrgiz li ku der ye? Li nav bajar ye an li dervey bajar ye? (li dervey
=outside of)
5. Park li ku der ye?
6. Di park de i i hene?
7. Nrgiz di mala xwe de bi k re dij?
8. Nrgiz kjan rojan naxebite?
9. Nrgiz keng die cem hevaln xwe?
10. Gelo Nrgiz ji mal hal xwe bzar e?
1.2 Exercise
The sentences below are taken from the text above. Fill in the blanks paying attention to
the usages of the prepositions and postpositions. It is suggested that you work on this
exercise after studying the related part in the Grammar section.

Nrgiz . Amed dij. Di mala w . du ode hene. Mala Nrgiz li .. bajar ye.
......... mala w parkek heye. Di .. mala w park de bi ten kolanek heye.
Kunc pir m e. Her gav derdikeve masey. Nrgiz .. hal xwe pir raz ye.

2. Vocabulary
2.1 Dann Roj/Times of a day

sibeh morning dan sibeh the morning time
nvro noon dan nvro noon
ev night dan ev night time

berbang /efeq dawn
sibeh /beyan morning
nvro noon
pit nvro afternoon
esr /bervar late afternoon, early evening
var evening
ev night
nvev midnight
El berbanga sibeh die ser kar xwe. El sets out to his work at dawn.
Nrgiz her sibeh guln xwe av dide. Nrgiz waters her flowers every morning.
Li vira, nvro pir germ dibe. Her, it is very hot at noon.
Zarok pit nvro diine melevaniy. The children go swimming in the afternoon.
Salih var z vedigere mala xwe. Salih returns home early in the evening.
Bi ev z razin da ku sibeh z rabin. Sleep early at night to wake up early in the
morning.
Nv ev li gund me tu kes dernakeve. At midnight nobody in our village goes out.

3
2.2 Days of the week/Rojn heftey
Duem Monday
Sem Tuesday
arem Wednesday
Pncem Thursday
n Friday
em Saturday
Yekem Sunday
ro i roj e? What day is it today?
ro pncem e. It is Thursday.

Nrgiz roja emiy naxebite.
Nrgiz does not work on Sunday.

Ez roja sem diime cem malbata xwe.
I am going to my family on Tuesday.

2.3 Hindek Hokern Dem /Some Time Adverbs

Duh yesterday ro today sibe tomorrow
Par last year sal this year sala t next year
Ber before niha now pa later

niha now
pa later
pit re later on
d re afterwards
ber/ber before
duh yesterday
ro/ ev roj today
sibe tomorrow
par last year
sal/ev sal this year
sala t next year
ber deh salan ten years ago
pit deh salan after ten years
her roj every day
her gav/her tim always
her meh every month
her sal every year
tu/u caran never
hindek caran sometimes
carinan sometimes
km caran rarely
gelek caran usually

3. Exercises

a. In the previous lesson we had explained the present tense in Kurmanji. Turn back to
the related section, if needed, and try to place the right verb in the blanks. Note that in
this exercise the verbs are already conjugated.

hez dike /dixwe /radibe /diaxive /temae dike /dij /vedigere /die

4

Salih xwendekarek bst du sal ye. Ew li Stenbol (1).. Salih sibehan pir z
(2).., tatiy dixwe (3) zanngeh. Firavn li zanngeh, ligel
hevaln xwe (4)... Salih li zanngeh bi kurd (5). Salih ji dersn xwe
pir (6).. Salih bi ev z (7). mal. Pit v, li televzyon
(8)... di saet 11an de radiz.

b. Conjugate the verbs in the table in the present tense.

Infinitive English Ez Tu Ew Em/Hn/Ew
birin bring dibim
n go
kirin do
lstin play
men walk, take a walk
rabn get up radibe
rnitin sit
tgihitin understand tdigihin
xebitn work
xwendin read, study
xwestin request, want
vexwarin drink vedixwe
winda kirin lose
zivirn turn (back), rotate

Wordlist
av water
av dide he/she waters (3rd person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb av dan to water)
bajar (syn. ehr) city
baran rain
bi dar bi: with; dar: tree. Somewhere where there are trees.
bi roj in the daytime, during daytime
bi ev at night
bi ten alone, only
bik small
bikar if you can (the present subjunctive form of the verb karn to be
able to)
kolan street
awa/awan how
ay tea
end how many
ente (syn. kf) bag
i what
cih/c place

5
ima (syn. bo i) why
men lawn
ciwan (ant. pr) young
dan time of the day
dawiya heftey weekend (daw: end; hefte: week)
delal beatiful, lovely
dereng (ant. z) late
der door
dernakeve he/she/it does not go out (negative form of 3rd person singular
form of simple present tense for the verb derketin to go out)
derve outside; abroad
zengn (ant. feqr,
xizan, hejar,
dewlemend)
wealthy
di . re Through; ex: Kik di nav daran re n
di bin de Under (in locative case)
diaxive he/she/it speaks (3rd person singular form of simple present
tense for the verb axaftin to speak)
dibare it rains (3rd person singular form of simple present tense for the
verb barn to rain)
die he/she/it goes (3rd person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb n to go)
dij he/she/it lives (3rd person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb jiyan to live)
dil; dilan dil: heart; dilan: the plural of the noun dil.
dinive he/she/it sleeps (3rd person singular form of simple present
tense for the verb nivistin to sleep)
dirj (ant. kurt, kin) long
dsa j again, still
dixwe he/she/it eats (3rd person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb xwarin to eat)
dolab cupboard
dr (ant. nzik) far
ev jiyan this life (ev: this; life: jiyan)
var in the evening
fireh wide
fncan cup
seyran infinitive form of the verb to travel; to wander
gtar guitar
giya grass
gul rose; flower
guldank vase (gul: flower; dank: a suffix giving the sense of containing)
havn summer (payz: autumn; zivistan: winter; bihar: spring)
heft/hefte week

6
hlekan swing
serok bath
her cure every kind (her: every, each; cure: kind (syn. tixm, babet)
her gav (syn. Her tim) always
hesabgir accounter
hnah green
heval friend
hevaln xwe friends of self (Salih bi ev die cem hevaln xwe. Salih goes to
his friends at night)
hez dike he/she/it likes, loves (3rd person singular form of simple present
tense for the verb hez kirin to like, love)
hirok teddy bear
skan cup for tea
ji bo for
jn life
jr clever, smart, wise
jiyaneke aram a peaceful life (jiyan+eke aram)
kal old
kar work
k who (in oblique case)
keng when
k who
kjan which
k der where
kullk flower; bud
kunc oleaster, sesame; here the name of the cat
kurs chair
kurt short
l bel but; however
lstin the infinitive form of the verb to play
li dervey out of .. (in oblique case)
li jr below (in oblique case, by itself jr would not be in oblique)
li jor above (in obl. case)
li rex next (in obl. case)
li ser on (in obl. case)
li vira here (in obl. case)
ligel together with
xale carpet
mal home
mal hal general material and psychological situation of someone
mam (syn. ap) uncle
mase table
melevan (syn. soban) swimming
mitbex kitchen
mezin (ant. bik) big

7
m naughty
mzsyen musicien
nasekine he/she/it does not stop, stand (negative 3rd person singular,
simple present tense of sekinn to stop, to stand)
nav name
navber interval, between
nazik fragile
nexwe ill, fatigue
nzik (ant. dr) near, close
nivn bedding
ode room
palgeh armchair
paqij; paqij kirin (syn.
temz, pak, xawn)
clean; to clean up
park park
pns (syn. qelem) pen
pere money
pr (syn. kal; ant.
ciwan, cahil)
old
pirtk (syn. kitb) book
pisk (also kitik) cat
piyal glass
por hair
qehwe coffe
radibe he/she/it wakes up (3rd person singular form of simple present
tense for the verb rabn to wake up, to stand up)
rengn colorful
roj day; sun
rdine he/she/it sits down, lives (3rd person singular form of simple
present tense for the verb rnitin to sit down; to live)
eng charm
sp coffe table
serbest free; freely
irn sweet; lovely
sibeh in the morning
sil kirin (syn. tre
kirin; xeyidandin)
Infinitive of the verb to offend, to make angry
tablo tableau
t de in it (This usage requires a preceding context)
tebeq floor (du tebeq: double floor)
televzyon television
temae kirin infinitive of the verb to watch
temz clean
tenha/ten alone; solitary place
terxan satisfied; comfortable

8
tev chan the whole world (tev: all; chan: the world)
tiral, tembel lazy
titn din other things (tit: thing; din: other)
tu kes nobody
dair/tuwalet toilet
vedigere he/she/it returns (3rd person singular form of simple present
tense for the verb vegeriyan to return)
vedihese (syn. bhna
xwe dan)
he/she/it rests (3rd person singular form of simple present tense
for the verb vehesiyan to rest)
v tit this thing; this
wne painting
xan house
zext/xim violence; violent act (in oblique case, see next lesson)
xurt (ant. zef; lawaz) strong, powerful
xwendekar student
zarok child; children
zef (syn. lawaz) weak
z early; fast

9
Grammar / Rziman 4

A) Prepositions, Postpositions, Circumpositions and Contracted Prepositions
In Kurmanji there are prepositions, postpositions and circumpositions. The topic is quite complex, and in
this introductory course we will only be showing you the most important features of these structures.
Furthermore, there is quite a lot of variation among the different varieties of Kurmanji. However, the most
important words are constant across the different varieties. There are three basic prepositions, found in all
varieties of Kurmanji:
li at, in;
ji from;
bi through, by
In addition, there are prepositions like ser on; bin under, which may be combined with the basic three
prepositions (li ser on, about, as in li ser ziman kurd about/on the Kurdish language) or used alone, as
in ser avan on eyes, meaning at your disposal, an expression of friendly respect and agreement.

One difficult feature of Kurmanji is the widespread use of circumpositions: these are made up of a
preposition plus one of three particles which follow the relevant word (or phrase). The three particles are:
ve, de, re (in some varieties pronounced: va, da, ra). For example:
bi te re with you
ji te re for you, to you
ji ro ve from today onwards

In addition, there are circumpositions with a first element di. Unlike the basic prepositions discussed above,
this element can not occur by itself, but only in combination with a final particle:

di mala w de in her house
di ... re through

The final particles have a vague meaning, approximately as follows: de usually adds a meaning of
stationary position; while re adds some sense of togetherness; and finally ve adds some sense of getting
away from.

Note that the nouns and pronouns following the prepositions are in Oblique case. We have already
discussed the Oblique case for pronouns, and in the next lesson we look at the Oblique case for nouns.


10
Grammar / Rziman 4 (continued)
Some common prepositions and circumpositions with examples are the following:
ba/nik/cem to, towards Ew her roj die cem hevaln xwe. (used mostly with persons)
Every day he goes to his friends.
bi with, by means of Ez bi bisklet diim dibistan.
I go to school by bicycle.
bi re with Bisekine! Ez j bi te re tm bazar.
Stop! (=imperative of sekinn wait, stop), I too will come to the market
with you.
bo for; to Ji kerema xwe bo min ayek dagire.
If you would be so kind, pour a tea for me.
di nav de inside of, among Tu i dik di nav av de?
What are you putting into the water?
di navbera de between Welat me di navbera Ferat Dcley de ye.
Our homeland is between the Euphrates and the Tigris (rivers)
heta until Ez heta saet neh ev kar dikim.
I am working until nine Oclock in the evening.
ji from, of Derya ji Qoser ye.
Derya is from Qoser.
Mast ji r dibe.
Yoghurt is made of milk.
ji re to Ez ji te re dibjim l tu ji u kes re nebje (=imperative of gotin).
I tell you but dont you tell it to anyone (lit. no-one).
jive from; since Ji saet heft sibeh ve kar dikim.
I have been working since 7 in morning.
ji bil except for; other than Di malbata wan de ji bil w tu kes kar nake.
In their family no-one works except for him.
ji bo for Hem hewla min ji bo w ye.
All my effort is for him.
li ber in front of Z were! (imperative of hatin come) Li ber bank li hviya te me.
Come quickly! I am waiting for you in front of the bank.
li dij against Em li dij neheqiy tdikoin.
We struggle against injustice.
ligel with; along with Kunc j ligel zarokan dileyze.
Kunc too plays with the children.
li gor according to Li gor w em neheq in.
According to him, we are wrong.
li p in front of Demhat di sinif de li p Rken rdine.
Demhat sits in front of Rken in the classroom.
li rex beside Maln wan li rex hev in.
Their houses are next to each other.
li ser on, over Bne, deyne (imperatives of ann bring and dann put) li ser v masey.
Bring (it) and put (it) on this table!
wek/mna like; as Rast e, ez j wek te difikirim.
Thats right, I too think like you / think the same way as you.
pit after Pit saet heft var vedigere mal.
After seven Oclock in the evening (he / she) returns home.


11
Contracted prepositions
When the three basic prepositions mentioned above (bi, ji and li) are used with the third person pronoun
ew, this pronoun must go into the Oblique case, either w (feminine), or w (masculine). In such
combinations, what usually happens is that the preposition blends together with the pronoun, yielding the
following forms:
bi +w/w >p through him/her/it
ji+w/w >j from him/her/it
li+w/w >l at/in him/her/it

The same thing happens to the particle di (recall from above that this particle does not occur by itself as a
preposition, but only together with a final particle as a circumposition):
di + w/w > t, for example: di w de > t de in it

Some examples are the following:
Bav w her roj j re (=ji w re) pere dine. His father sends him money every day.
Mala ku ez t de (=di w de) dimnim gelek fireh e. The house which I stay at is very large.
Ez p (=bi w) penr hr dikim. I am slicing the cheese with it.
Keik l (=li w) dinihre. The girl is looking at (smb/smth).

B Conjugation of Verbs in Simple Present Tense (Continuation from previous lessons)
1. Recall that in Kurdish, each verb has two stems. The simple present tense is based o the present stem of
the verb and is created by adding the prefix di- to it. The present stem itself is extremely important, because
it also forms the basis of the subjunctive mood, the imperative, (see next lesson), and the future tense!
The main difficulty with the present stem is that for most of the common verbs in the language, it cannot
easily be predicted from the infinitive. For these verbs, then, you just have to learn the form of the present
stem off by heart. There are, however, two rules which are helpful for some verbs:

Rule i: For verbs with an infinitive ending in n, the present stem can readily be formed simply by
droppingn. For example:
Infinitive Present stem
karn can, be able kar-
kirn buy kir-
kenn laugh, smile ken-
pirsn ask pirs-
xebitn to work xebit-
zann know zan-
zewicn marry zewic-
zivirn turn (back) zivir-
Rule ii: Verbs which end in -andin (or -endin) in the infinitive replace this with -n in to make the present
stem:
xwendin read, study xwn-
andin send n-
ikandin break ikn-
kiandin pull kin-
standin receive stn-

For most of the other common verbs, the present stem must be learnt together with the infinitive. Here is a
list of the commonest verbs together with their present stems, and the first person singular present (I am
driving / drive etc.)


12

Infinitive Present stem First Person Singular Present
ajotin (to drive) ajo- dajom
ann (to bring) n- tnim (di-nim becomes tnim)
axaftin (to speak) axiv- diaxivim
avtin (to throw away) avj- davjim
birin (to take away) b- dibim
bn (to become) b- dibim
bn (to be) - -im
n (to go) - diim
dan (to give) d- didim
dann (to place) da-n datnim (see ann above; this verb is actually
from da-ann, i.e. it has a preverb da-)
dtin (to see) bn- dibnim
firotin (to sell) firo- difiroim
gihitin (to reach, to arrive) gih- digihim
girtin (to catch) gir- digirim
hatin (to come) tm
hlan (to allow, to leave) hl- dihlim
jiyan (to live) j- dijm
ketin (to fall) kev- dikevim
kirin (to do) k- dikim
kolan (to dig) kol- dikolim
lstin (to play) leyz- dileyze
mayn (to remain) mn- dimnim
mirin (to die) mir- dimirim
nivistin (to sleep) niv- dinivim
nivsn (to write) nivs- dinivsim
nrn (to look) nr- dinrim
xistin (to drop, strike) x- dixim/dixnim
xwarin (to eat) xw- dixwim
xwestin (to want) xwaz- dixwazim
tin (to wash) o- diom
Note that generally, the -i of the present tense prefix is dropped when the present stem of the verb begins
with a vowel: dajom (not di-ajom) I drive. Note also that the present tense of ann is tnim, rather than the
expected dnim, and from hatin come we have tm (actually a contraction of di-h-m)


LESSON 5
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn and be exposed to new grammatical structures in the present tense and
use them in meaningful contexts, and see the usages of the nouns in oblique case, certain names for
occupations, expressions of frequency and terminology for month and the days of the week.
Use the modal verbs for expressing the wishes, abilities and requirements,
Conjugate the verbs in present tenses and also in subjunctive form,
Detect and use the nouns in oblique case.

1. Text: va Prozbahiy The Celebration Dinner

Listen to the conversation the first time without reading the text and try to answer the questions in
Exercise 1.

In a caf in Uppsala, Naz, Serdar, Selm and Heln are sitting down talking. Naz is telling the
others a piece of news, and she also makes an offer to the others:

Diyalog/Dialog

Garson: Qehwe ya k ye?
Serdar: Qehwe ya min e. Kola ya w, bra ya xanim ye av j bo heval ye.
Garson: Kerem bikin.
.
Naz: Ha, ez dixwazim xeberek bidime we.
Heln: Xebera xr ye nellah. De bibje Naz.
Naz: Roja n biray min Rnas ji Kurdistan t.
Serdar: Rast! Welleh div em v yek proz bikin.
Naz: ba e v gav! Ez dixwazim we bikim mvan. eva emiy, li mala min.
Hn dikarin bn?
Serdar: Pir ba dibe! Ez dikarim bm. Ez dixwazim Rnas bibnim.
Selm: Naz tu xwarinn xwe dik?
Naz: Zde ne xerab im bo xwarinkirin. Ez dikarim tirik qelslk kim ji
we re. Tu dixwaz by an ne?
Selm: Mixabin ez nikarim bm. Ji ber ku eva emiy civna min heye. Div
bedar w civn bibim.
Heln: min, ez gelek dixwazim xwarinn dest te bixwim; l bel ez niha nizanim ka
dikarim bm an nikarim (but now I do not know whether I can come or not).
Naz: Em j gelek dixwazin tu by. Heta sibe xeberek bide me.
Heln: Ba e, spas.

Translation:

Waiter: For whom (whose) is the coffee?
Serdar: The coffee is mine. The Cola is hers, the beer is for the lady and the water
is for the (this) friend.
Waiter: Here you are!

---
Naz: Look! I want to tell you (give you) a piece of news.
Heln: Hopefully it is good news. Say it Naz.
Naz: On (the day of) Friday my brother Rnas will come from Kurdistan.
Serdar: Really! By God, we have to celebrate this (event).
Naz: Sure (lit. it is good)! I want to host you. At Saturday night, in our home.
Can you come?
Serdar: It will be very good. I can come. I want to see (meet) Rnas.
Selm: Naz, do you cook good food (lit. meal) ?
Naz: I am not too bad at cooking. I can cook (prepare) tirik and qelslik for
you. Do you want to come or not?
Selm: Unfortunately I cant come. Because on Saturday night I have a meeting. I
must (have to) participate in that meeting.
Heln: As for me, I very much want to eat (taste) a meal cooked (prepared) by
you (your hand), but at the moment (lit. now) I do not know whether I can come or
not.
Naz: We also very much want you to come (lit. that you come). Tell us (give us
news) whether you come or not by tomorrow.
Heln: Well (it is good), thanks.

1.1 Exercise
Answer the questions below according to the text.
1. end kes li masey rdinin?
2. K ji Kurdistan vedigere?
3. K hevalan vedixwne v?
4. v kjan roj ye? Keng ye?

1.2 Rast an Xelet Right or Wrong
Read the dialogue again and decide whether the sentences are right (R) or wrong (X).
a. . Biray ji Kurdistan Serdar t.
b. . Naz dixwaze hevaln xwe bike mvan.
c. . Serdar nikare bie v.
d. . v eva yekem ye.
e. . Serdar dixwaze Rnas bibne.
f. . Selm dikare bie v.
g. . Selm nikare bie v. Ji ber ku div bedar civnek bibe.
h. . Naz dikare tirik ke.
i. . Naz naxwaze Heln bie v.
j. . Heln naxwaze xwarinn dest Naz bixwe.

Navn Mehan/Names of the Months
There are a couple sets of month names in use in Kurdish; the names presented below comprise the
more widespread ones:
1. Rbendan January 7. Trmeh July
2. Reem February 8. Tebax August
3. Adar March 9. Rezber Septembre
4. Avrl April 10. Kewr October

5. Gulan May 11. Sermawez November
6. Pper June 12. Berfanbar December

ar demsaln sal The four seasons of the year
Bihar: Spring Havn: Summer
Payz: Autumn Zivistan: Winter

Adar, Nsan Gulan mehn demsala bihar ne.
March, April and May are the months of the spring season.
Pper, Trmeh Tebax havn e.
June, July and August are (the months of the) summer.
Rezber, Kewr Sermawez mehn payz ne.
September, October and November are the months of the autumn.
Mehn demsala zivistan Berfanbar, Rbendan Reem ne.
The months of winter season are December, January and February.

Celadet Al Bedirxan di 26 nsana 1893an de hatiye dinyay.
Celadet Al Bedir-Xan was born in April 26, 1893 (lit. 26 of the April of 1893)
Havn bi meha pper dest p dike.
Summer starts with (month of) June.
Zivistan, bi taybet meha rbendan, Kurdistan pir sar e.
In winter, especially in (the month of) January, Kurdistan is very cold.
Di salek de duwanzdah meh hene.
There are twelve months in a year. (Lit. In one year, twelve months exist.)

Grammar / Rziman 5
A) The modal verbs: expressing can, want and must

The two modal verbs xwestin and karn behave just like other verbs in the present tense (see last lesson); they take the
present tense prefix di-, which is replaced by the negation prefix when the verb is negated. However, the present tense
negation of karn is irregular: it is ni-kar- (not the expected na-kar-).
The modal construction
In Kurmanji, instead of saying I want to go, we say literally I want I go, and the second verb (go) takes the ending for
the first person singular, just like the first verb does. The second pronoun (here: ez) is, however, normally ommitted.
The second verb in a modal construction is in a special form, the subjunctive. This form is also used to express
commands and orders, i.e. in the imperative, but with the endings -e (sg.) and -in (pl.): bide min! give me!
The Subjunctive
The subjunctive form of the verb is based on the present stem, but it takes a special bi- subjunctive prefix.
Otherwise, the verbs are conjugated just as in normal present tenses, i.e. the same set of person endings is
added to the present stems. However, the negation of the subjunctive verb is not with na-, but with ne-. This
also replaces the subjunctive prefix bi-.
In compound verbs written as one word like wergirtin (wer+girtin), vekirin (ve+kirin), derketin (der+ketin),
the subjunctive prefix bi- is often omitted:
Ez dixwazim pencerey vekim. I want to open the window.
Ez dikarim w kitb bo end rojan wergirim? Can I take that book for a few days?
Div ez derkevim. I need to leave.
xwestin (xwaz-)
Ez dixwazim bm
I want to come

Tu dixwaz by
Ew dixwaze b
Em/hn/ew dixwazin bn

Negative
nexwestin
Ez naxwazim bm
Tu naxwaz by
Ew naxwaze b

Examples
Em naxwazin bn
We dont want to come
Tu dixwaz by snemay?
Do you want to come to the
cinema?
karn (kar-)
Ez dikarim bilzim
I can play

Tu dikar bilz
Ew dikare bilze
Em/hn/ew dikarin bilzin

nikarn
Ez nikarim bilzim
Tu nikar bilz
Ew nikare bilze

Hn nikarin bilzin
You can not play
Tu dikar li bisklet siwar bib?
Can you (=do you know how to)
ride a bike?
viyan (v-)
Div ez bixebitim
I must work

Div tu bixebit
Div ew bixebite
Div em/hn/ew bixebitin

div ne-
Div ez nexebitim
Div tu nexebit
Div ew nexebite

Div ew nexebitin
They must not work
Div tu ji bo mthan i bik?
What do you have to do for the
examination?

2.1 Exercise
Listen to the dialogue above and fill in the blanks in the text of the dialogue below.

Garson: Qehwe k ye?
Serdar: Qehwe ya min e. Kola w, bra ya xanim ye av j bo heval ye.
Garson: Kerem bikin.
.
Naz: Ha, ez dixwazim xeberek . we.
Heln: Xebera xr ye nellah. De Naz.
Naz: Roja n biray min Rnas ji Kurdistan t.
Serdar: Rast! Welleh div em v proz ..
Naz: ba e vga! Ez dixwazim we bikim mvan. eva emiy, li mala min. Hn
bn?
Serdar: Pir ba dibe! Ez dikarim bm. Ez dixwazim Rnas .
Selm: Naz tu xwarinn xwe dik?
Naz: Zde ne xerab im bo xwarinkirin. Ez dikarim tirik qelslk .. ji we
re. Tu dixwaz by an ne?
Selm: Mixabin ez nikarim bm. Ji ber ku eva emiy civna min heye. ez bedar
w civn bibim.
Heln: min, ez gelek dixwazim xwarinn dest te bixwim; l bel ez niha nizanim
ka dikarim bm an ..
Naz: Em j gelek dixwazin tu by. Heta sibeh xeberek .. me.
Heln: Ba e, spas.

2.2 Hndar/Exercise
Complete the sentences below using the modal verbs karn and xwestin.
1. Elr dikare... (karn) bi kurd ..binivse.. (nivsandin).
2. Serdar (karn) . (n) v.
3. Heln . (xwestin) xwarinn Naz (xwarin).
4. Em .. (xwestin) li flm Nwey Mang . (temae kirin).
5. Ew ... (karn) li hesp .. (siwar bn).
6. Xwka min .. (ne/karn) trimbl . (ajotin).
7. Biray heval min (xwestin) . (bn) plot.
8. Cind . (xwestin) pirtkn bi kurd (xwendin).
9. Arjn Ciwan (ne/xwestin) sibeh z .. (rabn).

Grammar / Rziman 5 (Continue)
B) The Oblique case of nouns and pronouns
In previous lessons we had worked on two sets of pronouns in Kurdish, namely pronouns in the direct case
and pronouns in oblique case. Oblique pronouns, min, te, w/w, me, we, wan, are used (a) as subjects in
sentences with past transitive verbs; (b) as objects in all present tense verbs; (c) as possessors in an izafe
construction (as the second or following element of an izafe construction); (d) when they follow a
preposition or used in a circumposition (e) as possessors in a sentential possessive construction.
In Kurmanji the oblique case is, in addition to pronouns, also a feature of nouns as well. It is called tewang
in the grammar of Kurmanji and the nouns in the oblique case receive oblique endings. The endings which a
name receives depend on its gender, and its number. The oblique case of feminine nouns and plural nouns is
very regular, but with masculine nouns there are quite a lot of complications. Here are the feminine and
plural forms first:

in feminine nouns: Ez jinik dibnim I see the woman
an in plural nouns: Dara hespan difiroe Dara is selling the horses
With masculine nouns, the oblique ending is, in some varieties of Kurmanji, -, and this has become fairly
standard in the written language, though not all speakers produce this ending:

Masc.: - Dara karker dinase. Dara knows the worker.
When the noun has an indefinite ending -ek (recall previous lessons), the endings are the same, and in these
cases, the masculine ending is perfectly regularly and consistently used:

Ez dixwazim hespek bifiroim I want to sell a horse
Em li gundek dijn We live in a village
The demonstrative pronouns ev, ew this, that also have oblique forms. The oblique form varies according
to the intended gender and number: V, w for masculine singular, v, w for feminine singular and van, wan
for plurals regardless of gender.
V kitb bide min. Give me this book. W kitb bide min. Give me that book.
V lawik dibn? Do you see this lad? W lawik dibn? Do you see that lad?
Van kaxezan nedirnin. Do not tear these papers.Wan nedirnin. Do not tear those.
Note 1: There is an alternative oblique form for the masculine singular nouns, if they have either a or e
in their final syllable. In the oblique case, this a or e, is changed into an vowel (technically speaking, the
vowel is raised through umlaut). Some examples with this form:
Eyan nn dipje. Eyan is baking bread (absolute form: nan bread)
Serdr gotar nivs. Serdar wrote the article. (absolute form: nan Serdar)

Some uses of the Oblique case
The noun or pronoun is in the oblique case when:
(a) they are objects in all present tense verbs:
Xec Miraz dinivne. Xec is making Miraz sleep.
Xec w dinivne. Xec is making him sleep.
Kerm hevalan li arsiy dibne. Kerm sees the friends in the bazaar.
Kerm wan li arsiy dibne. Kerm sees them in the bazaar.

(b) they are possessors in an izafe construction (As the second or following element in an izafe
construction);
Trimbla Daray sor e. Daras car is red.
Trimbla bav Daray sor e. Daras fathers car is red (note: only the final possessor
in an Izafe construction takes the oblique case; the ending - in bav is an Izafe, not an
oblique ending)
Nav min Guln e. My name is Guln.
Dayika te kar dike? Does your mother work?
Note that when the second or following element is an adjective, it does not take the oblique case. In this
sense, in an izafe construction like komptera erzan the cheap computer, the second element of the
construction is not in oblique form as (1) it is not a possessor and (2) also as it is not a noun or pronoun.

(c) when they follow a preposition or used in a circumposition;
Pirtk li ser masey ne. The books are on the table.
Hwa perey xwe ji Kendal dixwaze. Hwa demands her money from Kendal.
Dara ligel w dilze. Dara plays with him.
Kerm hevalan li sk dibne. Kerm sees the friends in the bazaar.

(d) as sentence-initial possessors in a possessive (have-type) construction:

Du ken Gulsmay hene. Gulsma has two daughters.
Kazim du cotn plavan hene. Kazim has two pairs of shoes.
We du otomobl hene? Do you have two cars?

Important note: The oblique case cannot occur on a noun that is already marked with an Izafe vowel! For
example:
Ez xwarinan dikim I am making food (xwarin-an has the plural Oblique ending)
Ez xwarinn xwe dikim I am making nice food (-n is the plural Izafe ending, not an oblique ending;
there is no oblique marking on the object here)
3. Exercise
3.1 We saw above and in the previous lessons that there are two sets of pronouns in Kurmanji,
those in nominative and those in oblique cases. Now, try to fill in the blanks with the appropriate
pronouns, and correct conjugation of the verb bn (to be).

a. Nav ..w.. Drya ye. Ew kurd ..e..
b. Gtareke ....... heye. Ew mzsyen .
c. Nav .. Eri e. .. ji dir me.
d. .. bst pnc xwendekar hene. .. mamoste ne.
e. enteyn .. sor in. .. zarok in.
f. Eyan tevnker .. W deh xale ...
g. Rizgn gelek pns.. hene. Ew xwendekar ..
h. Beyanba Elf. . awan ? .. ro end ders hene?
i. Dayik bav .. li emznan dijn. .. ji emznan .

3.2 Find the right pronoun in the examples below.
a. Xaniy hn/we heye?
b. Ew/wan ji Amed ne.
c. end pirtkn tu/te hene?
d. Xaniy mam ez/min duqat ye.
e. Ew/w her heft svan dikire. Ew/w her roj svan dixwe.
f. Em/me her roj du fncan qehwe vedixwin.
g. Li baxey ew/w kullk hene
h. ar hirokn Daner hene. Ew/w zarok e.
i. evba Ehmedo. Ez/min diim mal.
j. Por bav min sp ye. Ew/w pnc sal ye.
k. Tu/te zengn ? Pereyn tu/te gelek in?

3.3 Fill in the blanks with one of the three oblique endings, - and and -an. Do not forget to
insert the y consonant before the ending if the word is a vowel-final word.
1. avn keik re in.
2. Por kurik zer e.
3. Rengn dwar direngne.
4. Van sv berhev bike.
5. Xwendekar li ser kurs rdinin.
6. Nrgiz li Swd dij.
7. Brvan guh dide mamoste.
8. Kunc ji ger hez dike.
9. Pik k (pl.) digire.

10. Teymr her heft pirtkek dikire.
11. Ez d ligel Hesen(masc.) naaxivim. I do not speak with Hesen anymore.
12. Dest Mistefa(masc.) ikest.
13. Alan mna Zerya(fem.) dinivse.
14. Ji kerema xwe v piyal dagire.
15. Znet kullk berhev dike.
16. Xwendekar di nav baxey dibistan de gul dinin.

3.4 Choose the correct sentence. Pay attention to the usage of prepositions as well as the case of
the noun (oblique or nominal) following the preposition.
1.
a. Mala Nrgiz li rex park e.
b. Mala Nrgiz li rex park ye.
2.
a. Dila ji pirtkan hez dike.
b. Dila ji pirtk hez dike.
3.
a. Erdewan li ser kursiy rdine.
b. Erdewan li ser kurs rdine.
4.
a. Sorgul ji Mu t.
b. Sorgul di Mu t.
5.
a. Ev kar ji bo Xezal hsan e.
b. Ev kar ji Xezal hsan e.
6.
a. Gotar di nav dosyay de ye.
b. Gotar di nav dosya ye.

Wordlist
an, yan or (Ex: Tu qelem sor dixwaz an y re? Do you want the red
pencil or the black one?)
av f. water
bm to come e.g. ez j diwazim bm. I also want to come. (1sg.
pres. subjunctive form for the verb hatin to come)
bn to come e.g. l em nikarin bn. But we cant come. (1pl.
pres. subjunctive form for the verb hatin to come)
berhev bike to collect (1) 3sg. pres. subjunctive form for the verb berhev
kirin to collect.
collect! (2) Sing. imperative form of the same verb.
bedar bn to participate; to join
bibnim to see e.g. div ez ev Eyan bibnim. I need to see Eyan
tonight. (1sg. pres. subjunctive form for the verb dtin to see)
bidime to give e.g. ez dixwazim v defter bidime te. (1sg. pres.
subjunctive form for the verb dan to give); bidim+e (e:
directionality)
bra f. beer

bo/ji bo (1) for (also ji bo with this meaning);
(2) to
(3) at
e.g. ez ne xirab im bo xwarinkirin. I am not bad at cooking.
carinan sometimes
end (1) how many, how much;
(2) some
civn f. meeting
cixare f. cigarette
cixare kan smoking
k f. syn. ivk bird
vedixwne he/she invites (3sg. pres. indicative of the present tense form for the
verb dawet kirin to invite)
derman m. medicine
zengn/dewlemend
ant. xizan/feqr
rich
andin to plant (present tense stem: n; ex: Zarok gulan dinin)
dikare he/she can (3sg. pres. indicative of the verb karn can; to be
able to)
dwar m. wall
dosya f. file
min, me, as for me
d anymore
fncan f. cup
gern to wander
germ ant. sar warm, hot
gtar f. guitar
gotar f. article, discourse
guh dan to listen to (present stem: guh -d-; ex: ew guh dide)
heft f. week
her roj/ her ro everyday
hsan ant.
dijwar/zehmet
easy
heval friend
hewa m. weather
hirok f. teddy bear
hiyar be to wake up, to be careful, to be alert (Ex: Li xwe hiyar be.
Take care of yourself)
nellah God willing, I hope that
ji ber ku syn. inku because
ji bo ku syn. da ku so that, for
ka hay (dried grass); (2) where (Ex: Ka pika sp? Where is the
white cat)
kar kirin to work
kerem bikin here you are, please come in
kullk f. flower
li mala min in my house

li rex next to
li xwe kirin to put on
xale/mafr m. carpet
kirin mvan to host
mweyn taze fresh fruits
nexwe ketin to get sick
nikare he/she cant (3sg. pres. indicative negative form of the verb
karn can; to be able to)
park f. park
pns m.syn. qelem pen, pencil
pere m. Money
proz bikin to celebrate, celebrate! e.g. Em d newroz proz bikin. We
will celebrate newroz ( 1,2,3 pl. pres. subjunctive form for the
verb proz kirin to celebrate & also the plural imperative form
for the same verb);
pirtk f. syn. kitb book
pik f. syn. kitik cat
piyal f. syn. qedeh glass, cup
qehwe f. coffee
qelslk f. a local meal of Diyarbekir
ikest Duh cama mal ikest. Yesterday the window of the house
broke(3sg. simple past tense of the intransitive verb ikestin to
break)
v f. dinner
str ant. tenik thick
tenik syn. zirav thin (zirav: slim)
tevnker weaver
tirik f. a local meal of Diyarbekir region
xanim lady, (2) an address form for the women
xeber news, word
xwarin f. meal, to eat
xwarinkirin cooking
ya min mine (predicative) (Ex: W kill nebe! Ew ya min e. Do not
take away that key, its mine); (also: ya te yours; ya w his; ya
me ours; ya we yours(pl); ya wan theirs)
yn min mine (predicative) (Ex: Wan kitban nebe! Ew yn min in. Do
not take away those books, they are mine); (also: yn te yours;
yn w his; yn me ours; yn we yours(pl); yn wan theirs)
zde too much (French: trop)


LESSON 6
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn new grammatical structures in the simple future tense and
comparision and contrast together with the present tense conditional in Kurmanji.
By the end of this lesson students will be able to:
make predictions and talk about future
use present tense conditional clauses
comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.

Text: Em d biin Wan

Nav min Zer ye. Ez xwendekar im. Dersn me heta heftiyek xelas dibin betlane dest p
dike. Ji bo betlaney em d biin Wan. Em d heftiyek li Wan bimnin. Li Wan gelek
xizmn me hene. Em d biin serdana wan. Yek ji wan xizman, mam min e. Em d li mala
mam min bimnin. Kurek du ken mam min hene. Navn wan Ferhad, Asya Meyrem
in. Meyrem ji Ferhad Asyay mezintir e. Ew li Enqerey dixwne d bibe bijjk. Meyrem
j d di betlaney de b Wan em d bi hev re biin Behra Wan em d li wir avjeniy
bikin. Her end ji behrek biktir be j, kurd ji w gol re dibjin Behra Wan. Li wir dra
Axtamar heye em d w dr j bibnin. Dra Axtamar yek ji kevintirn cihn Wan ye. Ji
bil behr dr, ez zarokn mam min, em d Keleha Wan j bibnin. Ev keleh ji dra
Axtamar kevintir e. Ez d li wan deran gelek wneyan bigirim; ji ber ku ez gelek ji cihn
drok hez dikim. Mixabin em nain cihn din. Her wiha, ez ji bazarn Wan cil bergn
kurdewar j bikirim. Ev cil berg ji yn modern bihatir in, l dsa j ez bistnim; ji ber ku li
gor min ew cil li ser ry dinyay ciln her xweik in. Havnan, evn Wan gelek xwe
dibin. Ez bawer dikim ku her ev xizmn me yn li wir d bn mvantiy em d suhbetn
gelek germ bikin di wan evn havn de.

Translation
Text: We will go to Wan

My name is Zer. I am a student. Our classes are finishing in a week and the holidays begin.
For the holiday we will go to Wan. We will stay in Wan for one week. We have lots of
relatives in Wan. We will visit them. One of these relatives is my uncle. We will stay at my
uncles house. My uncle has a son and two daughters. Their names are Ferhad, Asya and
Meyrem. Meyrem is older than Ferhad and Asya. She studies in Ankara and she will be a
doctor. Meyrem will also come to Wan for the holidays, and we will go to lake Wan together
and we will swim. Although it is smaller than a sea, Kurds call this lake the Wan Sea. The
Axtamar Church is there and we will visit it as well. The Axtamar Church is one of the oldest
places of Wan. Apart from the lake and the church, I and my uncles children will visit the
Wan Fortress as well. This place is older than the Axtamar Church. I will take a lot of photos
in these places because I love historical (lit. old) places very much. Unfortunately we will not
go to any other places. However, I will buy Kurdish clothes from the bazaar. These clothes
are more expensive than the modern ones but still I will buy them because I think they are the
most attractive clothes in the world. The nights in summer become very pleasant. I believe
that our relatives there will come to visit every night and we will have very lively discussions
on those summer nights.


1.1. Exercise
A) Answer the questions according to the text.

a) Zer malbata w d biin ku?
b) Ew d li ku der bimnin?
c) Meyrem d bibe i?
d) Ew d li Wan i bikin?
e) Kjan cih kevintir e li Wan?
f) Ew d li Wan i bikirin?
g) Kjan cil berg erzantir in? Ciln kurdewar an yn modern?

B) Form sentences in the future tense with the words given below.
Ex: Sibe / kar bike / deh saetan/ d / Alan
Alan d sibe deh saetan kar bike.

1. Zerya / d / bixwne / pirtka xwe
..
2. Serhad / bie / havin / Fransey / d
.
3. d /Ez / heftiya t / hevaln xwe / bibnim.
.
4. Bav min/ d / pere / bine/ / ji bo min
.
5. Elr / sala t / erebeyek / d / bikire
.

2. Comparatives and Superlatives (Read the grammar section below before doing these
exercises.)

2.1 Use the adjectives in brackets in the comparative form.

Amed ji Wan .................... e (mezin). L ji bo min Wan ji Amed ................. e (xwe).
Hewaya Amed ji y Wan................... e (germ). Cil berg, mwe sebze li Wan ...............
in (erzan) l li Amed .............. in (zde).

2.2 Write the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives
Adjective comparative superlative

kurt ..................... .....................
xwe ..................... .....................
dr ..................... .....................
girng ..................... .....................
teng ..................... .....................
bedew ..................... .....................
zehmet ..................... .....................
bik ..................... .....................
xerab ..................... .....................
dereng ..................... .....................
rehet ..................... .....................

erzan ..................... .....................
qelew ..................... .....................
bilind ..................... .....................
ciwan ..................... .....................
zirav ..................... .....................
dirj ..................... .....................

3.1 Li Kurdistan Bazar

Li Kurdistan bazar gelek girng in. Li hem bajar, nave taxan bazar hene. Bazar heftiy
carek hene. Hn dikarin hem pdiviyn xwe ji bazar bikirin. Heke hn biin bazar, hn
dikarin titn gelek erzan peyda bikin. Her wiha heke hn fk sebzeyn xwe ji bazar
bikirin d batir be; ji ber ku ew tezetir in. Heke perey we tra we neke, hn dikarin bi deyn
j titan bistnin ji ber ku baweriya bazarvan muteriyan bi hev t. Heke hn bi xelet zde
pere bidin, bazarvan d perey we li we vegernin. Wek din, heke hn danstandina bazar
bibnin, hn d tkiliyn mirovan batir fahm bikin.

Bazaars in Kurdistan
Bazaars are very important in Kurdistan. There are bazaars in all city, town and quarters.
They are once a week. You can buy all your necessities from bazaars. If you go to the bazaar,
you can find the things for very cheap. Moreover, it is better for you to buy your fruits and
vegetables (from the bazaar) because they are more fresh. If your money does not suffice, you
can buy things as a loan because the bazaar people and customers rely on each other. If you
pay more money by mistake, they will return your money. Furthermore, if you see the
shopping in the bazaars, you will understand the relationship of people better.

3.2. For the following sentences mark (R) (Rast) if correct and () (ewt) if false.

1. Bazar her roj hene. ..... .....
2. Heke hn biin bazar, hn j sd wergirin. ..... .....
3. Heke hn biin bazar, hn kmtir pere bidin. ..... .....
4. Heke perey we tr neke hn nikarin danstandin bikin. ..... .....

5. Bazar ji bo famkirina tkiliyn mirovan girng e. ..... .....

3.3 Put the words in right order to form sentences of the present conditionals.

1. ew / bikin / heke / mala me/ em/ / v / bn
2. bimirim/ heke / ez/ bike / d / avdriya bax min/ k
3. bim / ez / ne a / were / ew / / sibeh / Heke

Grammar / Rziman 6
A) Dema B / Future Tense

We use future tense when we talk about an action to take place in the future. It can be something arranged or a
prediction about the future. In Kurmanji we form simple future tense by using the future marker d after the
subject, and before the verb, and conjugating the verb with the subjunctive bi-. Remember from the lesson 5 we
learned how to use subjuntive by adding bi- prefix to the verb and conjugating the verb as in normal present
tenses, i.e. the person endings are added to the present stems of the verbs. The logic is the same in the future
tense except that we add a special particle d, which comes after the subject:

Affirmative
Ez d bixwnim. I will read
Tu d bixwn. you will read
Ew d bixwne. He/she/it will read
Em d bixwnin. We will read
Hn d bixwnin. You will read
Ew d bixwnin. They will read

The above rule for the position of d applies when the subject is in first position in the sentence, which it usually
is. However, when the first position in the sentence is not occupied by the subject, different rules may apply, but
they need not concern us here.

Negative
As for their negative forms, it can be done in two fashions.
1) Either, exactly in the way the negation works in present tenses: the future marker d dropped, and na-
replaces the subjunctive bi-. As is seen from the sample text, this form is used more frequently.

Ez naxwnim. I will not read
Tu naxwn. You will not read
Ew naxwne. He/she/it will not read
Em naxwnin. We will not read
Hn naxwnin. You will not read
Ew naxwnin. They will not read

2) Or ne- replaces the subjunctive bi-, and the future marker d remains.
Ez d nexwnim. I will not read
Tu d nexwn. You will not read
Ew d nexwne. He/she/it will not read
Em d nexwnin. We will not read
Hn d nexwnin. You will not read
Ew d nexwnin. They will not read

Examples

Ez d sibeh biim nexwexaney I will go the hospital tomorrow.
Tu d keng by mala me? When will you come to our home?
Em d tu car w nebnin We will never see her again.
Ew d awa we nas bikin? How will they know you?


Note
a) There are alternative forms of the future tense auxilary verb d, namely , w. When the auxilary verb follows
a consonant-final subject it may take the form of .
b) "Tu d" is sometimes contracted as t (Tu d bi You will go becomes T bi).
c) The future marker in the form of can be attached to the subject pronouns ez, em and ew in writing. (Ez
biim snemay I will go to cinema)

B) Comparatives

To yield the comparative form of adjectives we (1) add the tir suffix to the positive form (the first form) of the
adjective and (2) use the preposition ji from before the compared noun. However, if the last letter of the
adjective is already t, then we drop the t of the comparative suffix.

Examples:
Meyrem ji biray xwe mezintir e. Meyrem is older than her brother.
Ev cil berg ji yn modern bihatir in These clothes are more expensive than the modern ones.
Hevokn min ji yn te dirjtir in. My sentences are longer than yours.
Tu ji min batir dixebit. You work better than me.
Ew ji me hemyan bileztir dibezin. They run faster than all of us.

However, some adjectives also have irregular comparative forms as well as the regular one discussed above:

pir >pirtir or btir much > more
ba > batir or tir good > better
mezin >mezintir or meztir big > bigger

C) Superlatives

There are two ways of forming superlatives in Kurmanji.
1) It is formed by adding tirn to the adjective.

Examples:
Navdartirn nivskar kurd Mehmed Uzun e. Mehmed Uzun is the most famous Kurdish author.
Diya min xwetirn xwarinn chan dike. My mother cooks the best meals (lit. the tastiest) of the
world.

Note that superlative adjectives formed with tirn have a different syntax to normal adjectives: they do not
follow the noun they describe in an Izafe-construction, but are placed in front of that noun.

2) It is formed by using the word her before the adjective.
Mehmed Uzun nivskar kurd her navdar e. Mehmed Uzun is the most famous Kurdish author.
Diya min xwarinn her xwe n chan dike. My mother cooks the best meals of the world.
Zek di nav xwendekaran de y her jr e. Zek is the most clever among the students.

D) Conditionals
The conditional is formed by using one of the words heke, ku, ger, eger, heger (all meaning if ) at the beginning
of the sentence and conjugating the verb in the present subjuntive form, as in future tense. For the present lesson
we will focus only on the conditionals in the present tense. We will prefer heke conditional word as it is the most
frequent word for forming conditional sentences. As for the negative form of the present conditional, we simply
replace the subjunctive bi- with the negation marker ne- and keep the rest untouched.

Heke, ku, ger, eger, heger: if

Present
Heke ez biim. If I go Heke ez neim If I do not go
Heke tu bi. If you go Heke tu ne If you do not go
Heke ew bie. If he/she/it goes Heke ew nee If she/he/it does not go
Heke em biin. If we go Heke em nein If we do not g
Heke hn biin. If you go Heke hn nein If you do not go
Heke ew biin. If they go Heke ew nein If they do not go

We do not use conditional sentences on their own, but in relation to a following sentence. We usually use simple
future tense, the modal karn (can), or simple present tense in the second sentence. Some examples are as
follows:

- Heke zarokn me kurd fr nebin, d xetereke mezin be.
If our children do not learn Kurdish, there will be a big danger.

- Heke hn biin bazar, hn dikarin titn gelek erzan peyda bikin.
If you go to bazaar, you can find very cheap things.

- Heke ez ne xelet bim, ew li Stenbol dixwne.
If I am not wrong, he studies in Istanbul.

Not: Other uses of conditionals and wishes will be dealt with in lesson 9.

Wordlist
dema b future tense
d also , w will (see grammar section for details of the future tense)
xelas dibin we, you, they finish dersn me heta heftiyek xelas dibin
my lessons will finish within a week (pl. form of the simple
present tense for the verb xelas bn to finish )
biin we, you, they will go ji bo tatl em biin Wan we will
go to Van for the holidays (pl. form of the future tense for the
verb n to go)
xizm relative
serdan visit
mezin big, old
behr f. syn. derya, zerya sea
avjen m. swimming
her end also her iqas although
bik ant. mezin small, little
dr f. church
cil berg m. dress, costume
yek ji.... one of the... - yek ji kevntirn cih Wan one of the oldest
places in Van. This phrase is productively used with the
superlative phrases.
ji bil also ji xeyn other than - ji bil behr dr Other than the sea and the
church
zarok child

kevin also kevn old, historical, ancient
keleh f. fortress
wne m. syn. resm photo, picture
der syn. cih, c place
wek din syn. her wiha moreover, furthermore
biha expensive
modern syn. njen modern
l dsa j but still - ev cil berg ji yn modern bihatir in l dsa j ez
bistnim these clothes are more expensive than the modern
ones but still I will buy them
li gor min syn. bi ya
min
for me, in my opinion - li gor min irntirn ciln chan ne
(In my opinion, they are the prettiest clothes of the world.)
irn sweet, cute, pretty, pleasant
chan f. syn. dunya f. world, globe, earth
havn f. summer
ez bawer dikim I suppose, I think, I believe
ev f. night
mvant being a guest
suhbet chat, talk, conversation
germ warm, here: nice
pere syn. dirav money
erebe syn. seyare,
tirimbl
car, vehicle
hewa m. weather
fk fruit
sebze vegetables
zde abundant, much
kurt short
xwe good, fine
xweik pretty, pleasant, cute
dr far
girng important, essential
teng narrow
bedew syn. ciwan, speh beautiful
zehmet syn. zor difficult
xerab bad, evil, defective, broken
dereng late
rehet comfortable, easy
erzan cheap
qelew fat, big, large
bilind tall
ciwan young
zirav thin, slim, delicate
heke syn. ku, ger, eger,
heger
if (see grammar section for details of the present conditional)
helbest syn. ir poem
bajar m. syn. ehr town, city
kurdewar Kurdish, according to Kurdish tradition

mna syn. wek like ez j mna te xwendekar im I am a student like you, too
rbar m. syn. em river
bdeng silent
r m. face
dev m. mouth
av f. water
berf m. snow
bdeng silence
dever region, place
eq f. syn. evn love
v f. dinner
bimirim (if) I die (1 sg. form of conjuctive for the verb mirin to die)
avdr f. observation
yek one, unite
cran neighbour
ji nv riy from the half way
a wrong, mistaken
betlane holiday, vacation
man to stay (mn-)
xwendin to study (xwn-)
avjen kirin to swim (avjen k-)
dtin to see (bn-)
hez kirin to love, to like (hez k-)
kan (1) to pull (2) to last (3) to smoke (cixare kan)
kirn to buy (kir-)
standin to take (stn-)
andin to send (n-)
av dan to water (av d-)
vegern to return (veger-). The causative form of this verb is
vegerandin (vegern-)
mirin to die (mir-)


LESSON 7
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will learn about the simple past tense and the past continuous tense. At the
same time you will get to know how to express past habits.
Express past events,
Conjugate the verbs in simple past and past continuous tense,
Detect and use the nouns in oblique case in different positions.

1. Text: Dawiya Heftiy The Weekend
Zelal and Cind are speaking about the weekend in school canteen at a break-time.

Zelal: Cind, dawiya heftiy awa derbas b?
Cind: Ba derbas b. Roja emiy sibeh hinek dereng rabm.
Zelal: Di saet endan de raby?
Cind: Welleh, ez di dora saet neh nvan de hiyar bm. Hewa pir xwe b. Lewma ez
dayika xwe em n derve ji bo tat.
Zelal: iqa xwe! Xweziya we! We tat i xwar?
Cind: Min zeytn, penr hkn keland xwarin. Dayika min j to hingiv Wan y
navdar xwar.
Zelal: We pit tat i kir?
Cind: Em bhnek li nav sk geriyan. Pa em ne bazar me ji min re cotek
plavn spor kirn. Pa dayika min mal ez j m cem hevaln xwe. Te
i kir di dawiya heftiy de?
Zelal: Roja emiy ez her li mal bm. Min odeya xwe da hev. Pit nvro min li
bernameyeke muzk temae kir. Bi ev j min pirtk xwend.
Cind: Ango tu h derneket derve?
Zelal: Mixabin! Lbel yekem ber bi var ez ligel hevalek xwe m snemay. Me li
flm daw y Behmen Qobad temae kir.
Cind: Flmek awa b? Te j hez kir?
Zelal: Flmek pir xwe b. Ji br neke, tu j temae bike.
Cind: Ba e, ez d emiya t temae bikim.
.

Translation

Zelal: Cind, how did you spend the weekend?
Cind: It was good (lit. I spent it well). On Saturday morning I woke up a bit late.
Zelal: At what time did you wake up?
Cind: Well, I woke up at about 9.30. The weather was very good. Therefore I and my
mother went out to have breakfast.
Zelal: How nice! I am jealous! What did you eat for breakfast?
Cind: I ate olives, cheese and boiled eggs. My mother ate cream and the famous honey
fromWan.
Zelal: What did you do after breakfast?
Cind: For a while we walked around in the market. Then we went to the bazar and

bought a pair of sport shoes for me. Then my mother went home and I went to my
friends. What did you do at the weekend?
Zelal: On Saturday I was just at home. I tidied my room. In the afternoon I watched a
music program (TV understood by the verb watch). In the evening I read a
book/books.
Cind: That means that you did not go out (at all)?
Zelal: Unfortunately not! But on Sunday evening I went to the cinema with a friend of
mine. We saw the last film by Behmen Ghobad.
Cind: How was the film? Did you like it?
Zelal: The film was very good. Dont forget to see it, you too!
Cind: OK, I will watch it next Saturday.

1.1. Exercise

The sentences below are taken from the text above. Find the sentence of each verb and
fill in the blanks paying attention to the form of the verbs.

Rabm/ / b/ geriyan/ kir/ xwarin
a) Em bstek li nav sk
b) Ez roja emiy hinek dereng .
c) Te i di dawiya heftiy de?
d) Min zeytn, penr hkn keland .
e) Pa dayika min .. mal.
f) Hewa pir xwe ..

1.3. Complete the conjugation of the verbs in simple past tense.
(in some sentences you should not add anything)

a) Ez roja emiy, sibeh hinek dereng rab.
b) Ez dayika xwe em . derve ji bo tat.
c) Te di tatiy de i .
d) Me ji bo min cotek plav kir.
e) Tu h derneket .?
f) Ez roja emiy li mal ma.
g) Ez li mal b.?
h) Hn keng vegeriya. mal?


Grammar 7
A) Dema Bor / Simple Past Tense
With intransitive verbs:
Consider first the simple past tense forms of the intransitive verbs n go and rabn get up:
:
Sibeh In the morning Ez m Wan Ez z rabm.
Duh Yesterday Tu y Wan Tu z raby.
Pr The day before yesterday Ew __ Wan Ew z rab__.
Par payz Last year in autumn Em n Wan Em z rabn.
Hn n Wan Hn z rabn.
Ew n Wan Ew z rabn.
As it is seen in the examples above, for conjugating the intransitive verbs in the simple past tense in
Kurmanji, we add a set of personal endings to the past tense stems of the verbs. The past stem of the verbs
is very simply found by deleting the ending -(i)n from the infinitive:
Infinitive Past stem
n Em n bazar. We went to the market.
axaftin axaft El pir ba axaft. El spoke very well.
nivistin nivist Tu di saet endan de nivist? What time did you sleep?
hatin hat Em ber du saetan hatin. We came two hours ago.
ketin ket Pirtkn min ketin. My books fell down.
kenn ken Ez li ber flm pir kenm. I laughed too much at the film.

As for the personal endings, the personal endings are the same as they were in the present tenses except for
the third person ending. There is no ending for the third person in simple past tense; so, the past stem of the
verb functions as the third person conjugation of the verb. Below there is a chart of the endings:

After a vowel After a consonant
Ez m Em n Ez im Em in
Tu y Hn n Tu Hn in
Ew -- Ew n Ew -- Ew in

Pirs / Question form: Tu duh y cem heval xwe? Did you go to your friend yesterday?
Hn sibeh di saet endan de rabn? What time did you get up in the morning?
Tu tgihit? Did you understand?

With transitive verbs:
The way we make sentences with the past tense forms of transitive verbs is quite different from the way we
make sentences with other verb forms. Therefore, you will need to pay careful attention to this section.
First of all, note that the past stem of the verb itself is made in just the same as it is for intransitive verbs,
i.e. deletion of -(i)n:
Infinitive Past stem Infinitive Past stem
xwendin read, study xwend dtin see dt
There are three major changes in the past tense transitive sentences that must be learned:
First, the same set of personal endings is added to the past stem as we learned above. But the personal
endings do NOT refer to the subject, but the OBJECT.
Second, the SUBJECT goes into the Oblique case.
Consider the following examples, noting these two differences: the oblique case of the subject pronouns,
and the ending of the verb:
Min helbestek xwend I read a poem Min ew dt I saw him/her.
Te helbestek xwend Te ew dt You saw him/her.
W helbestek xwend W/w ew dt He/she saw him/her.
Me helbestek xwend Me ew dt We saw him/her.

We helbestek xwend We ew dt You saw him/her.
Wan helbestek xwend Wan ew dt They saw him/her.
As you can see, the verb forms are in the form for the third person singular (which is the same as the bare
stem), because the object in all sentences is third person singular (a poem, or him/her).
Third, the OBJECT is in the absolute or unmarked case.

Compare now the first of the above sentences with the corresponding present tenses forms:
Ez helbestek- dixwn-im Ez w dibnim
I read/am reading a poem I see him

The differences between sentences with past and present transitive verbs are summed up below:
Simple present Simple past
Case of subject Absolute Oblique
Case of object Oblique Absolute
Person endings on verb Agrees with subject Agrees with object

Now observe how the three principles mentioned above apply to the examples below:
Min tu dt. I saw you. lan cil tin. lan washed the clothes.
Min ew dt. I saw hm/her. Mesd xwarin kir. Mesud cooked (the meal).
Min hn dtin. I saw you Tu duh li mal by? Were you at home yesterday?
Min ew dtin. I saw them W rok xwendin. He read (the) stories.
Min ivkek dt. I saw a bird. Te end pirtk kirn? How many books did you buy?
Min du ivk dtin. I saw two birds. Hostayan du xan ava kirin. The masters built two houses.

Note that when the object is plural, the verb gets plural ending in. In this case, the plural conjugation of
the past tense transitive verb is in the same form of the infinitive form of the verb. For example, when the
plural ending is added to the past stem dt-, it becomes dtin which is at the same time the infinitive form of
the verb. So, as a practical way, in the past tense plural verbs take the infinitive form of the verb as it is.

Negative, transitive and intransitive verbs:
For yielding the negative form, all other rules being the same, we prefix the negative marker ne-, as in:
Min helbest nexwend. I did not read the poem.
Min helbest nexwendin. I did not read (the) poems.
Gundiyan zeviyn xwe av nedan. The villagers did not water their fields.
Elxan dersa xwe nekir. Elxan did not study his lesson.
Ez z ranebm. I did not get up early.

Grammar 7 (Continue)

B) Past Continuous
For conjugating a verb in past continuous tense, either transitive or intransitive verb, we prefix di- to the
past stem of the verb. In this sense, the only difference from simple past tense is prefixing the di-, all other
processes being the same.
Gava ew gihite mal ez dinivistim. When s/he arrived at home I was sleeping.
Rbar gund mna lehiy diherik. The village river was flowing like a flood.
Dema ji dukan derket, dinya d tar dib. When he got out of the shop it was getting dark.
Gava min ew dt, w cil berg dikirn. When I saw him, he was buying clothes.

Note that the same construction is also used for expressing past habits. See the examples below:
Dema ez zarok bm, ez tim hildikiiyam ser daran. When I was a child, I used to climb trees.
Hing, em her gav bi hev re digeriyan. Then, we always used to hang out together.
Min stran digotin te j guhdar dikir. I used to sing and you used to listen.

Li ber mala me darek heb her gav ivk dihatine ser. There used to be a tree in front of our
house and the birds would go on it all the time.

As for the negative form of the past continuous and past habitual, the negative marker ne- is prefixed to the
verb. Note that, unlike the present tense negation, the past continuous prefix di- remains intact; it is not
replaced by the negation marker. Check the examples below:
Dema ez li hundir bm, baran nedibar. When I was inside, it was not raining.
axa ku ez li Wan bm, min u kes nas nedikir? When I wan in Wan, I did not know anybody.
Hind min j re digot, fam nedikir. No matter how much I was telling to him, s/he would not
understand.
Wexta ez hatim vira, min ji bil Kurd bi u zimanan nedizan. When I came here, I did not
know any language other than Kurdish

Compound verbs in the past tenses
Note that as it was the case with the compound verbs in present tense, all the grammatical processes are
applied to the verbal part of the compound verb. See the examples below:
Min s lre ji w wergirtin. (wer+girt+in) I received three liras from him
Min her roj s lre ji w werdigirtin. (wer+di+girt+in) Every day I used to ...
Me behsa edebiyata kurd ya njen kir. (behs kir) We discussed modern Kurdish literature
Me behsa edebiyata kurd ya njen dikir. (behs di+kir) We used to discuss ...
Me behsa edebiyata kurd ya njen nedikir. (behs ne+di+kir)

2. Exercise
Below there is the folk story that we worked on for conjugating the verbs in present tense
in the fourth lesson. Now, read the story and then rewrite it in the simple past tense. The
first two sentences are already done and the words that you will need to change are
shown in italics.

Text: Kr Kevik

In present tense:

Rojek, mirovek li malek dibe mvan. Dema xwarin ye. Kebaniya mal sifrey radixe,
xwarinan li ser rz dike. D re, mvan gelek li benda kevikan dimne, l kebaniya mal
kevikan nayne. Mrik ji kebaniya mal re dibje:
Sitiya keban, ji kerema xwe ji min re krek bne. Keban li ser sifrey dinihre, tu
tit ku bi kr b qut kirin nn e dibje:
Mvan birz, tu d bi kr i bik? Mvan dibje:
Ez d guh xwe j bikim, bikim kevik da ku p xwarin bixwim.

In simple past tense:
Rojek, mirovek li malek b mvan. Dema xwarin b. Kebaniya mal sifre
raxist,..
..
..
.
.


3. Rast (R) an ewt () /Right (R) or Wrong ()
Choose the correct conjugation of the verb, simple past or past continuous/habitual.
1. R Ez duh m melevaniy.
Ez duh dim melevaniy.
2. Min her roj ser xwe dit.
Min her roj ser xwe t.
3. Dema ez zarok bm min r vexwar.
Dema ez zarok bm min r vedixwar.
4. Duh var ez li sk rast w hatim.
Duh var ez li sk rast w dihatim.
5. Me her sibeh bi hev re tat dixwar.
Me her sibeh bi hev re tat xwar.

4. Below there are questions about your Saturday. Try to provide real answers.
1. Tu roja emiy sibeh li ku der by?
..
2. Tu roja emiy di saet endan de raby?
..
3. Tu keng ji mal derket?
..
4. Te firavn li ku xwar?
..
5. Pit nvro te i kir?
..
6. Tu di saet endan de hat mal?
..
7. Te pit v i kir?
..
8. Tu di saet endan de nivist?
..

5. In each of the sentences below the pronoun is wrong. Rewrite the sentences with the
correct form of the pronoun.
1. Min sibeh z rabm.
Ez sibeh z rabm.
2. Tu min dt.
.
3. W duh li sk geriya.
.
4. Ew li zarok dinihr.
.
5. Em her sibeh bi hev re ay vedixwar.

6. Min pnc salan li dukana w xebitm.


6. Conjugate the verbs in brackets in the correct tense and form.

25 Rezber / arem
Hevala delal agul,

Ez duh var . (gihitin) vir, Kirmaan. Bi rast ans min heb, min otleke
pir rehet erzan (peyda kir). ro sibeh z (rabn) min di
kafeteryaya otl de tatyeke edet (xwar). Bi rast pir xwe (b).
Min pir j (hez kirin). D re .(derketin) da ku di nav bajar de
bigerim.. Li trimblek siwar bm (n) Taq Bostan. Taq Bostan hem
parkeke pir mezin e hem j ciheke pir kevnare .. (bn). Pa dsa li trimblek
.. (siwar bn) m Bstn. Li wir min fgrn kevnare yn li ser zinaran
(dtin). Ya Reb! iqas seyr delal bn! Min li wir gelek (wne
girtin). ro pir westiyam niha li odeya xwe .. (bhn vedan) sibeh j ez d
. (n) Ciwanroy. Li Ciwanroy Xor Qela (hebn). Keleheke pir
mezin e. Ez d li wir j wneyan bigirim ji te re (andin). Ez d heta s
heftiyan . (vegeriyan) Wan. W hing ez d bi dr dirj ji te re behsa sefera
xwe bikim. Niha bi xatir te

Bi xr xwe.
Aram

baran f. rain
bhna xwe veda he/she took a rest Selm bstek bhna xwe veda Salim
rested for a while (3

sg. of the simple past tense for the verb
bhna xwe vedan to rest)
bername f. syn. program program
bi dr dirj in detail, at length
bi hev re together
birz dear, worthy
bstek syn. bhnek for a while
end how many/how much (It has also a usage for surprise:
iyayek end bilind e! What a high mountain)
cil li xwe kirin ant. cil ji
ber xwe kirin
to put on ant. to take off ones clothes
cil f. syn. kinc clothes
cil berg m. dress, costume
cran f.m. neighbour ( mala cranan. (S/he) went to neighbours.)
rok f. story
ivk f. bird
cotek plav a pair of shoes (cot: pair; cot+ek: a pair)
u kes also tu kes anybody, nobody
n we, you, they went zarok n dibistan the children went to
school (pl. of the simple past tense for the verb n to go)
da ku syn. da, ji bo ku so that (ciln germ li xwe bike da ku nesax neb wear warm

clothes so that you do not get sick )
daran (dar f.) the plural oblique form of the noun dar: tree, stick (min j re
got wan daran nebire I told him not to cut those trees.)
daw last, end (cara daw last time)
dema syn. wext, gava,
axa
when, while, at the time (dema em li gund bn, hal me ba
b When we were in the village, our situation was good)
derbas b he/she passed Ciwan z derbas b Jiwan passed quickly (3
sg. of the simple past tense for the verb derbas bn to pass)
dereng ant. z late
dibne he/she sees erf bi beravkan batir dibne Sharif sees
better with glasses (3

sg. of the simple present tense for the
verb dtin to see)
dihatine ser daran We, you, they used to climb trees (pl. form of the past
contiunous tense for the verb n to go; -e: directionality
suffix; ser: on)
diherik it was flowing ava rbar bi aram diherik the water of the
river was flowing quietly (3
rd
pers. sg. form of the past
continuous tense for the verb herikn to flow)
dtim saw me Xezal ez dtim Khazal saw me (1sg. form of the
simple past tense for the verb dtin to see)
dor f. turn (dora min e. It is my turn.)
d re syn. pa, pitre then, afterwards
edet traditional, customary
erzan ant. biha cheap
flm daw last film
gava syn. wext, dema,
axa
when, while, at the time (gava min mar dt, dest piyn min
lerizn When I saw the snake, I shuddered)
geriyan to wander, to travel
gihite he/she arrived Zelal duh var dereng gihite mal Zalal
arrived home late yesterday (3

sg. form of the simple past
tense of the verb gihitin to arrive, to reach)
guh ear
guhdar kirin to listen to
hkn keland boiled eggs
her each; (2) all through ez duh her li mal bm yesterday I was
at home the whole day
her gav syn. tim, her
dem
always
ax syn. heyam period, term
h none, never
hind syn. bi qas as much as
hinek also hindek some
hing syn. w dem then
hingiv m.also hingivn honey
hosta m. master

hundir syn. jr inside
j a contracted preposition meaning from (him/her/somebody)
Ex: min duh El dt min pirtka xwe j xwest yesterday I
saw Ali and I wanted my book from him see Lesson 4
ji br neke do not forget
keban f. housewife
keleh m. castle
kr f. knife
kevik m. spoon
kir he/she did w bi qas deh salan li wir kar kir he worked
some ten years there (3 sg. of the simple past tense of the
verb kirin to do, to make)
kirn to buy
lewma hence, therefore
li benda (somebody)
man
to wait for somebody; Ex: em du saetan li benda otobs man
we waited for the bus for two hours
navdar syn. mehr famous
mvan m. guest
nayne he/she does not bring jinik kevikan nane the woman does
not bring spoons (3

sg. of the simple present tense of the
verb ann to bring)
nedibar it was not raining/snowing hewa hinek sar bi ewr b l
bel berf nedibar the weather was a little bit cold and cloudy
but it was not snowing (3 sg. of the past continuous tense of
the verb barn to rain, to snow)
ngar f. figure
penr m. cheese
peyda kir found it Zelal duh krek peyda kir Zalal found a knife
yesterday (3
rd
prs. sngl. form of the simple past tense of the
verb peyda kirin to find)
kevnare syn qedm ancient
to f.. tomast cream
rast yek hatin to run into somebody
rehet ant. nerihet comfortable
rz dike he/she puts in order garson piyalan li ser masey rz dike
the waiter puts the glasses in order on the table (3 sg. simple
present tense of the verb rz kirin to put (orderly), to
arrange)
andin to send
ans m. luck
sefer f. voyage
ser m. head
dan hev / serber kirin To put in order, to arrange
seyr syn. balk, ecb interesting

r m. milk
sit lady, an address form for women.
siwar bn to get on
stran gotin to sing
tim syn. her gav always
vegeriyan to return
wne m. picture
wne girtin to take picture
wexta when, while, at the time
xwar ate it 3 sg. simple past tense of the verb xwarin to eat
xweziya we! I wish I were in your (pl.) shoes.
ya Reb! oh my God!
ango/yan that is to say, I mean, namely
zeytn f. olives
zinar m. rock


1
LESSON 8
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will discover about the present perfect tense and past perfect tense; and at
the same time you will continue to discover more about the usages of the simple past
tense.
By the end of this lesson you will:
have learned how to narrate an event or story by present perfect tense and past
perfect tense.
have learned how to express an event in the past following a previous event in
past perfect tense.
have practiced and deepened your knowledge of all the basic verb forms and also
vocabulary related to vegetables and fruits as well as animals.

1. Text: roka Ker Guran / The story of the donkey and the wolves
Heb tuneb, carek ji caran, li dora gundek kerek bxwed heb. Pir rezl bib. Ji ber ku her kesek ku
titek w hebye bi w ker kiriye her kesek ku barek w hebye li w bar kiriye. Ker d ji xelk bzar
bye, bi ber iy ve ye. Di r de rast roviyek hatiye. Rov gotiye:
-Ho kero, tu di ku?
Ker gotiye:
- Ez ji gundiyan bzar bme, ber bi iy ve diim.
Rov gotiye:
- Tu min bi xwe re nab?
Ker gotiye:
- Ma ima nebim?
Her du bi hev re ne, ne rast beranek hatine. Beran gotiye:
- Ho kero, tu di ku?
Ker gotiye:
Beran gotiye:
- Tu min j bi xwe re nab?
Ker gotiye:
- Ma ima nebim?
Ker, rov beran bi hev re ne, ne rast dkek hatine. Dk gotiye:
Ker gotiye:
Dk gotiye:
Ker gotiye:
- Ma ima nebim?
Ker, rov, beran dk bi hev re ne, ne rast kvrkek hatine. Kvrk gotiye:
Ker gotiye:
Kvrk gotiye:
Ker gotiye:
- Ma ima nebim?
Ker, rov, beran, dk kvrk bi hev re ne, ne di r de ker gotiye:
- Gel hevalan, zirra min hat, div ez bizirrim.
Hevaln w j re gotine:
- Mal ava, tu d awa bizirr. Em di nav v iyay de ne, gur d me seh bikin, d me hemyan bixwin.
Ker gotiye:

2
- Nabe, div ez bizirrim.
Axir, kirine nekirine, ker qayil nebye. Ker ser xwe bilind kiriye dest bi zirrn kiriye:
- Ah, ah, ah!
Li deverek nzk wan heft gur hebne. Wan deng ker bihstiye. Her heftan ji hev re gotine:
- Gelo ev i deng e?
Yek ji wan gotiye:
- Ka ez biim, bizanim ev i deng e.
Hevaln w gotine:
- De here!
Gur hatiye dtiye ku ker hevaln w di nava mrg de ne, bxwed ne, hema kfa w hatiye nzk wan
ve ye. Ji nik ve ye, xwe avtiye ser ker. Ker j sity gur idandiye ew zeft kiriye. Beran, Dk,
Rov Kvrk bazdane ser gur bi v away gur bbhn hitine pa berdane.
Gur nvmir ye cem hevaln xwe. Hevaln w j pirsne:
- Birayo, te i dt?
Gur nvmir gotiye:
- Birano, qet deng nekin. Ez m, min qewmek li w der dt, kes nebne. Wan meraq kirine gotine:
- awa?
W gotiye:
- Gava ku ez m, hema ser min kirin nava du keviran, bi du akan li min dan. Yek ji wan yasn li ser
min xwend, yek erm min dirand. Yek j gora min kola.
Gava guran ev xeber bihstine, tirs ketiye dil wan hem bi hev re ji w cih revne, gotine:
- ikir ji Xwed re ku em ji ber lepn wan xelas bne.

Werger / Translation
Once upon a time there was a donkey without an owner. He was in a terrible state, because anyone who had
some work would do it with the donkey, and anyone who had a load would load it up on to the donkey. The
donkey was tired of the people and headed off towards the mountain. On the way, he met a fox. The fox
said:
- Hey Donkey, where are you going?
The donkey said:
- I have become tired of the villagers, I am going towards the mountain.
The fox said:
- Would you take me with you? (literally: you dont take me with you)
The donkey said:
- Why not? (literally: Why do not I take? meaning: yes, ok!)
Both of them set off together, and then they met a ram. The ram said:
The donkey said:
The ram said:
- Would you take me with you?
The donkey said:
- Why not?
The donkey, the fox and the ram went on together, and met a rooster. The rooster said:
The donkey said:
The rooster said:
The donkey said:
- Why not?
The donkey, the fox, the ram and the rooster continued on together, then they met a rabbit. The rabbit said:
The donkey said:

3
The rabbit said:
The donkey said:
- Why not?
The donkey, the fox, the ram, the rooster and the rabbit went on together, on the way the donkey said:
- Oh friends, I feel the urge to bray (literally: my braying came), I must bray.
His friends said to him:
- Hey, what do you mean, bray! (lit. how will you bray). We are in the middle of this mountainous
region (lit. within this mountain), the wolves will become aware of us and they will eat us all.
The donkey said:
- There is no other way, I must bray.
Finally, no matter what they did (lit. they did, they did not), the donkey refused to agree. The donkey raised
his head and began to bray:
- Ah, ah, ah!
At a place near to them there were seven wolves. They heard the voice of the donkey, all seven said to each
other:
- What could that noise be?
One of them said:
- Let me go and find out (literally: know) what that noise is?
His friends said:
- Yes, go.
The wolf went and saw that the donkey and his friends were in the middle of the pasture, without an owner,
immediately he was pleased and approached them. Suddenly he ran and threw himself at the donkey. But
the donkey squeezed the wolfs neck and held him tight. The ram, the rooster, the fox and the rabbit got on
top of the wolf and in this manner knocked the breath out of him (literally: left him without breath), then let
him go. The wolf, half dead, went back to his friends. His friends asked him:
- Oh brother, what did you see?
The half-dead wolf said:
- Oh brothers, how could I tell you (lit. dont make a sound). I went and saw a kind/sort (of creatures),
that I hope nobody will ever meet (lit. such that may no one see).
The other wolves were curious, saying:
- What were they like?
- When I went they immediately put my head between two stones, and beat me with two hammers. One
of them read a Sura of the Koran over me, one of them skinned me (tore my skin). And one of them dug my
grave.
When the wolves heard this news, fear came into their hearts and they all fled together from that place,
saying:
- Thanks to God that we have been saved from their paws!


4

1.1 Exercise
a) Read the folk story above once and answer the questions below.
1. Di rok de kjan ajal (heywan) hene?
2. K ji xelk bzar bye?
3. Ker die ku?
4. Ker di r de cara pn rast kjan ajal t?

b) The sentences below are taken from the text above. Fill in the blanks paying attention to the form of the
verbs.
1. Her kesek ku barek w hebye li w bar .. (kirin)
2. Di r de rast roviyek .. (hatin)
3. Ez ji gundiyan . (bzar bn), ber bi iy ve diim.
4. Ker rov bi hev re (n), ne rast beranek . (hatin)
5. Kirine nekirine, ker qayil ............. (ne/bn)
6. Li deverek nzk wan heft gur ............... (hebn)
7. Ker j sty gur (idandin) ew zeft kiriye.
8. Beran, Dk, Rov Kvrk bazdane ser gur bi v away gur bbhn hitine pa ew ...
(berdan)
9. Wan .(meraq kirin) (gotin)
10. Gava guran ev xeber .. (bihstin), tirs ketiye dil wan hem bi hev re ji w cih
. (revn), gotine:
- ikir ji Xwed re ku em ji ber lepn wan (xelas bn).

c) Answer the questions according to the fable. Note that the questions are proposing something
wrong according to the fable. Try to write the correct answer.

1. Ker di gund xwe de xwehal (happy) e?
Ne, Ker di gund xwe de ne xwehal e. Ker d ji xelk bzar bye.
2. Gelo ker di r de cara pn rast kikek hatiye?
.
3. Gelo ker bi ten ber bi iy ve ye?
.
4. Gelo di r de dk bang daye (sing out), lewma gur bi wan hesiyane?
.
5. Dema gur nzk ker heywann din bye gelo heywan revne?
.
6. Gelo gur her pnc heywan xwarine?
.
7. Gelo gur sax peyt vegeriyaye cem hevaln xwe?
.
8. Dawiy, hem gur kfxwe bne hem bi hev re ne ser heywanan?
.


5

2. Peyv / Vocabulary

beran m. ram ale f. plum
bizin f. goat bihok f. quince
lek f. cow tfireng f. strawberry
ik/ccik m. bird findiq f. hazelnut
dk m. cockerel, rooster glaz f. cherry
ga m. ox gz f. walnut
gur m. wolf hjr f. fig
hesp m. horse hinar f. pomegranate
hir m. bear hirm f. pear
ker m. donkey lmon f. lemon
kvrk/krguh f. rabbit mz f. banana
kew partridge porteqal f. orange
ks/kso m. turtle sv f. apple
mar m. snake tir m. grape
mas fish t f. mulberry
m m. bee xox m. peach
meymn monkey zebe m. watermelon
m f. sheep pamdor/bacan/firing tomato
mirk f. chicken gizr f. carrot
mik mouse bber f. pepper
pisk cat kartol f. potato
rov m. fox pvaz f. onion
se/kik m. dog xiyar f. cucumber
r m. lion

Hesp lek heywann ked ne.
Horse and cows are domestic animals.

Kew di nav kurdan de pir girng e.
The partridge is very important among the
Kurds.
Alan w roj li nav rl hirek dtib.
Alan had seen a bear that day in the forest.

Gur ketibn nava keriy wan deh m bizinn
wan xwaribn.
The wolves had raided in their herd and had
eaten ten sheeps and goats.

Lavn heta hing qet t nexwaribn.
Lavn had not eaten mulberries up to then.

Ez nikarim bbern tj bixwim.
I can not eat hot peppers.

Li Kurdistan ji gz bigire heta hjr gelek cure
mwe digihjin.
In Kurdistan from walnut to figs many kinds of fruits
are grown.
Zebe Diyarbekir li hem Kurdistan navdar e.
The watermelon of Diyarbekir is famous all around
Kurdistan.

Navn Ajalan (Heywanan)/Animals Mwe Sebze/Fruits and Vegetables

Grammar 8
A) Present Perfect Tense
In Kurmanji present perfect tense is used to express an event that has taken place in the past and its effect is
related to the present situation. In this sense it can be compared to the present perfect tense in English. But
it is also often used for the narration of the traditional tales, fables etc. as in the above text. As for the
formation of the verbs in the present perfect tense, it changes in intransitive and transitive verbs.


6
Consider first the present perfect tense forms of the intransitive verbs ketin fall and nivistin to sleep:
Ez ji dar ketime. I have fallen from the tree. Ez duh ev z nivistime.I fell asleep early last night.
Tu ji dar ketiy. Tu duh ev z nivistiy.
Ew ji dar ketiye. Ew duh ev z nivistiye.
Em ji dar ketine. Em duh ev z nivistine.
Hn ji dar ketine. Hn duh ev z nivistine.
Ew ji dar ketine. Ew duh ev z nivistine.

The above sentences can be expressed in simple past tense as well but when they are expressed in present
perfect tense either:

(a) the event is related to present as in:
A- Ekrem ima ro pir westiyay xuya dike? Why does Ekrem seem very tired today?
B- Ew duh ev dereng nivistiye. He has slept late last night?

(b) an event or story is narrated as in:
Rojek ks rov li ser riyek rast hev hatine. Roviy ji ksiy re gotiye
One day the turtle and the fox ran into each other on the way. The fox told the turtle that

(c) the speaker is not the witness of the event; s/he narrates a hearsay as in:
A- Mrza ima ro nehatiye dibistan? Why has not Mrza come to school today?
B- Dayika w got ku ew duh ji dar ketiye. His mother said that he has fallen from the tree yesterday?

As for the form of present perfect tense, we had learned how to derive the past stems of the verbs to
conjugate them in the simple past tense in the previous lesson; for present perfect tense of intransitive
verbs, as it is seen above, we again add a set of personal endings to the past tense stems of the verbs. The
personal endings, in bold type in the examples above, are shown in the chart below:

After a vowel After a consonant
Ez me Em ne Ez ime Em ine
Tu ye Hn ne Tu iye Hn ine
Ew --ye Ew ne Ew iye Ew ine

Some examples of present perfect tense of some intransitive verbs:
n Ez heta niha s caran me Mehabad. I have been to Mehabad three times.
axaftin axaft Mamoste di civn de ba axaftiye. The teacher has spoken well in the meeting.
nivistin nivist Di w navber de du saetan nivistine. They slept two hours during that while.
hatin hat Ker di r de rast roviyek hatiye. The donkey has run into a fox on the way.
ketin ket Te dizanib ku kur wan ji dar ketiye xwar? Have you known that their son has
fallen from the tree?
kenn ken W ev heta sibeh ji xwe re suhbet kirine kenne. That night they have
chatted and laughed until morning.
bn b Li van bajarn mezin em winda bne. We have been lost in these big cities.

The present perfect tense of transitive verbs in Kurmanji works exactly in the same way as it is with their
simple past tense forms, except for the personal endings. In this sense, keeping stable all other rules related
to simple past tense, we should simply replace the simple past tense personal endings with the present
perfect tense personal endings. Thus, there are three major changes in the present perfect tense transitive
sentences that must be learned:
First, the same set of personal endings is added to the past stem as we learned above. But the personal
endings do NOT refer to the subject, but the OBJECT.
Second, the SUBJECT goes into the Oblique case.
Consider the following examples, noting these two differences: the oblique case of the subject pronouns,
and the ending of the verb:

7
Min helbestek xwendiye. I have read a poem Min ew dtiye. I have seen him/her
Te helbestek xwendiye. Te ew dtiye. You have seen him/her.
W helbestek xwendiye. W/w ew dtiye. He/she has seen him/her.
Me helbestek xwendiye. Me ew dtiye. We have seen him/her.
We helbestek xwendiye. We ew dtiye. You have seen him/her.
Wan helbestek xwendiye. Wan ew dtiye. They have seen him/her.

As it is seen, the verb forms are in the form for the third person singular (which is past stem+iye), because
the object in all sentences is third person singular (a poem, or him/her).
The differences between present perfect tense of intransitive and transitive verbs are summed up below:
Intransitive Transitive
Case of subject Absolute Oblique
Case of object - Absolute
Person endings on verb Agrees with subject Agrees with object

Check the below examples with different objects and pay attention to the application of the above
principles.
a) W ez dtime. She has seen me. W em dtine. She has seen us.
W tu dtiy. She has seen you. W hn dtine. She has seen you (pl.).
W ew dtiye. She has seen him/her. W ew dtine. She has seen them.

b) Min ro s piyaln av vexwarine. I have drunk three glasses of water today.
Te end pirtkn kurd xwendine heta niha? How many books in Kurdish have you read up to now?
Avestay gelek pirtkn kurd ap kirine. Avesta has published many books in Kurdish.
Xanzad em duh di konser de dtine. Xanzad has seen us in the concert yesterday.
Her wiha w gelek nivs di kovara Also, he has published a lot of articles in
Hawar de weandine. the Hawar magazine.

For yielding the negative form, all other rules being the same, the negative marker ne- is prefixed, as in:
Min ro nan nexwariye. I have not eaten today.
Ew hat l zarok bi xwe re neanne. He came but he has not brought the children with him.
Xezal hj ez ferq nekirime. Xezal has not noticed me yet.
Ev mehek e gundiyan zeviyn xwe av nedane. It is one month that the villagers have not watered
their fields.
Ders dest p kiriye, l agirt hj neketine sinifn xwe. The lesson has started but the students have
not entered into their classes yet.

B) Past Perfect Tense (or Pluperfect)
Past perfect tense in Kurmanji functions just as the past perfect tense in English. In this sense, it is used to
express an event or situation in the past preceding another past event or situation. Thus, for expressions
such as we had eaten (me xwarib) they had left (ew derketibn) past perfect tense is used in Kurmanji.
Moreover, past perfect tense works, as all other tenses in Kurmanji, in different ways with intransitive and
transitive verbs.
Consider first the simple past tense forms of the intransitive verbs axaftin speak and man stay:
Ez ligel w axaftibm. I had talked to him. Ez li wir mabm. I had stayed there.
Tu ligel w axaftiby. Tu li wir maby.
Ew ligel w axaftib. Ew li wir mab.
Em ligel w axaftibn. Em li wir mabn.
Hn ligel w axaftibn. Hn li wir mabn.
Ew ligel w axaftibn. Ew li wir mabn.


8
The past perfect tense is formed by (1) the past stem+(2) past tense form of bn to be. In the past stems
ending with a consonant, such as axaftin-axaft in the above examples, i is inserted between the past stem
and the past tense form of bn.

Some examples to past perfect tense of some intransitive verbs:
Ez w roj bi qas neh saetan nivistibm. That day I had slept more or less nine hours.
Ma tu par by Lali? Had you been to Lali last year?
Xell bi halek xerab vegeriyab mal. Xell had returned home in a bad situation.
Di qezay de bi ten tiliyeke w ikestib. In the accident only one of his fingers had broken.
Em hj n ji mal derketibn ku telefona min l da. We had just gone out of the house that my phone rang.

Past perfect tense of the transitive verbs are formed in the same way with the intransitive verbs, that is past
stem+past tense form of the bn; however, as it is with the other past tenses, the subject goes into oblique
case and the verb agrees with the object. Note that in the below examples the verb is conjugated according
to the same object (nan) so regardless of the different subjects the verb is in the same form.
Min nan xwarib. I had eaten. Me nan xwarib. We had eaten.
Te nan xwarib. You had eaten. We nan xwarib. You had eaten.
W nan xwarib. She had eaten. Wan nan xwarib. They had eaten

Note the changes in the conjugation of the verbs according to different objects in the below examples:

Di qada Newroz de gelek mirov kom bibn. A lot of people had gathered in Newroz field.
Dema ez gihitime mal wan ay vexwarib. When I arrived at home they had (already) drank tea.
We ew pirtk bi hev re kirbn? Had you bought those books together?
Zlan Kerem li dibistan nas kirib. Zlan had got acquianted with Kerem in the school.
Xurd duh tu li bazar dtiby. Xurd had seen you in the market place yesterday.
Bab min em ligel xwe nebiribn dukan. My father had not taken us to the shop (together with himself).

For the negative forms of the verbs the negative marker ne- is prefixed as in:
Min marek ewqas mezin qet nedtib. I had not seen a snake as big as that.
W ev w em venexwendibn v. He had not invited us to dinner that night.
W roj tu kes sparteya xwe nekirib l mamoste h hrs nebib.
Nobody had done his homework but the teacher was not annoyed at all.

Wordlist
avtib he had thrown Beyday killa mal avtib nav deryay Beyda had
thrown the key of the house into the sea (3

sg. past perfect tense for
the verb avtin to throw)
axaftin f. speech, talk
axir in conclusion, at the end
bal f. attention (bal kiandin: to attract attention)
bar m. load (bar kirin: to load)
bavo father (vocative case, which means direct address) (it has also a
general usage for a specific father similar to bav min my father)
bbhn out of breath (b: without, out; bhn: breath)
bhn dikirin they were smelling gurn bir hestiyn li ser berf bhn dikirin the
hungry wolves were smelling the bones on the snow (3

pl. past
continuous tense for the verb bhn kirin to smell)
beran m. ram
berdan to leave, to release, to set free
ber v before dinner (ber: before; v f.: dinner)

9
bxwed ownerless (b: without, less; xwed also xwedan: owner)
bzar bn to get fed up with, to be tired of
ber bi iy ve towards the mountain (ber bi ve: towards somewhere)
bi carek de at once
bi hev re together
bihstin syn. seh kirin to hear, to perceive
bilind kirin to raise
birayo brother (vocative case, direct address) (o and yo are the vocative
case markers for masculine nouns as in bav+o; xal+o; heyran+o)
bizanim that I know, I should know etc. ez dixwazim rastiya meseley
bizanim I want to know the truth about (lit. of) the issue (1sg.
subjunctive form for the verb zann to know)
bizirrim that I bray, I should bray etc. ker dibje div ez bizirrim The donkey
says that I need to bray (1 sg. subjunctive form for the verb zirrn to
bray)
ak m. Hammer
rok f. Story
civandin ...gathered them dapr zarok li dora xwe civandin da ku ji wan re
rokek bje The grandmother gathered the children around herself
to tell them a story. (3

pl. of the simple past tense for the verb
civandin to gather)
iy m. mountain, (also iyay; in oblique case)
da ku so that, so as to
danbn ...had put them El kitbn xwe danbn ser masey Ali had put his
books on the table. (3

pl. of the past perfect tense for the verb dann
to put, to leave)
day Mother ( vocative case) ( and y are the vocative case markers for
feminine nouns as in yar+; xuk+; dayik+)
de here let you go
delaliyn min my dears
dendik the seed
dest p kirin to begin, start; they began (saet het dest bi leystin kirin They
started playing at eight )
dev m. mouth
dever f. syn. cih region
di r de on the way
dk m. cock
domandin to continue
ale plum
gel hevalan oh friends (gel is a plural adress form (vocative) with the same
function with (i)no as in heval-ino, bira-no)
gor f. grave
gotin to say; word, saying
gur m. wolf
heb tuneb once upon a time (lit. there was (and) there was not)
hejmartin to count
helbet of course
hema thus
hemyan all of them (in the oblique case)
her du both
her xirab the worst (her + adj is the superlative form of the adjectives as in
pirsa her zehmet, dersa her hsan, xaniy her mezin the most
difficult question, the easiest lesson, the biggest house)
heta until
hew no longer

10
hitin to leave
ho kero oh donkey
j from him/her
ji ber because of
ji hev re to each other
ji nik ve suddenly
ka attention-getting particle (ka ez l binrim awa ye now let me have
a look at it to see how it is)
kf f. enjoy, joy (kf hatin: to be happy)
kefen m. shroud
km few; little; lacking
kenbn we, you, they had laughed em bi henekn w pir kenbn We had
laughed a lot at his jokes (pl. of the past perfect tense for the verb
kenn to laugh)
ker m. Donkey
kes m.f. person (when used with a negative predicate it means anybody)
(bila) kes w nebne lit. may anybody do not see him
kvrk/kvrok f. Rabbit
kirbn we, you, they had bought Xezal du klo bacan du klo j porteqal
kirbn Xezal had bought two kilos of tomatoes and two of oranges.
(pl. of the past perfect tense for the verb kirn to buy)
kirin nava titek to put into something
kirine nekirine whatever they have done; no matter what they have done
kola dug it Ev baxe hem min bi ten kola I dug the whole garden on
myself. (3 sg. of the simple past tense for the verb kolan to dig)
law m. syn. kur lad, son
lawir/rawir m. syn.
heywan
animal
lep claw
li dora around (smt.) (li dora mal around the house)
loma also lewma therefore, for this reason
ma interrogative particle (ma tu nay bi me re? are not you coming with
us?)
mal ava (1) thank you; (2) hey! (an expression used at the beginning of a
contrasting statement)
maye it remains, it is left di sarinc de bi ten hinek penr maye. There is
only some cheese left in the fridge. (3 sg. of the present perfect tense
for the verb man to remain)
mr m. husband, man
meraq kirin to wonder
mrg f. meadow
mrik m. man
mwe f.syn. fk fruit
mezin ant. bik big
neba syn. xerab bad (nenot +ba good)
nebiriye has not taken it Sdar swana xwe bi xwe re nebiriye ro Sdar
has not taken his umbrella today. (3 sg. negative of the present
perfect tense for the verb birin to take)
nzik ant. dr close
nvmir half-dead
parve kirin to share
pencere window
qayil bn to be content, to be convinced
qet syn. h never
qewm race, people

11
qriyan to scream
rahitin to pick
rast yek hatin to come across smb., encounter, meet
revne they have escaped dema gur dtine hem bi hev re revne.. Upon
seeing the wolf they all have escaped. (3 pl. of the present perfect
tense for the verb revn to escape, to flee)
rezl bn to get into a desperate situation
rov m. fox
r m. face
sebze m. vegetable
seh kirin to hear, to realize
idandin to press
ikir thank (God)
st m. neck
v m. dinner
sor bib he had blushed ji ber nexweiy reng w sor bb. He had blushed
because of the illness (3 sg. of the past perfect tense for the verb sor
bn to blush, to redden)
tas bowl
tirs fear (tirsn: to fear)
titek something (anything when used with a negative predicate)
wiha thus, such, like this
weke like, as
xal m. (1) uncle (mothers brother); (2) dot, point
xeber m. news
(ji titek/kesek) xelas
bn
to get rid of something or somebody
xirabtir worse (xirab+tir: tir is the comparision particle as in mezin+tir
bigger; ba+tir better; re+tir darker
xistin to drop, to beat
xwn f. blood
yasn f. the name of a sura in the Koran recited when somebody is about to
die
yek ji wan one of them (one is masculine and in oblique)
zeft kirin to capture
zer bn to become yellow


LESSON 9
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will repeat some of the verb forms you have learned, and find a brief introduction to
two new verb forms: the past perfect (or pluperfect) tense, and the passive voice. At the end of this
lesson you will:
be more fluent in the use of different verb forms
be able to formulate passive sentences in the commonest tenses
practice the pluperfect tense
be able to use some common expressions related to the preparation of foods

1. Text: A short excerpt from the novel Si yabend Xec
This novel was written by Zeynelabidn Zinar and published in 1992 by Pencnar publishers
in Stockholm. It is an attempt to adapt one of the most famous Kurdish legends, that of
Siyabend Xec, into the form of a novel. This short passage has been slightly modified
compared to the original work. The main character, Siyabend, is spending the night in a
bleak and lonely place alone. He has crawled into a thicket (bushes, in Kurdish dev (f.) and
is trying to sleep, but he cannot fall sleep. He keeps hearing a voice (deng), but cannot see
where it is coming from.

Siyabend ji nava w deviy rab kete nava deviyeke din xwe dirj kir ku rakeve, l kir
nekir di xewa w nehat. Er hj di xew re neb, dsa ew deng ber hat guhn w; mna ku
yek bang w bike. Rab ser lingan li der dora xwe nihr; l tu tit nedt, dsa xwe li erd
dirj kir. Dsa ew deng bihst; gava kir ku rabe ser lingan, dt ku zilamek li ber lingn w
sekiniye. Dema Siyabend ew dt, hinek tirsiya. Pa li zilam nihr; l ev tar b, ji ber v
hind titek j dernexist. Di w navber de qederek bihur, zilam ev got:
-Siyabend min. Metirse! Ez Xocey Xizir im qasid Xwed me, ji bo alkariya te hatime
vir. Xwed sozek daye te ku tu bi destn mirovan neyy kutin.
Zilam ev trek kevanek dan Siyabend, dsa li axaftina xwe domand:
-Ha ji te re! Xwed ev tr kevan ji bo te wek diyar hinartine. L rabe, ji v welat here! Ev
welat d ji te re nabe war! [...]

Werger / Translation
Siyabend stood up from that bush, went into another bush and lay down so that he could
sleep but whatever he did, he could not sleep. No (lit. yes), he had not fallen asleep yet, when
he heard the same voice (lit. that former voice came to his ears) as if it called him. He stood
up (on his legs), wandered around but did not see anything, (and then) he lay down again. He
heard that voice again; when he was about (lit. when he did) to stand up, he saw that a man
was standing in front of his feet (lit. legs). When Siyabend saw him, he got a bit afraid. Then
he looked at the man, but the night was dark so he could not notice anything. Meanwhile,
some time passed and the man of the night said:
-Dear Siyabend (lit. My Siyabend). Do not be afraid! I am Hodja Xizir and I am a
messenger of God and I came to help you. God gave a promise to you that you will not be
killed by a human being.
The man of the night gave a bow and arrow and then continued his speech again:
- Here you are. God sent this bow and arrow for you as a gift but get up and leave this
country!
This country cant be home for you anymore! [...]

1.1. Exercise
a) Read the text above and answer the questions below.
1. Siyabend i bihst?
2. Zilam ev ima hatiye?
3. Zilam ev i dan Siyabend?

4. Xwed i soz da Siyabend?
5. Li gor we, Zilam ev ima ji Siyabend xwest ku ew bie welatek din?

b) The following verb forms are taken from the text. Identify the infinitive form of these verb
forms, and write which form they are in (check back to the preceding lessons if you are not
sure!). The first ones are done for you:

Conjugated Infinitive

Meaning

rab rabn simple past verb form get up
n simple past verb form go
ket(e) ketin this is the simple past verb form plus a suffix -e often used with
verbs
denoting direction, here therefore: go into, enter (literally fall)
kir kirin simple past verb form do
rakeve raketin present subjunctive verb form fall asleep
nehat hatin negative form of simple past verb 'come'
bike kirin
geriya gern
nedt dtin negative form of simple past verb 'see'
bihst bihstin
rabe rabn
sekiniye sekinn
hatiye hatin
dernexist derxistin negative form of simple past verb ' '
Metirse! /this
could also be:
netirse!/
tirsn
hatime hatin
neyy kutin
(go to the
grammar part
below)
hatin kutin
domand domandin
here/bie yn
rabe rabn

Grammar / Rziman 9

A) The Passive Voice

When we use transitive verbs, we can express events and activities involving two things or people.
The simplest way of using such verbs is called the active voice: the doer of the action is the subject,
and the thing that is done, or that is affected, is the object:
Ez xwarinek dikim. I (subject) am making a meal (object).
Siyabend pirtkek dixwne. Siyabend (subject) is reading a book (object)

However, we can also make sentences using the so-called passive voice, a particular sentence type
using a special form of the verb. In the passive voice, we are only interested in hearing about the
person or thing that has been affected, or had something done to it (for example, the meal, or the
book in the above sentences).
To make the passive voice in Kurmanji, we take a form of the verb hatin come and combine it
with the infinitive of the verb we wish to use:

ACTVE PASSVE
Ez xwarinek dikim Xwarinek t kirin. A meal is being made
Siyabend pirtkek dixwne Pirtkek t xwendin. A book is being read

In the passive voice, the old object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive one.
That means that the oblique case marker (- in the above examples) is not needed. The old subject,
on the other hand, is normally simply dropped from the sentence.
The auxiliary verb hatin can be conjugated in all persons and tenses. In the above examples, it is
the third person of the present tense. The infinitive form of the main verb, on the other hand,
always stays the same. The above examples in the simple past tense would be:

PASSVE, PRESENT TENSE PASSVE, SMPLE PAST TENSE
Xwarinek t kirin. Xwarinek hat kirin.
Pirtkek t xwendin. Pirtkek hat xwendin.

As for the negative form of passive construction, we simply negate the helping verb hatin in the
same way as it is normally negated. But recall the negative form of hatin in the present tense.
Some examples in all persons in the most familiar tenses and moods are given below:

Simple Present Tense
(I am/will be known= recognised) (I am not/will not be known=recognised)
Ez tm nasn Em tn nasn Ez naym nasn Em nayn nasn
Tu ty nasn Hn tn nasn Tu nayy nasn Hn nayn nasn
Ew t nasn Ew tn nasn Ew nay nasn Ew nayn nasn

Present Subjunctive
(that I be known= recognised) (that I be not known)
Ez bm nasn Em bn nasn Ez neym nasn Em neyn nasn
Tu by nasn Hn bn nasn Tu neyy nasn Hn neyn nasn
Ew b nasn Ew bn nasn Ew ney nasn Ew neyn nasn

Simple Past Tense
(I was known= recognised) (I was not known= recognised)
Ez hatim nasn Em hatin nasn Ez nehatim nasn Em nehatin nasn
Tu hat nasn Hn hatin nasn Tu nehat nasn Hn nehatin nasn
Ew hat nasn Ew hatin nasn Ew nehat nasn Ew nehatin nasn
Present Perfect Tense
(I have been known= recognised) (I have not been known= recognised)
Ez hatime nasn Em hatine nasn Ez nehatime nasn Em nehatine nasn
Tu hatiy nasn Hn hatine nasn Tu nehatiy nasn Hn nehatine nasn
Ew hatiye nasn Ew hatine nasn Ew nehatiye nasn Ew nehatine nasn

Past Perfect Tense
(I had been known= recognised) (I had not been known= recognised)
Ez hatibm nasn Em hatibn nasn Ez nehatibm nasn Em nehatibn nasn
Tu hatiby nasn Hn hatibn nasn Tu nehatiby nasn Hn nehatibn nasn
Ew hatib nasn Ew hatibn nasn Ew nehatib nasn Ew nehatibn nasn

It is possible to express the doer of the action by using a complex circumposition ji aliy............ve in
front of the helping verb. This is really only used in more formal styles of written Kurdish; it is not part
of normal everyday speech.

Du romann n ji aliy Ensttuya Kurd ya Stenbol ve hatin wergerandin weandin.
Two new novels have been translated and published by Istanbul Kurdish Institute.

Lstika bi nav Rojnivska Dnek ji aliy Gogol ve hatiye nivsandin.
The play named Diary of a Madman was written by Gogol.


Div mirov bibje ku di destpk de thamn wiha ji aliy piraniya mirovan ve j dihatin
qeblkirin.
It should be said that in the begining such claims were being accepted by most of the people.

Exercise
Change the active sentences below into passive sentences.

a) Mirov bi ev biryan naxwin. Biryan bi ev nay xwarin.
b) d mirov cil bergan bi ciloyan dion. ............................................
c) Heval nameyan ji hev re dinin. ............................................
d) Kurd piran ay vedixwin. ............................................
e) Li Tirkiyey mirov zde kovaran naxwnin. ............................................
f) Em her roj li mal xwarin dikin. ............................................

Wordlist

alkar f. also arkar help
an / yan or
ango in another term, namely
axaftin to speak
bang (- yek) kirin to call (smb.), (bang: message)
bbext f. treachery, mercilessness
ber before
bi with, by, (bi is a preposition which functions as the initial particle of
many circumpositions. Ex. Ez bi te re me. I am with you.)
bihst heard it Siyabend dengek bihst. Siyabend heard a voice (3
rd
prs.
sng. past simple form for the verb bihstin to hear)
bihur he/she passed Siyabend di ber mala me re bihur. Siyabend passed
by our house (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb bihurn to
pass by)
bike do! Wan kartol balcanan sor bike ji bo v. Fry those potatoes
and aubergines for dinner (imperative form for the verb kirin to do)
biryan f. a traditional kurdish dish with meat
ilo also awa, ito how
dan to give
daye have/has given it Siyabend hesp xwe daye qaaxiyan. Siyabend
has given his horse to smugglers. (3
rd
prs. sng. present perfect of the
verb dan to give)
di.de in, at (di is a preposition used together with the postposition de ) di
rok de in the story
dema when
deng m.

voice
dernexist did not take it out Siyabend r xwe dernexist. Siyabend didnt
take out his sword (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb
derxistin to take out) (t derxistin (as in the text): to understand, to
notice)
dest m. hand
dev f. bush
dew m. airan (a cold drink made of youghurt, in India called lassi, in Iran
dugh)
dike he/she does Evn i kar dike. What does Evn do? (3
rd
prs. sng.
form of the simple present tense for the verb kirin to do)
din other
dirj long, tall
dsa again

dt saw it Siyabend zilamek dt. Siyabend saw a man (3
rd
prs. sng.
past simple form for the verb dtin to see)
diyar f. gift
domand continued it Siyabend mea xwe domand. Siyabend continued his
walk (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb domandin to
continue)
d anymore, no longer
erd m. land
er yes
ev this
fikar f. concern
firotin to sell
gava when
geriya he/she wandered Siyabend li ber mala w geriya. Siyabend
wandered around her home (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the
verb gern/geriyan to wander around)
giran heavy, expensive
girtin to grasp, to take, to hold
got m. meat
got said it Zilam ev got. The man of the nigh said (3
rd
prs. sng. past
simple form for the verb gotin to say)
gram gram
guh

ear
hat he/she came Zilam hate nik Siyabend. The man came near
Siyabend (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb hatin to come)
hatime I have come Ez hatime suhbeta we. I have come to your talk (1
st
prs.
sng. present perfect form for the verb hatin to come)
hatiye he/she has come Zilam hatiye nik Siyabend. The man has come
near Siyabend (3
rd
prs. sng. present perfect form for the verb hatin to
come)
hawrdor syn. der dor
f.
environment, aroundhood
hj

still
here go Here mala biray min.Go to my brothers home (imperative
form for the verb n to go)
hev also hevdu or hev
din
each other (Ex: Herdu hevalan bi hesret hev hembz kirin. The two
friends embraced each other passionately.
hinartine have/has sent them Wan end diyar hinartine bo me. They have
sent some gifts for us (3
rd
prs. pl. present perfect form for the verb
hinartin to send)
hinek also hindek some
sot f. hot pepper
j from him/her
ji from
kete he/she fell down Siyabend kete nav brek. Siyabend fell down in a
well (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb ketin to fall down)
kevan f. bow
kevanek a bow
klo f. kilo
kir made it Siyabend daxwazek kir. Siyabend made a wish (3
rd
prs.
sng. past simple form for the verb kirin to do/ make)
kir nekir whatever he/she did.
ku ku has many different functions in Kurdish, which cannot all be
covered here. An easy way to begin to underestand ku is to translate it
with English that, which also has many different functions. The most
important uses of ku are the following: (1) It introduces a relative
clause, as in jinika ku hat li vir the woman who/that came here, (2)

It introduces complement clauses, as in: gava dt ku zilamek li ber
lingn w sekiniye (he) he saw that a man was standing in front of
his feet; (3) It introduces purpose clauses: kir ku rabe ser lingan (he)
intended (lit. did) so that he would get up / he was about to get up.
kutin to kill
l but, however
li in
metirse! dont be afraid!
mna like, as
mirov person, human being
mirovan plural onlique form of mirov
nabe it does not become Ev welat d ji te re nabe war! This country cant
be home for you anymore! (3
rd
. pr. sng. form of the simple present
tense for the verb bn to be)
nav inside
nay

he/she does not come Siyabend nay daweta me. Siyabend is not
coming to our invitation (3
rd
prs. sng. simple present tense form for
the verb hatin to come)
neb he/she had not gone Siyabend neb daweta wan. Siyabend had
not gone to their invitation (3
rd
prs. sng. past perfect tense form for
the verb n to go)
nedt did not see him/her/it Siyabend tu tit nedt. Siyabend didnt see
anything (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb dtin to see)
nehat he/she did not come Siyabend nehat daweta me. Siyabend didnt
come to our invitation (3
rd
prs. sng. simple past tense form for the
verb hatin to come)
nekir did not do it Siyabend tu tit nekir. Siyabend didnt do anything
(3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb kirin to do/ make)
nihr also nr

looked at him/her/it Siyabend li zilam nihr. Siyabend looked at
the man (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb nihrn to look
at)
neyy also ney if etc. you dont come Div tu li vir pir hiyar b da ku neyy
xapandin. You should be very careful here not to be deceived. (2
nd

pr. sngl. form of the present subjunctive form for the verb hatin to
come; the same verb is used in forming passive forms as in the
example above.)
ling m. leg, foot
nvro f. noon
p with her/him or smth/smb (it is a contracted form of bi w/w)
pa also pit re then, later on
qasid envoy
qederek f. for a time
rab he/she stood up Siyabend rab ser piyan. Siyabend stood up (3
rd

prs. sng. past simple form for the verb rabn to stand up)
rakeve sleep! Bi ev z rakeve da ku sibeh z rab. Sleep early in the night
so that you get up early in the morning. (2
nd
pr. sngl. imperative form
for the verb raketin to sleep)
rehet comfortable, easy
salete f. salad
sed hundred
sekiniye he/she has stopped Siyabend li ber der sekiniye. Siyabend has
stoopped in front of the door (3
rd
prs. sng. present perfect form for
the verb sekinn to stop, to stay)
ser on, over
ev f. night
sv f. apple
evan at nights
sibeh also sib f. morning, in the morning

sozek a promise
tar f. dark, darkness
te you (in oblique case)
t he/she comes Siyabend ji gund t. Siyabend is coming from the
village (3
rd
prs. sng. simple present form for the verb hatin to come)
tn they come Gund ji mizgeft tn. The villagers are coming from the
mosque (3
rd
prs. pl. simple present form for the verb hatin to come)
ten also bi ten alone, only
tr kirin yo be enough (Ew xwarin tra min dike This food will be enough for
me)
tr f. arrow
trek an arrow
tir m. pickles
tirsiya he/she was afraid Siyabend ji zilam tirsiya. Siyabend was afraid of
the man (3
rd
prs. sng. past simple form for the verb tirsn/tirsiyan to
be afraid of)
v oblique form of ev this (feminine)
v oblique form of ev this (masculine)
vira here
wa here
war m. place, land
welat m. country
welat citizen
w oblique form of ew he
wisa also wesa like that, in that way
xwarin to eat, food
Xwed God
yek one of them (one is feminine and in oblique)
yek one of them (one is masculine and in oblique)
zilam m. man
zilamek a man

Extra material for all interested (not included in the examination)

Lkern tkildar xwarin xwarin-kirin /
Verbs related to foods and preparing meals

qelatin to slice
sor kirin to fry
qijilandin to fry
biratin to grill
pehtin to cook
qelandin to roast
kelandin to boil
qewartin to hollow out
sar kirin to cool
xw p werkirin to salt
sotin/ewitandin to burn

8

Xwarinn Tat

penr cheese
mast yoghurt
hingivn honey
r milk
xoav compote
jaj a kind of soft cheese
xiyar cucumber
tamates/bacan tomates
zeytn olives
ral jam
nivk butter
hkn keland boiled egg

Hindek xwarin vexwarinn sereke / some essential food and
beverages

salete salad
got meat
nsk lentil
birinc rice
fasliye bean
savar dried crushed wheat
mas fish
ay tea
qehwe coffe
dew airan (a drink consisting of yoghurt and water, Indian: lassi)

1
LESSON 10
INTRODUCTION
In this unit you will have an opportunity to practice the things you have learned by working on a
selection of genuine Kurdish texts. We have attempted to select texts from fairly typical genres,
and provide translations and notes to the texts as well as complementary exercises for each of
them. The texts we have chosen include a contemporary short story from Firat Cewer, a poem
from Berken Bereh and a folk tale.

In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the website:
http://www.dibistanakurdi.com/index.php
a Swedish-based website with a lot of very useful resources for learning Kurdish. Under the menu
rok (story) you will find some short traditional texts which can also be listened to (you will
need Flash player on your computer). For this lesson you will need to listen to the the story Pr
Rov first (The old lady and the fox) on the following link:
http://www.dibistanakurdi.com/cirok2004/pire_rovi.htm

Text 1: rok / Short story

end agah li ser nivskar rok

Nivskar v rok, Firat Cewer, di sala 1959an de li gundek Mrdn hatiye dinyay. Ji ser
saln 1980 ve li Swd dij ku li w der wek nivskar, wergr weangerek kurd pir navdar bye. Heta
niha romanek end pirtkn rokan nivsandine her wiha berhemin ji Dostoevsky, Steinbeck, Chechov
Yaar Kemal wergerandine kurd. Bi qas deh salan kovareke edeb ya bi nav Ndem derxistiye. Ji bil
kar xwe y nivskariy, w weanxaneyeke bi nav Ndem j ava kiriye ku bye yek ji girngtirn
serkefttirn weanxaneyn kurd. Ndem, di sala 1998an de bi edtoriya Firat Cewer, koleksiyoneke du
cild ya hem hejmarn kovara Hawar (ya ku di navbera saln 1932 1943an de ap bib) belav kirin. Di
w kovar de birayn Bedirxan rewenbrn din n kurd, bingehn kurmanciya nivsk ya standard
danbn. Berhemeke din a pir girng a Firat Cewer j, amadekirina Antolojiya rokn Kurd (2003, du
cild) ye; ku bguman, firehtirn koleksiyona berdest a edebiyata kurd ye.

roka ku me ji bo v ders bijartiye, li ser adeta kurdan a razana ser banan, ku havnan li
Kurdistan pir berbelav e, hatiye hnandin. Qehreman rok, mirovek ji bajar Kurdistan y Mrdn
ye, ku demeke dirj li Ewrpay jiyaye. Gava ku di nav xeyaln rabirdy de li ser ban xan li esman
strkn ronak temae dike, dingedingek t ji mala cnaran. Nivskar, v rdan bi xuricna strkek ve
girdide.
rok ji pirtka nivskar ya bi nav Kevoka Sp hatiye wergirtin (Swd, Ndem, 1996).

Some information on the writer and the story
The author of this short story, Firat Cewer, was born in 1959 near Mrdn in southeastern
Turkey, quite near the Syrian border. He has been living in Sweden since the early 1980s, where
he has become extremely well known as a Kurdish writer, translator and publisher. He has
written a novel and several collections of short stories and has also translated works of
Dostoevsky, Steinbeck, Chechov and Yaar Kemal into Kurdish. He directed a litarary magazine
called Ndem for about ten years. Apart from his work as a writer, he has also established the
publishing company Ndem as one of the most important and successful Kurdish publishers
world-wide. In 1998 Ndem published a two-volume collection of all the issues of the journal
Hawar (originally published between 1932 and 1943), edited by Firat Cewer. In that journal, the
Bedirxan (Bedirkhan) brothers and other Kurdish intellectuals had laid the foundations for
modern standard written Kurmanji. Another extremely important work of Firat Cewer is the
recent publication of an anthology of Kurdish short stories (Antolojiya rokn Kurd, 2003, two
volumes), undoubtedly the most comprehensive collection of Kurdish literature currently
available.


2
The story that we have chosen, picks up a culturally very widespread custom in Kurdistan, namely
sleeping on the rooves of houses during the summer. The protagonist of the story is a man from
Mrdn, a city of Kurdistan, who has lived in Europe for a long time and returned home. While he
is deep into the retrospect on the roof of the house looking at the luminious sky and stars, there
comes a noise from the neighbours which the author relates to the slide of a star on the sky. The
story is taken from his collection of short stories titled as Kevoka Sp (Sweden, Ndem, 1996).

Strkek ji ezman me xuric /A star slid (down) from our sky

(1) Pit bernameyeke televzyon, ez bi
cangiran ji plekan re derketim jor
m ser xn.
After (watching) a TV programme, I climbed the
stairs sluggishly [can=body, soul, spirit;
giran heaviness, lit. with body-
heaviness] and went up on (to the roof of) the
house.
(2) Yek ji titn ku min deh salan li
Ewrpay hesreta w kiandib j,
razana li ser banan b.
One of the things that I had longed for [lit.
longing of-it draw] for ten years in Europe,
was sleeping on the roof [razan-a, razan is the
infinitive from to sleep, the -a is an Izafe]
[ban-a, is the colloqual plural form of ban
roof, whose written standard would be
banan rooves].
(3) Min gelek ji razana li ser bn hez
dikir her var hetan nv ev min xwe
li ser nivnn xwe dirj dikir, destn xwe
dixistin bin ser xwe min li strkn
ezman welt dinihr.
I liked sleeping on the roof very much [bn is
one of the two singular oblique forms for
ban; the other and most commonly used
one being ban] and every evening until mid-
night I would lie down on my bed, put my hands
under my head and stare at stars of the sky of the
country. [this sentence uses the past
progressive to express past habits, often
translatable as used to ...]
(4) W ev j min wilo kir. That night also I did like that. [wilo so, in this
manner There are many regional variants
of this word, for example wesa, wisa,
wusa...]
(5) By ku ez kincn xwe ji xwe bikim,
min xwe li ser nivnn xwe dirj kir,
destn xwe xistin bin ser xwe di bin
bay payiz y sivik hnik de li strkn
ezmn nihr.
Not having taken my clothes off, I lay down on my
bed, put my hands under my head and looked at
the stars in the sky under the soft and cool
autumn wind.
(6) Gelo ber j ezman welt ewend
bistrk b?
Were there so many stars in the sky of the
homeland before as well? [lit. was the sky of
the homeland (welt: oblique singular of
welat) with so many stars before also].
(7) iqas strkine xweik in, iqas
diirisn.
How lovely stars, how much they were sparking.
(8) Ez di w nav de li Leyla Mecnn
fikirm, min ew j dtin.
At that moment I thought of Leyla Mecnn [a
constellation named after the beloved couple
Laila and Majnun], I saw them as well.
(9) Min avn xwe li riya Kadiz gerand,
min ew j dt.
I glanced at the Milky Way, I saw it as well.
(10) Min demeke dirj bala xwe berda
Leyla Mecnn ez li benda
hevramsana wan rawestiyam.
For a long time I paid attention [the idiomatic
expression is bala xwe berdan pay ones
attention to; the basic verb is dan give
with a preverb ber-] to Leyla Mecnn and I
waited for them to kiss [lit. rested in the
expectation of ...].
(11) Min hevramsana wan bidta, min If I had seen them kissing, I would have wished,

3
ji xwe re titin bixwestana, titin hv
bikirana.
hoped some things [tit+indefinite plural
ending] for myself.
(11) Qet nebe me di zaroktiy de wilo
bawer dikir.
At least we used to believe it like this in
childhood.
(12) Em heta derengiya ev li benda
hevramsana wan diman em wilo di
xew re din.
We would wait until late at night for them to kiss
[see (10) above) stay in the expectation of
their kiss] and we would fall asleep in that way.
(13) Tit ecb, gava ez li wan rojn xwe
yn zaroktiy difikirm, min xwe mna
zarokan hs dikir.
The interesting thing (was that), when I was
thinking of my childhood days [lit. days of own
childhood], I would feel like a child [lit. I
would feel myself like the children].
(14) ewqa strkn ezmn ez dibirim
saln min yn zaroktiy.
The luminosity of the stars of the sky [ezmn is
the Oblique singular of ezman] would take
me to my childhood years.
(15) Di saln xwe yn zaroktiy de ez
heyrana ewqa elektrka bajar Mrdn
bm.
In my childhood days I admired the luminosity of
the electricity (lights) of the city of Mrdn.
(16) Nizanim gelo we tu car bi ev di
nzk Mrdn re rwt kiriye?
I wonder, have you ever travelled close to Mrdn
in the night time? [lit. I do not know whether
you have ever travelled close to Mrdn in
the night time?].
(17) ewqa elektrkn bajr wilo germ,
wilo dostane ye, bajar ewend bilind e ku
mirov dibje qey ew bi strkn li ezmn
re qayi dikine.
The luminosity of the city lights is so warm, so
friendly, the city is so high that you [lit. man]
might think that it challenges the stars in the sky.
(18) Ez di xeyalan de kr bm. I was deep in imagination [lit. I had gone (past
perfect tense, see Lesson 8) deep in
imagination].
(19) Ez li ezman ewqas bilind bstn
ecbmay mabm.
I was [past perfect of man] surprised at the so
high and columnless sky.
(20) Di w nav de ne ji deng diya min
nebya, belk ez bi saetan ji xeyaln
xwe venegeriyama jiyana rast.
At that moment, if it was not for my mothers
voice, perhaps I would not return from my
imagination to the real life for hours.
(21) --- Ma tu firek eqilmast venaxw
law min?
Would you not like to drink a sip of buttermilk,
my son?
(22) Ez bi deng diya xwe veciniqbm,
min ew tasa eqilmst a ko hn qeaya
w neheliyab ji dest w girtib, end
gulp j vexwaribn, min pa ew tas
danb ser pirketek li ber ser xwe, min
dsa xwe li ser pit dirj kirib li
ezman b ser bin li strkn bi ewq
ron nihrb.
[this sentence is in the past perfect
throughout] I was startled by my mothers
voice, I had taken that bowl of buttermilk whose
glace had not melted from her hand, I had taken
several gulps (sips) from it, than I had put that
bowl on a briquet next to my head, I had lied
down on my back again and I had looked at the
endless [lit. without top or bottom] sky and
the luminous and shiny stars.
(23) ez wilo di xew re bm. And I had thus fallen asleep.
(24) L ez nizanim iqas t de b, ez bi
deng teqneke ku bdeng kerritiya
ev irand ve iyar bm.
However I do not know how much (time) had
passed through [lit. in-it had gone, see
prepositions in Lesson 4], I woke up by the
sound of a blast which tore apart the silence and
stillness of the night.
(25) Bi iyarbn re min dt ku ew strka
li nzk Leyla Mecnn rijiya erd.
Upon waking up I saw that the star next to Leyla
Mecnn slid to the Earth.
[...] [section omitted here]
(26) Sibeh z li mala cran me dengn
llandin epikan dihat.
Early in the morning, at our neighbours house,
there was coming the sound of cheering and
applauses.
(27) Min ji diya xwe pirs, w got: I asked my mother and she said: A star slid from

4
Strkek ji ezman me xuric, keika
crana me ya berzewac ehd ket.
our sky, our neighbours daughter who was at the
age of marriage has fallen as a martyr [the verb
is ehid ketin, used generally for people
who die in heroic struggles].
[...] [section omitted here]
(28) Her ku roj bilindtir dib, dengn
llandin epikan zdetir dibn.
As the sun was getting higher, the sound of
cheering and applauses was getting more and
more.

Key expressions from the story.

ji titek/kesek hez kirin: like, love something/someone
bala xwe berdan: pay attention to
li titek ecebmay bn: be amazed at something
xwe dirj kirin: lie down, lit. make oneself long
di xew re n: fall asleep, lit. go through sleep
iyar bn: wake up
ji kesek pirsn: ask someone ((question)/whether .) (ex: Min ji Zelal
pirs ka mtihana w awa derbas bye.)
li benda kesek/titek man/bn: to wait for somebody or something


5
Text 2: Helbest / Poem

Hindek agah li ser helbestvan helbest

Berken Bereh
Berken Bereh di sala 1954an de li irnex hatiye dinyay. Di sala 1978an de dest bi nivsandina bi ziman
kurd kir. Helbestn w yekem car di Trj de, yekem kovara bi kurd li bakur Kurdistan, belav bn. D
re di gelek kovarn kurd de helbest nivsarn w hatine belavkirin. Heta niha s dwann (collection of
poems) w derne: (2001), agirtn Evn (2003) Pandomm (2006).
Ev helbest ji yekem dwana w hatiye wergirtin di v helbest de taybetiyn girng n welat helbestvan
li p in.

Berken Bereh
Berken Bereh was born in Shirnakh (irnex) in 1954. He started to write in Kurdish in 1978. Initially, his
poems appeared in Trj, the first magazine in Kurdish in the north Kurdistan. Afterwards, his poems and
writings were published in many Kurdish magazines. Up to now three poem collections by him have
appeared: (2003), agirtn Evn (2003) and Pandomm (2006).
This poem has been taken from the first poem collections and in this poem some important features of the
poets country are thematized.

Ger hn bixwazin
If you want
(1) Ger hn bixwazin
Binasin jan kovaniy
evek li welat min bibin mvan

If you want [ger=if, also. heke, eger. In each stanza the
present conditional form is used (See lesson 6); in
this sense the first three sentences actually form one
single sentence)]
To get to know pain, sorrow and grief
Be guest one night in my country [bibin mvan, is in imperative
form (see lesson 5)]

(2) Ger hn bixwazin
Binasin mirin
Li baskn qulingn kober binihrin
Bhna ewat t ji wan.

If you want
To get to know the death
Look at the wings of the emigrant cranes
They smell burnt [lit. the smell of burning comes from them]

(3) Ger hn bixwazin
Evn binasin
Taldeya rojhilata dil xwe bipelnin
B awa diteyisin bi ken strk.

If you want
To get to know the love
Look into the nook of the east of your heart
How the stars glare merrily. [b is a particle giving some
emphasis to the word awa; it cannot be readily
translated into English]
(4) Ger hn bixwazin
Welat min binasin
Vekin deriy agir roj
Kevoka mirovhez a heftreng
D bifire bi we.

If you want
To get to know my country
Open [imperative plural of vekirin] the door of fire and sun
The human-lover pigeon with seven colors [mirov (human being)-
hez (the verbal element of the complex verb hez kirin to like, to
love); a very frequent way of word formation in Kurdish. Also
in similar forms, welat-parz (patriot), kitb-firo (book-seller),
kef-gr (colander) etc.]

D bifire bi we: Will fly to you. [d is th future particle,
see lesson 6; bi we is used to give the meaning of an
action towards a certain direction; in this sense, it is
more common to use it with a postposition, namely

6
in the form of bi we de (towards you). (see lesson 4)]

Key expressions from the poem.

xwestin: to want (the verb following xwestin is always in subjuntcive form as in
bixwazin binasin/ biin/bikirin)
mvan bn: to be a guest (As in the poem the verb can be in the form of bn mvan
also especially in imperative form. Ex: Min j re got were bibe mvan
min.)
b awa: how (b functions more like an attention getting particle here, it does
not add substantially to the meaning)
teyisn: to glare
mirovhez: human-lover; human-friendly (mirov-hez)
heftreng: seven-coloured (heft-reng)
bhna titek hatin ji
titek/kesek: to smell (lit. the smell of something comes from smt./smb.)

KURDISHENGLISH VOCABULARY
Abbreviations: adj. = adjective; Ar. = Arabic; ccmp. = circumposition; const. =
construct case; demon. = demonstrative; dial. var. = dialectal variant; f = feminine;
impt. = imperative; m = masculine; mil. = military; n.p. = narrative present
(couched in the present tense; past-tense translational value); obl. = oblique; Pers. =
Persian; pl = plural; pron. = pronoun; pres. = present; subj. = subjunctive; Syr. Ar.
= Syrian Arabic; Tk. = Turkish; v.i. = verb intransitive; v.t. = verb transitive (here
transitive means that the past tense is formed on the ergative model, not that the verb
necessarily takes a direct object either in Kurdish or in English); voc. = vocative
*
a = ya; bi ~ in the opinion of: bi a min
in my opinion
abadn eternal
abor economic, nancial; f economy;
~zan economist
aciz helpless, unable to cope (ji with):
ez ji kzikan zehf aciz im I am utterly
incapable of coping with bugs
Adar f March
adet f custom; ~ ordinary
aferde m creature
afern bravo; ~ ji re good for
arandin v.t. to create
af! f poster
aga aware (li of)
agadar f information, announcement;
awareness
agah = aga
agahdar = agadar
agir m (obl. gir) re; ~ dann bi to set
re to
Agir f A!r, in extreme eastern Turkey
aheng f tune, tone
ajotin ajo- v.t. to drive (vehicle); to
pass, last (of time): pir neajotib ku
not much time had passed before,
v bdangiya han heta sala 1980 ajot
this silence lasted until the year 1980;
~ ser to attack
al
1
f ag, banner
al
1
red
ala = al
alal tulip
alandin v.t. to twist
alastin als- v.t. to lick
ala! thatch; ~kir thatched
alav f ame
alay f troop, regiment
alet m instrument, tool
als- ! alastin
alfabe f alphabet
alim m scholar
al
1
m side, part; bi her ~y ve in every
direction; dan ~yek v.t. to put aside,
to draw to one side; ji ~yek / ji ~k
on the one hand; ji ~y din on the
other hand; ji ~y ve by (passive
agent), on the part of
al
2
, ar f help; ~kar helping, helpful;
~kar f help, support; ~kar kirin v.t.
to help: min alkariya w dikir I used
to help him
al
3
supreme
alkar partisan; ~ kirin v.t. to take
s.o.s part, be partisan
alnegir neutral
Alman German; ~ya f Germany
aloz scattered, random
amade ready; ~ kirin v.t. to make
ready; xwe ~ kirin f to get oneself
196
ready
ambelaj f wrapping, packing
Amerka/Amerqa f America; ~y
American
Amda f Am"d#, a town in Syria near
Q#mishl$
an or; ~ na or not; anan eitheror
ancax so much
ann v.t. (pres. ind. tnim, neg. naynim;
subj. bnim, neg. subj. neynim) to
bring
anzaz f cleverness
Anteqye f Antakya, Antioch
anuha = niha
ap, apo m paternal uncle
aqil
1
m mind, intelligence
aqil
2
intelligent
aqbet f end
ard m fuel
ar (dial. var.) = al
2
armanc f aim, goal
arm! m a sheaf of grain
armxan m gift
arnawid Albanian
ar!v f archive
art! f army
ark m ceiling
arxayn condent
as rugged, steep; ~geh f fortication
as kirin v.t. to catch
aswar untimely
asiman, asman m heaven; ~ heavenly
asmlasiyon f assimilation
asmle assimilated
aso f horizon
asteng m difcult road, rough terrain,
obstacle
asin m (dial. var.) = hesin
a!iq in love; ~ bn to be in love
with
a!it f peace, truce; ease, comfort
a! = a!it
atif emotional
av f water; ~ hewa f climate
ava
1
built up, prosperous, developed; ~
kirin v.t. to develop; ~ker m devel-
oper, founder
ava
2
n v.i. to set (of the sun)
avah f building, edice
avay = avah
avday tempered (steel)
avj- ! avtin
av! f balm
avtin avj- v.t. to throw, throw away,
throw out; lay (foundation); ~a ji text
de dethronement; dest ~ to touch
s.th.
awa f manner, means; bi ~yek some-
how; bi w ~y by this means; bi
hem ~y by all/any means
awaz m voice, sound, singing
awir f glance, backward look
awur (dial. var.) = awir
ax
1
sigh, ouch; ~ avtin v.t. to say ouch
ax
2
f land, earth, dirt; ~a welat home-
land; ~a Sriy the land of Syria
axa m (obl ax) agha, feudal lord, mas-
ter
axaftin axiv- v.i. to speak
axar ???
axil corral
axiftin (dial. var.) = axaftin
axiret f the other world: mirov axiret
an other-worldly person
axn v.i. to cry, to cry out
axpne f patch of ground, eld
AY = Ameriqay Yekby USA
azad free; ~ kirin v.t. to set free; ~ f
liberty
azar f anguish; ~ dan v.t. to torment,
vex
azman m sky
b- ! birin, bn
ba
1
m (obl b) wind
ba
2
m turn
ba
3
(prep.) with, in front of, in the pres-
ence of; li ~ with, chez
KURDISH-ENGLISH VOCABULARY
197
ba
4
m rheumatism; ~w rheumatic
babet f regard: di v babet de in this
regard
babo daddy
ba-dan v.t. to turn, twist, wring
baday turned, twisted
bager f snowstorm
bahar = bihar
bahlif f pillow
bajar m (obl bajr) city; ~ m merchant,
citied; ~van citizen, city dweller;
~van urban: jiyana bajarvaniy ur-
ban life
Baku f Baku
bakurofe f gust of wind
bakr m north
bal
1
f wing, arm
bal
2
f attention, mind, thought; ~ ki!an-
din to attract the attention: wneyn
min bala rojname hunermendan
ki!andin my pictures attracted the
attention of newspapers and artists;
~dar attentive, discerning; ~drj pa-
tient, careful; ~reh patient, calm;
~k! attractive, interesting
balaxane f balcony
baler m airplane; ~geh airport
balg m pillow
balf = bahlf
ban m roof
ban ban kirin v.t. to shout, to yell
bandev f summit
bandor f inuence
bang f call, cry; ~ dan v.t. to give out a
cry, to herald; ~ kirin v.t. to shout
banz = baz
bar m load; ~ bn to be loaded; to bear
up: avn wan bar nebb they
hadnt been able to bear the sight; ~
kirin v.t. to load up, move (house-
hold); ~k! m porter
baran f rain; ~din v.t. to rain down
bare: di ~ya de (prep.) about, con-
cerning
bark slender, thin
barn/~iyan v.i. to rain down
bask m arm, wing: bask ep partiya
sosyal-demokrat the leftist wing of
the Social-Democrat Party; ~n xwe
li hev xistin to ap ones wings
ba! good; ~ kirin v.t. to improve;
~kirin f improvement
ba!ok(e) falcon
ba!r m south
bav m (voc. bavo) father; ~t f father-
hood, paternality
bawer believing: ez ~ im ku I believe
that ; ~ kirin v.t. to believe: gelek
kes bawer dikin kumany people be-
lieve that; ~ f belief, trust; ~mend
m believer
baw
1
m father
baw
2
! ba
4
baw!k f yawn
baxe m garden, yard
baz jump, leap; ~ dan v.t. to dance; to
run away in fear, to ee in haste
bazar f market; ~a re! black market
beden m body
bedew beautiful, splendid
bedym ill-omened
befr f (dial. var.) = berf
behr f sea
behs f discussion; ~kirin v.t. to discuss
bejin f height, stature; ~bilind tall; ~
bala tall stature
bel straight; ~ kirin v.t. to straighten,
prick up (ears, &c.)
bela f catastrophe
bela! for free, gratis
belav widespread, scattered; ~ bn v.i.
to be scattered; ~ kirin v.t. to spread,
broadcast, disseminate; ~ok f publica-
tion
belay nav bn v.i. to spread out
through
belediye f municipality
belek speckled, spotted
KURMANJI KURDISH
198
belek f water spring
belengaz poor, destitute; ~ f poverty,
destitution
bl yes
belg m leaf
belgih m suit, clothing; ~ girtin v.t. to
garb oneself
belk maybe, perhaps
ben = bend
bend f bond; li ~a for the sake of,
chained to, waiting for: div em d li
benda sibeh ranewestin we should-
nt stand around waiting for tomor-
row; ~ kirin v.t. to fetter, arrest; man
di ~a to wait for
benderuh creature
bendewar bn bi to love, be in love
with
benzn f gasoline
beq m frog
ber
1
m breast, fore; ber-dan see alpha-
betically; ~ bi hev hatin v.i. to coop-
erate; ~ (ve) (adv.) before; ~ ku
(conj.) before; ji ~ kirin v.t. to mem-
orize; ji ~ jmartin v.t. to reel off from
memory; ji ~ ku because (conj.); ji ~
ve (ccmp.) before; ji ~ zann v.t.
to memorize; li ~ (prep.) before, on
account of; li ~ (+ inf.) on the verge
of: ew hviya ku li ber ge!bn b
ilmis that hope, which was on the
verge of blossoming, withered;
wek(e) ~ as before
ber
2
m yield, fruit; ~ wergirtin ji to de-
rive a yield from
beramber equal, equivalent; ~ f equal-
ity; ~ kirin v.t. to compare to: w
ew beramber Anton exov dikir he
used to compare him to Anton Che-
khov
beran m ram
ber-ann (ber-n) v.t. to imagine
berate f carcass
berban m ceiling
berber f comparison
berbj f prediction
berbiav conspicuous
berbihevhatin f cooperation
berbn f imaginary image, vision
bercnk ???
berav visible, clear, before the eyes; ~
anin v.t. to pay attention
ber-dan v.t. to release, let go; to put on
(clothes); to close, stop, give up: dev
~ ji to close the mouth to, stop, give
up; ~ ser to direct toward; tiving ~ to
re a rie at: xulam w ew da ber
ting his servant red the rie at
him; xwe ~ ser to turn oneself to-
ward, direct oneself to
berdest servant
berdewam continual(ly), constant(ly); ~
kirin v.t. to continue
berdl f equivalent; ji ~a instead of
berdlk = berdl; bi ~ equivalent in
value
berebere more and more, ever more;
gradually, little by little
bereket m blessing; bi ~ luckily
berev = berhev
berf f snow
berferih spacious; ~ kirin v.t. to open,
initiate
bergeh f view, vista
berhem m product, literary work; ~bar
productive
berhev gathered, collected; ~ kirin v.t.
to prepare, gather; xwe ~ kirin v.t. to
pull oneself together
berhevok f collection
berik f bullet
beriqn v.i. to glisten
berizn bi v.i. to ght with, do battle
with
ber f pocket
berde perplexed, lost
berk f pocket
ber-ketin v.i. to feel sad
199
bermil f load
bername f program
bero! f pot, pan
berovaj to the contrary
berp! kirin v.t. to suggest, to propose
berpirsiyar responsible; m manager; ~
f responsibility, management
berq f lightning
bersv f answer, reply; ~ dan bi to reply
to, answer; ~a dan to satisfy the
needs of; ~andin v.t. to respond,
reply
berten f trousers
bervaj f opposite side; ji ~y contrari-
wise, conversely
berv prep. toward
berwar m slope
berx lamb
berxwedan f resistance
bes much, many a; enough
best f plain
best m joy, glee, relish
be! m part; ~dar participant; ~dar bn
v.i. to take part, participate
be!avend f rhyme
be!er f esh
betal f unemployment, uselessness,
idleness
bexe = baxe
Bexda f Baghdad
bext m luck; ~iyar fortunate, happy;
~iyar f good fortune, happiness; b~
unfortunate
beybn f camomile
bez
1
f speed: bi lez ~ quickly, with all
speed; bay ~ the racing wind; ~n
bez- v.i. to run
bez
2
m kind, sort
beza fast-running, galloping
bezir lost
b
1
! ba
b-
2
(prex) without; see compounds al-
phabetically
baqil stupid
bbawer disbelieving, unsure; ~ f dis-
belief
bbest uncontrollable
bbext unlucky, unfortunate; ~ f un-
luckiness, misfortune
bare helpless, poor; ~t f helplessness
bine useless
biqas inordinately
bdar treeless, barren
bdeng silent; ~ f silence, obscurity
bdil halfhearted, unwilling
bfed lack of embarrassment
bgav impossible, helpless
bgo!t skinny
bguman doubtless(ly)
bhamd reluctantly, unwillingly
bhawe unparalleled, extraordinary
bhay unconscious, unaware; dinyay ~
the subconscious world
bhejiyan livat without movement or
motion
bhejmar innumerable
bhempa unparalleled, peerless
bhv without hope, in despair; ~ kirin
v.t. to make s.o. despair
bhz f weakness, debility
bhi!iyar without feeling, numb
bhn
1
f breath; ~a min teng b I was
bored; ~a xwe teng kirin to bore one-
self, let oneself get bored; ~a
ikandin v.t. to suffocate; ~teng f
boredom
bhn
2
f smell, odor; ~ berdan to leave
an odor behind; ~ dan to give off an
odor; ketin ser ~ to pick up a scent;
~ikn dry-smelling
bhteng = bhnteng
b prep. without; ~ ku (conj., + subj.)
without: ro j b ku mirov tu zehme-
tiyan biki!ne, mirov bi hsan ji wan
t digih even today one easily under-
stands them without going to any
trouble
bmkan f impossibility
KURMANJI KURDISH
200
bj- ! gotin
bje f word: ~ bi ~ word by word; ~r
speaker
bjing f sieve
bkar unemployed; ~ f unemployment
bkes lonely, alone, unprotected
b li prep. without
bmane fearful, dreadful
bmecal f lack of opportunity
bminet relentless(ly)
bnamus dishonorable
bnav nameless, unnamed
bnavbir incessant
bnihtin v.i. to freeze
bn!an spotless
bpar deprived
bpejn f tranquility
bpvan immeasurable
br. See xr.
br f longing; ~ kirin v.t. to long for,
miss
brik = brk
brk f pocket; wek hundir brika
!al xwe nasn to know something
like the back of ones hand
Brd f Beirut
bsedem without reason, unprovoked
b serbin endless
b!erm shameless; ~ f shamelessness
b!ik doubtless
btar storm
btaw impatient, restless
btir more
btn powerless, weak
bvil, bvl f nose, nostril
bxan homeless
b xay limitless
bxeber unaware (ji of); ji her der ~
totally oblivious
bxew sleepless, suffering from insom-
nia; ~ f sleeplessness, lack of sleep
bxudan = bxwed
bxweda godless, damned
bxwed godless, ownerless, orphaned,
poor, lonely
by = b
bzar f nuisance, headache
bzaro childless
bi- subjunctive prex
bi re (ccmp.; bi + w/w > p) by,
with, upon: bi tirn re by train; bi min
re with me; bi bihstina deng re upon
hearing the sound
bi ve (ccmp.; bi + w/w > p)
through, up to: ji w roj p ve from
that day to this
bi- subjunctive verbal prex
biaqil intelligent, smart; ~ f intelligence
bik little; ~an f childhood, youth
bidardakirin ! dar
biha bn v.i. to be valuable
bihar f spring, springtime; ~ pertaining
to spring
bihin = bhn; bi ~ with odor, with fra-
grance; ~dar fragrant
bihi!met magnicent
bihi!t f paradise; ~n paradisiacal, heav-
enly
bihstin bihs-/bihz- v.t. to hear, listen
bihn = bhn
1
bihorn v.i. to pass
bihostin v.t. ???
bihuk insect
bihurandn bihurn- v.t. to spend
(time): ew zaroktiya xwe li Kurdis-
tana Bakr bihurandiye he spent his
childhood in North Kurdistan
bihurtin bihur- v.i. to pass, be spent
bihu!t f span. See also bihi!t.
bihr- = bihur-
bijarte choice, select
bijartin bijr- v.t. to choose
bijiqandin v.t. to tear to shreds
bijjk m physician
bijn lively
bijv f sustenance
bikarann ! kar
bikr useful
201
bla (+ subj.) let: i dibe bila bibe what-
ever happens, let it happen
bilbil nightingale
bilez quick, hasty
bilind high; ~ kirin v.t. to raise, to
elevate; ~cih m height, high place
biliyan v.i. to arise (sound)
bil other than, aside from; ~ ji ditto
bilr f shepherds pipe, ute
bin m bottom; di ~ under; ~dest under-
ling, oppressed; ~geh m foundation,
basis; ~geh avetin to lay the
foundation of ; ~gehn basic; ~xet f
south of the Turkish border, i.e. Syria
and Iraq
binr luminous
bip!dexistin f advancement, improve-
ment
biqedr worthwhile, valuable
bir m part
bira
1
m (obl. pl biran) brother
bira
2
= bila
bira
3
really
birc f tower
bir hungry; ~n f hunger; ~t f hunger
birvebir m leader
birh m eyebrow
birin b- v.t. to carry, take; ~ jr to
bring/take down/away; ~ jor to bring/
take up
birisqn v.i. to sparkle, shimmer
birn
1
f wound; ~ kirin v.t. to wound;
~dar m wounded
birn
2
= birrn
birrn v.t. to cut, to cross: w snor birr
he crossed the border
birs hungry
birsn f hunger
birsk f lightning; ~e f telegram
biryar f decision; ~ dan v.t. to decide
biserketin f success
bi!kul m goat and sheep droppings
biv m buzz
biv nev willy-nilly, like it or not
bivir m ax
biwa (alternative past conditional of
bn) = bya
bixrhatin dan v.t. to welcome
bixwe by oneself, personally
biyan m foreign(er), stranger, alien;
~stan f any foreign place, foreign
parts; ~t f strangeness, alienation:
jiyana biyantiy life of alienation
bizin f goat
bizir m seed
bizivn v.i. to budge
bhin = bhn
bn = bhn
bn- ! dtin, ann
bna (dial. var.) = mna
bnah f sight
bnan prep. like
bnber m sight
br
1
f memory; bi ~ ann v.t. to remem-
ber: ba! bne bra xwe kuremember
well that; ~a birin to take into
consideration; ~ hatin v.i. to remem-
ber: t bra min I remember; ji ~(a)
kirin v.t. to forget; ~ann f memory,
reminiscence
br
2
f well
bran f memory
bst
1
twenty; ~sal twenty-year-old
bst
2
f moment, a short period of time:
bstek nebor it didnt take long be-
fore
bstin bs- v.t. to hear
b!eng f weeping willow
bz- = bihz ! bihstin
bzbz matted
bo (prep.) for; (conj.) so that, in order
that
bo f tail
boik f tail
bombe f bomb; ~yn destan hand
grenades
bona prep. for: ~ v yek for this reason
borandin v.t. to spend (time), make
KURMANJI KURDISH
202
(time) pass
bor f pipe
born v.i. to last, pass (time): end meh
naborin not many months passed
(n.p.); v.t. to excuse: min bibore ex-
cuse me
bostan m garden
bo! wide, widespread, abundant
boxe f bundle
bra!t roasted
brsk = birsk
buhar = bihar
buhirn v.t. to take away, clear off
buhurandin buhurn- v.t. to spend
(time); ~n v.i. to pass, pass away
buhurtin buhur- v.i. to pass, pass
away, go out
buhur last, past: sala ~ last year
bulbul nightingale
bk f bride, daughter-in-law; ~an f
wedding
bn b- v.i. to be, become
bs f ambush
byer f incident, event
bz ice
BZ = ber zayn B.C.
ca (used with imperatives): ~ were come
on!; ca bikire ku just think what it
would be like if
cam f glass
camr courageous, gallant, gentlemanly
cass m spy
car f time; ~ ~an often, many times;
~din again, once again; ~inan from
time to time; ~k = carek once; ~na
sometimes
cax protective fencing
cazbedar interesting
cebhe f front (mil.)
ceger f liver (poetic); ~ !rn darling,
beloved
cejin f celebration, festival
celeb m sort, kind: du celeb kes hene:
yn ba! yn neba! there are two
kinds of people, good and evil
celx m/f slit, crack
cem m group; side; a large basket; li ~
beside, with: li cem wan beside them,
with them
cendek m body, corpse
ceng f battle
cerg f liver
ceribandin v.t. to try, test
cewr m pup; ~ik m puppy
ceza f ne, penalty; ~ wergirtin v.t. to
receive a penalty, to be ned
cid serious
cigar(e) f cigarette
cih m place; pl bed; ~ bi ~ from place to
place; ~ girtin v.t. to take place; ~
kirin v.t. to put, place; ~ li xwe xwe!
kirin v.t. to make oneself comfort-
able; ~ girtin v.t. to take the place
of; ~ local; ~ ~ various, sundry;
~gir occupant; bi ~ ann to bring
about, bring to fruition; bi ~ bn li to
settle in, take up residence in; di nav
~an de in bed
cihan f the world
cil m clothing; ~ berg (pl) clothes
cin djinn, demon; ~anlxist possessed
by demons
cinewir monster
cirecir f talk, chit-chat
civandin civn- v.t. to move, set in
motion
civak society; community; ~ social,
societal; ~nas sociologist; ~nas f
sociology
civat f society, group
civn v.i. to move; ~n f movement
ciwan young, beautiful; ~t f youth
cixar(e) (dial. var.) = cigar
cixiz kirin v.t. to mark, to leave marks
in
c = cih
chan f world
203
chlkirin f surveillance
cran neighbor
cograf geographical
col m pack (of wolves, &c.)
core core various
co! enthusiasm, excited
cot
1
m pair
cot
2
m plow; ~kr f agriculture
cube m robe
cumhriyet f republic
cunta f junta
cure cure (dial. var.) = core core
curet kirin v.t. to dare
cda separate; ~ kirin v.t. to separate
cm bn v.i. to be obscured
- ! n
ak good
akt m jacket
alak active; ~ f activity
and f culture; ~ cultural
andin n- v.t. to plant
ap f printing; ~ kirin v.t. to print,
publish; ~eman f printed matter, the
press; ne~kir unpublished; ~xane f
printshop
ar four
arove f framework
are f remedy; b~ helpless, poor; ~ns
f remedy; bi ~nsa ve in the in-
terests of; ~ser f solution; ~ser kirin
v.t. to solve, resolve
armerg cross-legged
ar!ef, ar!ev f sheet, womans cov-
ering; ~ ki!andin v.t. to put a sheet
(on a bed); ~ li xwe kirin v.t. to put
on a veil, cover oneself
av m eye; ~ girtin v.t. to close the eyes;
~ern f expectation; ~n xistin
v.t. to attract the attention of; bi ~ek
neba! nrn to have a low opinion of;
~! f eye ailment; ~kan f source,
wellspring; ~!in blue-eyed
avnihr bn v.i. to expect, to look
expectantly
awa(n) how?: awan bibe bila bibe be
that as it may; ~ heba somehow or
other; ~ ku as; awah f quality
ax f time: w ax at that time
ay f tea; ~dan f teapot; ~xane f tea-
house
e =
ef = kef
ek f weapon; ~dar armed
eleng cute, attractive, good-looking
em m river
en f armpit
end (following word construed as pl.)
how many?; several: di end cihan de
in several places; end hevaln min
several of my friends; ~ik end (+
sing.) several: endik end roj e
its been several days since; ~ -
odd: bi pncih end saln xwe ve in
his fty-odd years; ~ for a while
eng f claw; ~ li de cih kirin v.t. to
sink the claw into
engel m hook
eng kirin v.t. to throw, hurl
ente m suitcase
ep left; wrong: ew min ep fahm dike
he misunderstands me
eper f shield, barricade
epik xistin li v.t. to applaud for
er what?
er ku (conj.) as soon as
er m peddler
erkez Circassian
erm m skin, leather; ~n leathern
erx f wheel
etel m fork, forked
ewsandin v.t. to exploit
ewt crooked, awry, wrong
right, okay; ~-bn v.i. to be born; to
be right: nabe tu wisa bik its not
right for you to act thus; dibe ku ez
biim? is it okay for me to go?; ~-
kirin v.t. to give birth to, to make, x,
KURMANJI KURDISH
204
repair, keep: w dikine bin zin-
dan they keep him in the dungeon,
min di ser xwe e plana ku dikir
I was making a plan in my head to
lik the young of any animal, puppy,
kitten, cub, etc.
l f subject, topic; ~ kirin v.t. to talk
about
re f grazing, pasturage
rn v.i. to graze
tir better
i
1
what?; ~ bigire practically speaking,
pretty much
i
2
no; ~ ti!t nothing
iek = ek
iftexas m cotton batiste
ik exhausted; ~ bn v.i. to become ex-
hausted, to sink down (into snow)
ikandin v.t. to drip; to plant (tree); to
push s.th. in as far as it will go
ikn v.t. to plant; to crackle; to dry up
(mothers milk): !r ber w ik her
breast milk dried up
iko, iku because
il
1
forty
il
2
greedy
il
3
only in il iya hills and moun-
tains
ile f the coldest period of winter; ~ya
pa!n January; ~ya p!n December
ilmisandin v.t. to make wither
ilmsn v.i. to wither
ilviln = ilwiln
ilwiln v.i. to gleam
ima why?
imk because
iqas how much
iqiq kirin v.t. to rip to shreds
ir, ira why?
ira f lamp, stove
irandin irn- v.t. to tear, tear up
irav f muck
ire why
iriya pa!/pa!n f November
iriya p!/p!n f October
irisn = irsn
irsn v.i. to sparkle, shine, glow
irsk f spark
iv trick, game; ~ dan xwe v.t. to zigzag
ivanok f a formula used in storytelling
ivik, ivk bird, sparrow
iwal m sack
iya m mountain; ~y mountaineer, hill-
billy
ek f ower
l bright
men m grassy meadow
p f calf (of the leg)
rn v.i. to creak
rok f story; ~van storyteller
ya = iya
zzik f buzz
o m stick
og = ok
2
ok
1
m stream
ok
2
f knee
ol f desert, wilderness
ong = ok
2
ik f bird
k f bird
n - (subj. stem -/her-) v.i. to go
r a type of sheep
yn v.i. to go
da
1
a dialectal variant of de
1
da
2
a preverb that forms compounds,
generally indicating down
da-ann v.t. to set down, establish: Mam
Re!d satil dan li dora xwe mze
kir Uncle Rashid set the bucket down
and looked around himself; ~ li xwe
(+ subj.) to lower oneself, deign,
bring oneself to do s.th.: gelek ji wan
j li xwe danaynin bi v ziman xwe!
!rn bipeyivin many of them cant
even bring themselves to speak this
nice, sweet language
da-avtin v.t. to put together, throw
205
together
da-ikandin v.t. to set up, plant (tree,
ag, &c.)
dad f justice; ~geh f court; ~gr m judge
da-dan v.t. to place, put in, install; to
light (re)
da-gerandin v.t. to turn, send back
dagirker m occupier
da-girtin v.t. to occupy, take over, to
take down; guhn xwe ~ v.t. to prick
up ones ears
dagirt well-built
dagr kirin v.t. to occupy
dahl f grove
dahn m season, period of time
da-hrandin v.t. to research, investigate
dare f ofce
da-ketin v.i. to fall down, come down,
swoop down, subside; to be lowered
(gaze); ~ bi to take up, involve one-
self with
da ku (+ subj.) in order that
da-kutan v.t. to shake
da-liqandin v.t. to string up, hang
da-liqiyan v.i. to hang, dangle
da-mezran v.i. to be set up, established;
~din da-mezrn- v.t. to set up, estab-
lish
dan
1
= dahn
dan
2
d- v.t. to give
da-nan da-n- v.t. to lay, put down
da-ni!tin da-ni!- v.i. to sit down, alight
dann = da-ann
danstendin f transaction, exchange;
relation
da-qurtandin qurtn- v.t. to swallow
dar f tree, stick, gallows; bi ~ ve kirin
v.t. to hang; bi ~ da-kirin v.t. to
hang; ~istan f forest
dar m wood
darbe f blow; ~ xwarin v.t. to suffer a
blow
darik m stick
darn wooden
davtin = da-avtin
dawe f legal case
dawet f festive occasion
daw f end; ~ ann v.t. to put an end to;
~ hatin v.i. to end, come to an end;
~n (adj) last, nal
dax f brand; sorrow
da-xistin v.t. to take down: polsan
tabeleya me daxist the police took
down our sign
daxwaz f request; ~ kirin v.t. to request,
beseech; ~ f desire
dayik m mother; ji ~ bn v.i. to be
born; ~t f motherhood, maternity
dayin = dan
dayn = dan
de
1
postposition forms the second part
of a number of circumpositions, gen-
erally indicating stationary position in
or at; see the prepositional element
de
2
(precedes an imperative): de were
come on!
defter f register, roll, notebook
deh ten
dehl f valley; orchard
dehol f drum
dek f trick
delal dear, beloved
delve f opportunity, occasion
dem
1
f time, season; ~a ku (conj.)
when; ~dirj long-term; ~kurt short-
term; ~ dewran f olden times
dem
2
steeped; ~ girtin to steep (of tea)
demane f pistol
deng m voice, sound, noise; ~bj m
singer
dengiz sea
depdepe wooden
deq
1
f part, region, place: di v deq de
in this place
deq
2
m tattoo; ~ bi ~ exactly alike
deqe = deqqe
deqqe f minute
der
1
f place; ~ek() somewhere; ev ~
KURMANJI KURDISH
206
here; li v ~ here; li ku ~ where?
der
2
outside; ~eke foreign: welatn
dereke foreign countries
der
3
f door
der-ann v.t. to take out
derb f blow
derbas passing, passsage; ~ bn v.i. to
pass, to pass by (ji); ~ kirin v.t. to
spend (time); ~ hundur bn to enter
derbaz = derbas
derbeder bn v.i. to be driven from
pillar to post
der-bn di to burst out on
derd m pain, trouble: her yek derdek
wan heb everyone had some trouble
derece f degree: di i derecey de to
what degree?
dereng late, long time; ~ man v.i. to lag
behind, be late
derewn lying, false
derxistin = derxistin
derfend f opportunity
derheq: di ~() de about, concerning
deriya = derya
deriz cracked
der
1
m door; ~y xwe girtin li ber to
close ones door to; li ~ dan v.t. to
knock at a door; ~ girtin v.t. to shut a
door; ~ li ser xwe girtin to shut one-
self up
der
2
(prep) outside of
der-ketin v.i. to go in/out, to turn out to
be; ~ li dij v.i. to oppose; ji gra
~ to fail to catch
derman m (obl dermn) remedy, treat-
ment, medicine; ~geh pharmacy; ~
kirin v.t. to treat
derp m underpants; longjohns
ders f lesson; ~ dan v.t. to give lessons
der dor environs; ~a (prep.) around
derve outside; ~kar external: wezr
dervekar minister of foreign affairs;
~y (prep.) outside of: dervey welt
outside of the country; (adj.) foreign;
ji ~ from outside
der-xistin v.t. to bring out (publication),
to issue (an order), to cast out; ji hev
~ to to tell apart, to discern
der-xwendin -xwn- v.t. to take to task
derya f sea; ~ya Sip the Mediterranean
Sea
derz f crack, split; see also !jin
derz
dest
1
m hand; ~ bi ~ continuously; ~
bn ji to lose, to be left without:
destn me ji te bne we have been left
without you; ~ dan hevdu v.t. to join
hands; ~ k!an ji v.t. to let go of; ~
kirin bi (+ inf.) v.t. to start; ~ xwe
ki!andin ji to give up, abandon; bi ~
xistin to attain, obtain; di ~n for
to do: di destn min de bi ten
razan mab the only thing I could do
was go to sleep; ji ~ kirin v.t. to lose;
ji bin dest by, by means of ;
xwe avtin ~ lingn kesek to
throw oneself at someones feet, to
beg; xwe dan ~ to let oneself be cap-
tured
dest
2
f group, set
destan f story
destbirak m blood brother
deste f group, set
destenan loaf of bread
destik m oar
destmal f handkerchief
destpk f beginning
destteng poor
destr f order, command; ~a ziman
grammar
destvala empty-handed
destve-nan v.t. to catch
de!t f plain
dev m mouth; entrance; ~ berdan ji to
leave, to give up, to stop: te dev ji
k!ana cixar berdaye? have you
stopped smoking cigarettes?; dev ji
min berde, ez bxew im leave me
207
aloneIm sleepy; ~ di da c
kirin to bite down on; (li) ~ () dora
prep. all around
devende!t f brush, brambles
dever face down
dev f bush
devken f smile
devk oral: edebiyata devk oral litera-
ture
devojen hev bn li ser to squabble
with each other over
devok f accent
dewam kirin v.t. to continue
dewar m domestic animal, cattle
dewir = dewr; f circle; ~ dan v.t. to
circle
dewlemend rich, wealthy
dewlet f state: ~a Frensay the state of
France
dewr f age, time, epoch; role; ~ leyistin
to play a role; ~an f age, time
dews f place, spot, trace
dexisn v.i. to be jealous (ji of)
deyn m debt; ~ dan to pay a debt; ~dar
indebted; ~ indebted to
d
1
f (const diya) mother
d
2
future auxiliary + subj. for future
tense
d
3
3rd-person sing. present indicative
of hatin
dl
1
f tail
dl
2
f female animal; ~egur f female
wolf; ~ik f female wolf or dog, bitch
drn ancient, of long standing
dv
1
m demon
dv
2
= dev
dw = dv
1
di de ccmp. in: di saln 70 de in the
70s; di destn min de in my hands
di re ccmp. by, via, upon: bi bihs-
tina deng re upon hearing the noise;
av di tingn wan re dihate xwar
water ran down their ries
di ve ccmp. through
d- habitual and progressive verbal
prex
dia = dua
di bareya de ccmp. about, concern-
ing
dibistan f school: dibistana destpk ele-
mentary school
Dicle f the Tigris River
didan m tooth
didu two; ~yan second
din nostril
digel with; ~ ku although
dihan = dian (see ann)
dij, li (prep.) against
dijmin m enemy; ~at f enmity
dijn kirin v.t. to curse
dijwar difcult; ~ f difculty
dikan f shop
dike nake no matter what s/he did
dil m heart; hope: min dil heye (+ subj.)
I hope to; ~ girtin bi to be offended
by: bi yna min ya hotl dil xwe
girtin they were offended by my
going to a hotel; ~ !ewitn bi to feel
sorry for: dil midr bi v xort
eleng evndar xwendin di!ewite
the principal feels sorry for this at-
tractive young man so avid to study;
~! f heartache; ~germ warm, hearty,
kind; ~ge! happy; ~nexwe! sorry,
upset, ill at ease; ~pak pure of heart;
~qayim condent; ~qayim f con-
dence; ~soz sympathetic; ~!a happy,
glad; ~!ewat heart-rending; ~!ikest f
disappointment; ~!ikest kirin v.t. to
disappoint, to dishearten; ~teng f
sadness, loneliness; ~xwaz fond of;
b ~ against the wishes of; ne bi ~
min b it did not appeal to me
dilr intrepid
dilnya assured, condent
dilop m drop
dilovan kind, affectionate, dear; ~ f
affection; death (euphemism): ber
KURMANJI KURDISH
208
dilovaniya nivskar dilovan bi salek
a year before the dear writer passed
away
diltezn ???
din other
di nav de ccmp. in the midst of: di
nav w erd de in the midst of that
land
din = dinyay (see dinya)
dinya f (obl. dinyay, din) the world,
the weather: dinya pirr sar b the
weather was very cold; bi ~y hatin
v.i. to be born; ~dt worldly, sophis-
ticated
diran (dial. var.) = didan
dirb track, path
dirj long, lengthy; ~ ajotin to last a
long time; ~ kirin to lengthen; ~ f
length; ~ kirin to hand to ;
dest ~ kirin to stretch the hand out
to
diriyan v.i. to be ripped
divab, diviyab (impersonal + pres.
subj.) had to: diviyab ku ti!tek bikin
they had to do something; (imperson-
al + past cond.) ought to have , was
supposed to have , would have to
: diviyab Sovyet ji ran derketa
the Soviet ought to (was supposed to)
have withdrawn from Iran, divab ku
ew kzik bihata ku!tin that bug would
have to be killed
div (impersonal + pres. subj.) ought to
dixan f smoke
diyar clear; ~ f clarity
diyar f gift
Diyarbekir f Diyarbekir
diz m thief
diz secret, concealed; bi ~ secretly,
stealthily; ~t f secret
d other; y ~ the other one
dl m prisoner; ~ girtin v.t. to take pris-
oner; ~ f imprisonment
dlan f dance, dancing
dmen f view, sight, aspect
dn
1
m religion; ~it f religiosity; ~,
~dar religious; ~perwer religious
dn
2
crazy, mad; ~ bn li ser to go crazy
over; ~ kirin to drive s.o. crazy; ~ik
slightly crazy, screw loose; ~it f
madness
dn
3
f gaze, attention
drok f story, history; ~ historical
dsa(n) again, (+ neg) stillnot
dtin bn- v.t. to see
dwan f reception room; collected works
of a poet; ~e f (obl ~) small recep-
tion room
dwar f (obl dwr) wall
dz knee
dzik f pan
do = d
dol valley
dom kirin v.t. to continue
doman v.i. to continue
domandin domn- v.t. to continue
dor
1
f environs; li ~a (prep.) around;
~hl f environs, parts, region; ~a
girtin v.t. to surround
dor
2
m turn; ~al f circumference
dorandor m circumference; li ~ (prep.)
all around
dost friend; ~ane friendly; ~ayet f
friendship
do!- ! dotin
do!ab m/f grape molasses ???
do!eg f mattress
do!ik = do!eg
dot f daughter; ~mam f cousin
dotin do!- v.t. to milk
doz f cause, reason; aim, ideal; revenge;
~a kirin to aim for; ~ger vengeful,
litigant
du two
dua f prayer; ~ kirin, ~ xwendin v.t. to
pray
ducar kirin v.t. to repeat
dudil hesitant, of two minds; ~ f hesita-
209
tion
duduyan (dial. var.) = diduyan
duh() yesterday
dunya = dinya
dur hypocritical; ~t f hypocrisy
du!emb f Monday
duv = d
duwemn second: !er dinyay y
duwemn World War II
duyem(n) second
d
1
behind; ~dirj of long standing; ~re
then, afterwards; li ~ hev re one after
the other; li ~ xwe behind oneself; bi
~ ketin v.i. to pursue
d
2
m smoke
dkel f smoke
dman f smoke
dpi!k f scorpion
dr far; ~ xistin v.t. to throw away, ex-
ile; bi ~ ketin to go/get away; ~ nzk
sooner or later; ~ah f remoteness,
distance; ~bn farsighted
dre ! d
1
drebn f binoculars
dv m tail, end
dvre = dre
ebeden (+ neg.) never, not at all
ecem Persian
ecb strange; ~may dumbfounded, stu-
pied
edebiyat f literature; ~van literateur
edeb literary
edilandin v.t. to ameliorate, make bet-
ter
edb m litrateur
efend m westernized gentleman; ~t f
gentlemanliness
efraz up
ef f amnesty; ~ya gi!t general am-
nesty
egal f headband
eger if
ekb f team
ekol f school
ekonomk economic
elbik f wooden bucket
elektrk f ashlight
elem pain
eleqedar kirin v.t. to concern
eleyh: di eleyh da ccmp. against;
~dar m supporter; ~dar kirin v.t. to
support
elman German; ~ German (language)
em (obl. me) we
emanet m deposit, anything held on
loan or for safekeeping
emir
1
f order, command
emir
2
m age
emperyalsm f imperialism
enanet traditional
endam m member
enerj f energy
en f forehead; front (mil.)
ensttu f institute
eql m mind, reason
erd f earth; li erd dan to throw to the
ground
erdim f region
erdhj f earthquake
ereb Arab; ~ Arabic
erebe f cart, carriage, any wheeled
vehicle
Erebistan f Arabia
er yea, yes
erk f responsibility
ermen Armenian
erm!im silk
Ernewid Albanian
erz f hope; ~a !ikandin v.t. to dash
s.o.s hopes
erzan cheap
erzihal f description, report, petition
Erzerom f Erzurum
esas m foundation, basis; ~ basic, es-
sential, original
eser f work, monument: esereke edeb a
literary work
KURMANJI KURDISH
210
esil m origin; bi ~ xwe originally
esilzade aristocratic
esker m soldier; ~ f the military; (adj)
military
esman = azman
esmer olive complected
e!r f tribe; ~t tribal
e!kere clear, obvious
e!k te!k tangled (hair)
ev (obl. masc. sing. v, obl. fem. sing.
v, obl. pl. van) he, she, it, they, this,
these
evn f love, affection; ~dar desirous, in
love: ew evndar xwendin b he
was desirous of studying
evqas so much
ew (obl. masc. sing. w, obl. fem. sing.
w, obl. pl. wan, pl. const. ewn) he,
she, it, they, that, those
ewd m revenge
ewel, ewel rst
ewn pl. const. of ew; ~ din the others
ewir = ewr
ewle security, reliance, assurance; ~ bn
to be secure
ewr m cloud
ewraq (pl) papers
Ewrpa f Europe; ~y European
Ewrp European
ewt f bark; ~e ~ constant or repeated
barking; ~n v.i. to bark
eyn the same: di eyn sal de in the
same year
ey O (vocative)
Eyndwer Ayn D$w#r, a small place in
Syria south of Cizre
Eyb Job; ~ Job-like
eywan f salon, sitting room
ez (obl. min) I
ezben sir (mode of polite address)
ezman m sky, heaven
ezz dear
Ezrayl Azrael, the angel of death
1
= y
2
tense
d now; still, yet
gir ! agir
h: gewro h beravara nedihat
Whitey didnt notice it
n = yn
r! = hri!
! f pain, ache; ~andin !n- v.t. to hurt,
cause pain, trouble; ~iyan !- v.i. to
hurt, suffer pain: ser av te ne!e
may your head and eye not suffer
pain, thank you
var f evening
xur m stable
zing m rewood
fahm (dial. var.) = fehim
fal f augury, omen, fate; ~ vekirin to
predict: ev fala ko herkes ji min re
vedikir, wusan derneket the predic-
tion everyone was making for me did
not turn out like that
fam (dial. var.) = fehim
faqa under (prep.); ketin ~ to fall be-
neath
faris pl Persians; ~ f Persian (language)
fa!st fascist
fedakar, fedekar self-sacricing, de-
voted; ~ f self-sacrice
fed f embarrassment; ~ kirin to be em-
barrassed
fed-kirin v.t. to look, watch
fehim kirin v.t. to understand
felat f freedom, liberation
felsefe f philosophy;
felsef philosophical
fen f trick; bi ~ ftan by hook or by
crook
fener f lamp
feodal feudal
feqeh m theology student
feq Muslim cleric; ~t f the clerical pro-
211
fession
feqr poor; ~t f poverty
fer one, single item (of a pair)
ferheng f culture: wezareta ferheng
ministry of culture; dictionary
ferman f order, command; ~a der-
xistin v.t. to issue an order for
ferm formal
fermo please (said when offering s.th.)
ferq f difference: i ferqa me crann
me dimne? what difference is left be-
tween us and our neighbors?; ~iyet f
distinction
ferz kirin v.t. to assume
fetwa legal opinion
fex f trap; xistin fex to put in a trap
feyde f benet, prot; bi ~ benecial
fde f (const. fda) benet: ji bo fda
xwe for ones one benet, in ones
own interests
fhm = fehim
flbaz f cunning
fre bn v.i. to learn; frey bn to
learn s.th., to become accustomed to
s.th.
fr bn v.i. to learn: ew di demeke
kurt de fr tirk b he learned Turk-
ish in a short time
ht kirin v.t. to assess, to price
kar(e) f worry
kir f idea, thought; ~n v.i. to think,
contemplate
litn ji v.i. to get rid of
losof m philosopher
nd f candle
r- ! rn
raq m dishes
rar kirin to escape, to ee
ravn f lunch, midday meal
rax (pl) dishes, pots and pans; ~ !ustin
v.t. to wash the dishes
reh open, wide, spacious; ~ kirin v.t.
to open; dil ~ kirin to gladden the
heart
riyan v.i. to y away
rn r- v.i. to jump, y: Msa ji kfan
dire Musa is jumping for joy
r!te m angel
rk a rapid motion
rne f bakery
rotin fro!- v.t. to sell
rq = ferq
rtone f storm, gale
til dan v.t. to twist and turn
fstan m dress
fort m boast
fransiz m/f French (person)
frens f French (language)
frensiz French (language)
fro!- ! rotin
fursend f opportunity
frn v.i. to bubble, gurgle, boil
galegal f conversation
galon m gallon
gam! ox
garan f herd of cattle
garis m millet; ~ misr corn
garsn f village square
gav
1
f time; moment, instant; ~a (ku)
when (sub. conj.); ~ saet at all
times; di ~ da in an instant; li ~ de
at that moment
gav
2
m step, pace; ~ kirin v.t. to step,
cross; ~ avetin to take steps: edebi-
yata kurd di van saln daw de
gavine ba! avetiye Kurdish literature
has taken some good steps in these
recent years
gavan cowherd; ~t f herding
gazin = gazind
gazind m rebuke, complaint; ~ kirin v.t.
to rebuke, reproach; ~ok rebuking,
complaining
gaz
1
m warrior
gaz
2
f call, shout; ~ kirin v.t. to call,
speak to
geh when; geh geh sometimes
KURMANJI KURDISH
212
sometimes
-geh sufx of place
gehandin (dial. var.) = gihandin
geh!tin (dial. var.) = gih!tin
gel much, many, most; ~ejmar plural;
~ek() very, a lot, many: ~ek ji wan
many of them; ~r popular
gelemper general, public; bi ~ mostly,
generally
gel m mountain pass, canyon
gelo whether; interrogative particle, I
wonder if
gemar f lth
gem f ship
genim m wheat
ger if; ~i even if, although
gerandin gern- v.t. to turn, rotate; to
take for a walk; to produce
gerden f neck
gerden f necklace
gerdn universal
gerek necessary, should, must, ought to;
~ bn to be necessary
geremol f complexity, confusion
gerihan (dial. var.) = geriyan
geriyan v.i. to go around, roam around;
~ li (pey) to look for
germ warm, hot: ~a havn the heat of
summer; ~a, ~ay f warmth; ~ f
warmth
Germanya f Germany
ger! dirty
ge! red, blossoming, aming, happy; ~
bn to blossom, ame up (re), be
happy; ~ f happiness, ourishment
gevde f mange; bi ~ mangy
gevez crimson
gevizandin v.t. to make writhe; xwe ~ to
roll oneself around
gevizn v.i. to writhe
gewde m body; ~ xwe dan hev to curl
up; ~ xwe girtin to hug oneself
gewr light grey, whitish; ~o whitey
gewre large, big
gj dizzy, spinning; ~ bn v.i. to be
dizzy; ~ kirin v.t. to make dizzy,
make lightheaded: germa havn tu
gj kiriby the heat of summer had
made you dizzy
gr crooked, uneven
grik ant
grt lethargic
ghj- ! gih!tin
giha = giya
gihan gih- v.i. to reach; ~din -gihn-
v.t. to deliver; xwe gihandine ser to
get oneself to
giha!tin gehj- v.i. to reach, arrive; to
mature
gih!tin gihj-/gj-/gihj-/ghj- v.i. to
reach, arrive
gihj- ! gih!tin
gijgijn v.i. to be knit (brow)
gincir ???
gir m hill
gir m rancorous, grudging; ~-girtin v.t.
to have a grudge
gir- ! girtin
giramgr respectful
giram f respect
giran heavy, deep (voice); serious,
grave, plodding; ~ f gravity, weighti-
ness; ~biha precious, expensive; ~
rotin v.t. to sell at a high price,
overcharge
girav f island
girc girc frozen solid
gir f knot, tumor; ~-dan v.t. to tie, to
connect: nav bajr li cem min bi
nav nan rn, !ekir helaw hatib
girdan for me the word city was
connected to the words bakery
bread, sugar, and halvah; pi!ta
xwe ~ dan bi to turn ones back on,
to be unmindful of
girk Greek
girik f conundrum; hillock
giriyan v.i. to weep
213
gir m weeping, crying
girn v.i. to weep; f weeping
girng important; ~ f importance
girs great; bi ~ greatly
girtin gir- v.t. to catch, seize
girtgeh f prison
girtxane f prison, place of detention
gi!t general, public; totally
giva!tin giv!- v.t. to press, squeeze
givegiv f gentle blowing of the wind
givn v.i. to roar (wind)
giya f grass, greenery
giyan m soul
gj- = gihj-
gr f grasp; xistin ~ helboq v.t. to en-
snare
grodar f struggle
gr helboq f trap, entrapment
gya = giya
gol f lake: ~a Wan Lake Van
golik m calf
gopal m stick; ~ das sickle
gor
1
f method, manner, way; li ~(a)
according to, in the opinion of
gor
2
f grave; ~istan f cemetery
gor f sacrice; ez bi ~ please
gorn f tomb
go!t m meat
gotar f article
gotin bj- v.t. to say: tu bj nebj no
matter what you say; f word: bi ~eke
din in other words; ji X re Y ~ to call
X Y: gelo mirov kane ji berhemn ku
bi zimann din tne nivsandin re
bibje berhemn kurd? I wonder if
can one call works that are written in
other languages Kurdish works?;
~xwe! well-spoken
gotbj f talk, conversation
gov f barn
govend f Kurdish line dance; ~ girtin
v.t. to dance a line dance
goya youd think
gr- = gir- (girtin)
guik m/f ??? ear
guh m ear; ~ dan v.t. to listen; bi ~
girtin v.t. to grab by the ear; ~dar m
listener; ~dar kirin v.t. to listen; ber
guhan ketin v.i. to be heard
guhan m udder
guhar m/f pearl ??? earring???
guharn v.i. to change
guhartin guhr- v.t. to change
guhastin = guhaztin
guhaztin guhz- v.t. to transport, carry,
move; mala xwe ~ to move ones
home
guhdar m listener; ~ kirin v.t. to listen
guherandin guhern- v.t. to change
guhertin (dial. var.) = guhartin
guj erce (storm)
gujn v.i. to howl
gul f ower
gulan f May
gule f bullet; ~baran kirin v.t. to re,
open re on
gulik f ower
gul m braid, tress
gulle = gule
gulte f clump
gund m village; ~ m/f villager; ~t f
rusticity
guneh m sin, fault; ~kar f crime, of-
fense, fault; avtina ~n xwe expia-
tion for ones sins
gungil thick, matted
gunin ??? a thick protective mat
against thorns, etc.
gupe gup kirin v.t. to pound (heart)
gur
1
m wolf
gur
2
strong, powerful; ~ kirin to ll
gurdar f attention; ~ kirin to pay rapt
attention
gurg = gur
1
gur bald, scabby
gurn f clamor, noise
gurmn gurm- v.i. to make a loud noise
gurz m hank of hair
KURMANJI KURDISH
214
guvah f testimony
guva!tin (dial. var.) = giva!tin
guveguv (dial. var.) = givegiv
ha = han
hakim m ruler, governor
hal m condition, state; ji ~ ketin to be
exhausted, worn out
halan f yell, shout
halhalk (dial. var.) = alal
han (in constr. w/ word it modies) this
very, that very: w roja han on that
very day; ev tirsa han bi serphatiya
te girday b this very fear was con-
nected to your experience
hatin y-/wer- (v.i., pres. ind. tm, neg.
naym, pres. subj. bm/werim) to
come; (+ inf.) passive
hat f future
havtin (dial. var.) = avtin
havn f summer
havtin (dial. var.) = avtin
hawrdor f surroundings, environment;
~n w those around him
hawurdor (dial. var.) = hawrdor
hay f feeling, awareness (ji of), atten-
tion: ~a min j tune b I had no
awareness of it; ~dar aware
hazir ready, present; ~ f preparation; ~
kirin to make preparations
heb
1
m grain, bit; pill: ~ek aqil a grain
of sense; ~ek() a little, a bit, slightly
heb
2
f a single thing, item, individual,
one
hebandin v.t. to love
hebe nebe one way or another
hebk = hebek (see heb)
hebn v.i. to exist: di ziman me de pir
gotinn kurd hene ku me nebihstine
there are many Kurdish words in our
language we havent heard; (with
subject + possessive) to have; heb
tuneb once upon a time
hechecik martin, swallow
hecm f attack, assault
he whatever, whoever
hedam sense ???
hedef f goal
heft seven; ~e f week: bi ~yek within a
week; ~ey weekly; ~ seventy
heger if
hej movement; li ~ liv we! ketin v.i.
to toss and turn
hej = hez
hejandin v.t. to shake: w ser xwe he-
jand he shook his head; min dest w
hejand I shook his hand
hejar poor: ~n kurdan the poor Kurds
hejiyan v.i. to move, shake
hejk love, affection
hejn = hejiyan
hejmar f number, issue (of a journal)
hejmartin hejmr- v.t. to count, enu-
merate: dihatin hijmartin le ser her
deh tiliyn destan they could be
counted on all ten ngers of the hands
hejmr- ! hejmartin
hek m right; di ~ prep. concerning,
about
heke if
hel m protected place
helaw f halvah
helbest f poetry, verse: ~a serbest free
verse; ~kar m poet; ~van m poet
helbet of course
hel-bijartin v.t. to select, choose
hel-dirandin v.t. to tear apart
Heleb f Aleppo
heliyan v.i. to melt, disappear
heliz an herb
helk bhn breath
hel-pekandin li xew v.t. to rouse from
sleep
helqe f ring
hemhem bothand
hema thus
heman that very
hember equal; ~ f equality; li ~
215
towards, vis--vis, across from
hembz = hemz
hemd m will, volition; b ~ reluctantly,
involuntarily; hatin ser ~ xwe to
come to ones senses
hemdem contemporary
hem!e always
hemz, hembz f bosom, embrace; ~
kirin v.t. to embrace
hem = hem
hemman scarcely, barely
hem all, every; ~ya(n) all of them
hengam time: di ~ek de at one and the
same time, at once
heps f prison, imprisonment; ~xane f
prison
her every; ~ ~ always and ever; ~ku
-tir the more the more: deng ji
ezmn herku di btir dib the sound
from the sky kept getting louder; ~
ten at least: her ten end heftiyan
carek at least once every few weeks
her- ! n
herb f war department
herd valley ???
hereherey worldly strife, turmoil
herejor steep
her = er
herm f district, region
herf f letter of the alphabet
herikn v.i. to move, to ow
herimandin v.t. to ruin, make a mess of:
w jiyan li wan herimandiye it has
ruined their lives
her
1
very, exceedingly, most (superla-
tive prex)
her
2
f mud
hertim always; ~ usual
herweha thus, so also
herwiha (dial. var.) = herweha
hes f feeling, emotion; ~asiyet f sensi-
tivity
hesibandin v.t. to count, take into con-
sideration: ew xwe weke kurd nahesi-
bnin they dont count themselves as
Kurds
hesin m iron; ~gr m blacksmith; ~
made of iron; ~ker m blacksmith
hesiyan/hesn v.i. to feel; ~ bi to per-
ceive, be aware of
hesp m horse
hesret f pining, longing, regret; li ~a
longing for
hest f feeling
heste f lighter
hestik m bone
hest m bone
he! = !n
he!n green; ~ah f greenness
he!t eight; ~ eighty
heta even; (prep.) up to, until; ~ (ku)
(conj. + neg. subj.) until: heta ney
guhartin j d wiha bidome until it is
changed it will remain like that
hetan = heta
hev each other, together, co-, same; ba
~ hatin to get together, cooperate; bi
~du re together; bi ~ re with each
other, together; ji ~ ketin to fall apart;
li ~ together; li ser ~ altogether; ~
dan v.t. to collect, put together
heval m/f friend; ~bend m proponent;
~t f friendship
hevedudann v.t. to put together, to
compound
hevd each other
hevgirt assembled
hevr m dough
hevkar m/f co-worker; ~ f cooperation
hevok f sentence; ~saz syntax
hevpeyvn f conversation
hevraz (dial. var.) = efraz
hevr!im m silk
hevwelat m/f compatriot
hew no more, not any more: hew dixwim
I cant eat any more
hewa f air, weather; ~ guhastin v.t. to
have a change of climate
KURMANJI KURDISH
216
hewale m air
hewandin -hewn- v.t. to give shelter to,
protect
hewcedar needy, in need; ~ f need,
necessity
hewe (dial. var.) = we
hewes f passion
hewg f throat
hewil f attempt; ~-dan v.t. to attempt
hewk = hewg
hewqas that much, so much
hewran m a type of cloak; ~yek re! a
black cloak, a sign of mourning
hew! f courtyard
hey continuously, (+ verb) to keep on
heya = heta for, up to, until: heya
demeke dirj for a long time; ~ ku
(conj.) while, as long as
heybet m fearfulness; ~girt fearful
heyecan m excitement
heyf f pity; ~a its too bad about ;
~a hatin bi to feel sorry for: heyfa
min bi te t I feel sorry for you
heyhat alas!
heyn v.i. to live
heyran amazing!, incredible!
hey!t eight
hey!t eighty
heyv f moon, month; ~a arde !ev the
full moon
heyran i? what do you mean ?
heywan f animal
hez kirin ji v.t. to like, enjoy: min j hez
kir I liked it
hezar thousand
h still, yet
h furious, quick-tempered
hd hd little by little
hdka slowly, softly
hj still, (with comparative) even
hja valuable, worthy; ne ~ worthless
hk f egg
hl
1
f side, direction
hl
2
vigor, strength, power; bi ~ vigor-
ously, aloud
hl
3
trace, track
hl- ! hi!tin
hlan v.t. to leave
hln f birds nest; ~ kirin v.t. to nest,
to settle in
hnik cool; ~ay f coolness
hre kirin v.t. to look
hri! f attack; ~ kirin/ann/birdin v.t. to
make an attack: cendirme hri! ser
mal dikin the gendarmes are attack-
ing the house
hri!ker attacking
hrs f anger; ~ kirin v.t. to anger; ~
ketin v.i. to get angry
hsan easy; ~ kirin v.t. to facilitate,
make easy; ~ easy
hsir m tear
hsr captive, prisoner
hstir
1
f mule
hstir
2
= hsir
h!n green (of plants), bluish (of ani-
mals); ~ay f greenery, verdure; ~ f
greenery
h!tir f camel
ht f thigh
hvar = var
hv f hope; ~dar hopeful; b~ hope-
less; li ~ya bn to wait for, be in
expectation of ; (li) ~ya man to
lie in wait for
hwan f porch
hwir at rest, calm
hz f strength, power
hicm f attack
hijmartin hijmr- (dial. var.) = hej-
martin
hikim m sovereignty, power; verdict,
judgment; hatine ser ~ to come to
power; ~ dayn to make a judgment
hilan kept, preserved
hil-ann (hil-n-) v.t. to take away; to
keep, preserve
hil-avtin v.t. to go, stick (li ra
217
through something)
hil-bijartin v.t. to choose
hil-dan v.t. to lift, raise
hil-dirandin (dial. var.) = hel-dirandin
hil-girtin v.t. to bear, endure; to shoul-
der (a responsibility, burden)
hil-ketin v.i. to come about by chance
hil-k!an v.i. to climb up, out
hil-kutan v.t. to knock, rattle
hilmis poke; ~ dan bi to poke
hil-pekandin (dial. var.) = hel-
pekandin
hil-qedimn v.i. to stand up
hil-!andin li ser v.t. to bring down on
hil-we!andin v.t. to break up, split
apart: pi!t hilwe!andina sstema Sov-
yet after the break-up of the Soviet
system
hil-we!n v.i. to break up, split apart
himhim bothand
himber (dial. var.) = hember
himbz kirin v.t. to embrace
himz armful; ~ kirin = himbz kirin
hin some, a few, several: hin rpel a
few pages, several pages; hin ji wan a
few of them; ~n wan some of them;
~ekan ~ekan some others
hinarok cheek
hind
1
= hin; hinde cara hindek every
once in a while
hind
2
f measure, extent: ji ber hind j to
a certain extent; ~ik slight, few, little
bit; ~ikah f minority
hinda prep. until
hindav f direction; ~a da toward
hindir = hundur
hiner = huner
hing then, at that time; therefore, for
that reason
hingiv m honey
hing then, at that time
hingr f twilight
hir f wool
hir!iyan v.i. to fall down, spill over or
out
hi! m awareness, sense; ~ be be quiet!;
bi ~ intelligent, smart
hi!in = h!n
hi!k dry, solid, frozen; ~ bn v.i. to
freeze; ~ah f solidity, rigidity; ~asay
f dry, cold air
hi!tin hl- v.t. to let go, leave, allow;
Xwed te bihle may God preserve
you!
hi!yar awake, sober; ~ bn v.i. to
awaken; ~ kirin v.t. to wake
hizandin (dial. var.) = hejandin
hizib f political party
hizir f thought, idea; li hizra da bn
to be thinking about
hm
1
m foundation, basis; ~avj m
founder
hm
2
= hn
2
hn
1
still, yet: ew ~ nehatiye he hasnt
come yet; ~ btir even more
hn
2
: ~ bn v.i. to learn; ~ kirin v.t. to
teach: w ez hn pir ti!tan kirim she
taught me many things; ~ bn to
learn how to (+ inf.)\
hna = hn
1
hnga = hing
hs f feeling, emotion; ~ kirin v.t. to feel
h!tin = hi!tin
hv (dial. var.) = heyv
hv (dial. var.) = hv
hz m/f skin sack
hogi m mountain ram
hogir accustomed, intimate friend; m
environment
hol f environment, surroundings; xwe
gihandin ~ to come forth, come
about, arrive
hol thus, in this manner; in view
holik f hut
hon (dial. var.) = hun
honik cool; ~ kirin v.t. to cool down;
dil xwe ~ kirin bi to console oneself
with
KURMANJI KURDISH
218
hov wild; ~t f wildness
hovan over there
hoy m condition, circumstance: di hoyn
teng de in narrow straits, in a tight
spot
hozant f poetry
h.p. = heta pa! etc., et al.
hukum m order; ~dar f rule; ~dar
kirin v.t. to rule
hukmet f government
humanst m humanist; ~ humanistic
hun (obl. we) you (pl.)
hundir (dial. var.) = hundur
hundur m inside; ~ prep. inside of; di
~ de within: di ~ deh salan de
within ten years
huner, hiner f art, skill; ~mend m artist
hur free, at liberty
hurmetgir respectful
hustu m neck
huzr f presence
hn = hun
hr
1
small, little; ~ ~ in little bits, in
small pieces; ~ ~() bn v.i. to be
smashed to bits; ~ kirin v.t. to crum-
ble; ~ mr small items, little things
hr
2
m paunch
hrik m small piece, bit, sliver; ~ ~
slight(ly)
hwd (her wek din) etc.
(because the distinction between initial i
and is not consistently maintained,
the two letters are alphabetized to-
gether)
dam f execution, death sentence
idare kirin v.t. to direct, manage
deoloj f ideology
ifade f testimony
ias f bankruptcy; ne ~ v.i. to go
broke
lan kirin v.t. to announce
ilham f inspiration
ilm scientic
lon f September
imkan m possibility
mparator f empire
imtihan f examination
imtiyaz f concession: imtiyaza neft oil
concession
nca then, in that case
ngilstan f England
ngilz m/f English; ~ f English lan-
guage
inkar kirin v.t. to deny
insan human being, one; pl people
in!a m composition
iptida elementary
rad f objection
ran f Iran
Iraq f Iraq
ro, roj today
r (dial. var.) = ro
sal this year
sfehan wrought silver
skendern f %skenderun, Alexandretta
Islamiyet f the religion and traditional
learning of Islam
ispat kirin v.t. to prove, establish
israf f expenditure: israfeke enerjiy an
expenditure of energy
israr kirin v.t. to insist
istifade kirin ji v.t. to make use of
stgah f station
syan f rebellion
! m work, affair, job: i ! min bi
tirkan re heye? What do I have to do
with the Turks?
!ellah God willing, I hope
!ev tonight
i!k dry
i!kence f torture; ~ kirin bi v.t. to tor-
ture, torment
i!kestin (dial. var.) = !ikestin
tiraz f objection
iyar m skin, pelt
jahr (dial. var.) = jehr
219
jan f pain, ache; ~ dan v.t. to pain
jar poor; ~ f poverty
jehr f poison
jendirme f gendarmerie
jengor rusty
j = ji + w/w
jhat worthy
j-kirin v.t. to excise, cut out, cut off
jr down
jrbar heavy laden; ~ f being heavy
laden
ji prep. from, to, for, with
ji re ccmp. with
ji ve ccmp. from
ji ber ve ccmp. before
jibrkirin ! br
jihevdeket fragmented, fallen apart:
civateke ~ a fragmented society
jimar f number
jin f woman, wife; ~ik f woman
jinvezayin f rebirth, renaissance
ji we!daket scattered about
jiyan
1
f life
jiyan
2
j- v.i. to live
jiyin = jiyan
2
j enclitic also, even, emphasizes pre-
ceding word
j- ! jiyan
2
, jn
jn j- v.i. to live
jndar alive, living; dinya ~ the world
of the living
jr talented, skillful; ~ f diligence, talent
jmartin jmr- v.t. to count, to enumer-
ate
jor above, up
k- ! kirin
ka (attention-getting particle): ka mze
ke come, look!; ka li ku ye? now
where is it?
ka f straw, hay
kabs f nightmare
kaye (dial. var.) = qaye
kal aged; m old man, grandfather; ~e-
mr m elderly gentleman
kalte m good quality
kalkabs m nightmare demon
kalo m old man
kambax ruined, devastated; devastating;
~ kirin v.t. to ruin, devastate
kan = kan
2
kan
1
f spring, source
kan
2
where is/are?
kann (dial. var.) = karn
kanun pl winter months
kapan a narrow, steep mountain road
kapik f bran
kar
1
m job, work; ~bidest m authority;
~ker m/f worker; ~bar m work, bus-
iness, everything entailed by s.th.; ~
kirin to work, to penetrate; bi~ ann
v.t. to use
kar
2
kid (goat, deer, &c.)
karik kid goat
karn (v.i., neg. pres. nkarim, past
(d)karibm, neg. past. nkaribm,
subj. (bi)karibim) to be able (+ subj.
to)
karneval f carneval
karto stale
karxezal baby deer, fawn
karzan expert
kasik m globe
kastn f howl
ka! m slope, hill; ~ bn to fall back-
wards
kat kirin v.t. to divulge
kaxet = kaxez
kaxez f paper
kaxiz = kaxez
kazkaz f wail
keban f lady: kebaniya mal the lady of
the house
ke f girl; ~ik f little girl
ked f stick; ~a kesek xwarin to get
beaten by s.o.
kef
1
f foam: ~a sawn soapsuds; ~ dan
v.t. to foam
KURMANJI KURDISH
220
kef
2
f palm (of the hand)
kefen m burial shroud; ~ kirin v.t. to
shroud
kef f keya, Arab headdress
kefteleft f activity, work, enterprise
kej f fur; ~ da-bn v.i. to get long fur
kek m elder brother
kel
1
boiling; ~ ger crying and weep-
ing
kel
2
m bull
kelandin keln- v.t. to boil
kela! m corpse, body
kelber wild
kel f an outcropping of rock
kelem
1
oak
kelem
2
m thorn; obstacle, difculty,
trick
kelem
3
m cabbage; ~ Bruksel Brussel
sprout
keleme f handcuff; ~ kirin v.t. to hand-
cuff
keln f opportunity, chance
kemn f ambush; ~ girtin to lie in am-
bush
ken m laughter; ~iyan v.i. to laugh
ken- ! kenn
kendal f side, slope, bank
keng, keng when?
kenn v.i. to laugh
ker
1
donkey; ne ker ketiye, ne hz
diriyaye, ne do!ab rijiyaye (prov.)
no donkey has fallen, no skein has
been ripped, and no molasses has
been spilled, i.e. nothing at all has
happened
ker
2
deaf
ker
3
quiet, silent
keramet f miracle
kerb f sorrow, grief; bi ~a n v.i. to
empathize with
kerem generosity, benet; ji ~a xwe
please, if you would be so kind
ker f herd; piece
kerm f snout
kerp m sun-baked mud brick
kerwan m caravan
keser f sorrow, grief; ~vedan f sorrow-
ing
kesk green
ke!f kirin v.t. to discover
ke!t f boat
ketin kev- v.i. to fall; ~ li ber to ob-
ject to, oppose; bi ser ~ to come up,
to surface
kev- ! ketin
kevan = keban
kev m spoon
kever spotlessly white
kevin ancient
kevir m stone, rock
kevnar ancient
kevnebajar f ancient seat
kevneperest conservative
kevnesovyet f the ex-Soviet Union
kew partridge
kewan = keban
kewtn v.i. to bark
keys f opportunity, advantage
kezeb f liver; womb; ~ !ewitan to feel
sorry, be distressed
kez f braid of hair
kezk f strand of hair
kez kirin v.t. to bite
k ! k
kf f pleasure, joy: li ~a w nedihat she
wasnt enjoying it; ~xwe! happy;
~xwe! f happiness, pleasure, rejoic-
ing; ~ sefa pleasure
kl m grave
klek f side, edge
km few, little bit; ~ kirin v.t. to lessen;
~ mab ku (+ subj.) almost: km
mab ku dila te ji kfa ji snga te
derkeve your heart almost leapt out of
your breast from joy; ~an f de-
ciency, inadequacy; ~as f paucity; ~
zde more or less; b~as aw-
less(ly); bi ~an f at least
221
kr
1
f knife
kr
2
f benet, prot, effect; bi ~
hatin to be of benet to : bi kr i
t? whats the use of it?; bi~ useful
kr!k rabbit
ks = keys
k!an v.t. to pull, draw; cixar ~ to
smoke cigarettes
kz f bug, insect; ~ik f bug
kibrt match; ~ro! matchseller
kif! clear, apparent
kil
1
f collyrium; ~ kirin to paint the eyes
with collyrium
kil
2
kirin v.t. to wave; dest ~ ji re to
wave the hand at
kim m corner
kin short; ~ f shortness; bi ~ shortly,
slightly
kinc pl clothes
kincik m rag
kir ! kirin
kiras m shirt
kirt ugly, shameful; ~ f ugliness, de-
lement, shame
kirwe m blizzard
kirin k- v.t. to do; ~ ku (+ pres. subj.) to
make (as if to do s.th.), almost to do
s.th.: w kir ku ti!tek bibje, l ne got
he almost said something, but he
didnt; ji xwe ~ to take off (clothes),
disrobe: min kincn xwe ji xwe kir I
took off my clothes; te dikir nedi-
kir do what you might; min kir
nekir no matter what I did
kirn kir- v.t. to buy
kirmat in stony silence
ki!andin ki!n- v.t. to pull, draw; dest ~
ji to withdraw from
ki!ki!andin v.t. to drag
kitb f book; ~xane f library
kitkit f detail
kiv! = kif!
k (obl. k) who?
kjan which?
kn f revenge, feud: kna xwe bi hev re
hene they are having a feud; ~ girtin
v.t. to take revenge
knga ever; when
ks m sack, bag; ji ~ xwe out of ones
own pocket
kso f tortoise
klasikasyon f classication
kla!nkov f Klashnikov rie
ko = ku
2
ko kirin v.t. to decamp, move; ~
kirin to move to
kok
1
f stitch
kok
2
f root, stub
kolan f street
kolan kol- v.t. to dig, dig out, research;
~din koln- v.t. to dig
kole
1
trick, deceit; ~ kirin v.t. to
deceive; ~dar tricky, deceitful
kole
2
captive, slave
kolonyalst colonialist
kom f pile, group; ~ bn to gather, as-
semble; ~a san pack of dogs
komar f republic: Komara Mehabad
the Republic of Mahabad
komel f society, organization: Komela
Karkern Kurd Kurdish Workers
Society; ~ayet social
komik f small group
kon m tent
kongre f congress
kor, kr blind; ~ ~ kirn to be lost in
thought
kor kend m depression
ko!ik f pavilion
kovar f journal
kov wild, ferocious
kox f coop: koxa mir!kan chicken coop
koxik f hut, shack
ku
1
where?; ji ~ where from?, li ~
where, where at?
ku
2
that (subordinating conj.); unless
ku f large rock
kuder where?
KURMANJI KURDISH
222
kufuk m snot; kufk poz snot; kufk
guh earwax; ~girt snotty
kuj m corner
kuj- ! ku!tin
kul f wound, pain, suffering; adj. in-
fected, inamed, suffering
kulav m felt mat
kulek f smoke hole
kulfet f job, duty: xud kulfet employed,
holding down a job; maid, female ser-
vant; wife
kulik m nger; ~ek dan ser to put a
nger on, point to
kul f ake of snow
kullk f wild ower
kull cotton
kulm f st; ~ik f st
kulmoz m beehive
kultur f culture
kum m cap; kea ~sor Little Red
Riding Hood
kun f hole; kun kun kirin v.t. to poke
holes in
kundk rni!tin v.i. to hunker down
kunkun pitted, pockmarked
kur m boy, son
kur kirin v.t. to cut (the hair)
kurd m/f Kurd; ~andin v.t. to Kurdi-
cize; ~istan f Kurdistan; ~ayet f
Kurdishness; ~hiz Kurdophile; ~iyet
f Kurdishness; ~ Kurdish
kurdmanc Kurmanji Kurdish
kurm m worm; ~ik m little worm; ~
wormy, mangy, maggoty
kurs f chair, seat: kursiya !eref the
seat of honor
kur! f frozen snow; ~enegirt not frozen
solid
kurt short, brief; ~ay f shortness: bi
kurtay briey; ~erok f short story;
~edem f moment
kuruf f mound of snow
kusan how
kuskusandin v.t. to squint
ku!tin kuj- v.t. to kill
kut xistin li v.t. to take a puff on (a
cigarette)
kut peck, (dogs) bark; ~ kirin v.t. to
clack, clatter, rattle
kutan v.t. to strike; avn xwe j ~ to
blink the eyes
kutatirn least
kuxn v.i. to cough
kuxuyan v.i. to cough
k call to a dog
ke f (obl k) lane
kik m dog
kd lame
kl f ???
kllk = kullk
kr
1
(dial. var.) = kor
kr
2
deep; ~ nrn to look closely; ~ah
f depth; ~an f depth
k!ke small, tiny
kv (dial. var.) = kov
kwr blind
kws, kws (dial. var.) = kso
labrent f labyrinth
lablabik m marsh: kwsiy lablabik
marsh turtle
lak secular
lal mute, speechless
lampe f lamp, light
land f belly
landik f cradle
la! m body, corpse
lat f boulder
latn Latin
lava kirin v.t. to plead; ~y f pleading
lavan = lava
law m/f youth, child; ~ik m infant
lawur m wild animal
layiq worthy
lazim necessary
lebitn v.i. to move about
leheng m champion, hero
leh f ood, torrent
223
lekim m/f tentacle ???
lenger f tray
lep m paw
leplep twinkling ???
lerizn = lerzn
lerizner trembling
lerizok trembling
lerz m trembling
lerzandin lerzn- v.t. to shake
lerzn v.i. to tremble, shake
le! m body; ~bizdn ???
le!ker m soldier
lev aimless ???; ~ ketin v.i. to chatter
(of the teeth)
lewa! thin at bread
lewhe f sign
lewma for this reason, therefore
lewra, ji lewra because
leyistin leyiz-, lz- v.t. to play, play (a
part); to play around (bi with): w bi
nivsn min dileyist he used to play
around with my writings
leyiztin (dial. var.) = leyistin
leylan f mirage
Leypiig f Leipzig
lez m haste; ~ kirin v.t. to make haste;
bi ~ in haste, hastily; bi ~ bez in all
haste, as fast as possible
lezandin lezn- v.t. to hasten, to accel-
erate
lezet f pleasure
l
1
but; ~bel on the other hand
l
2
= li + w/w
l bn bi to be aficted with
l-dan l-d- v.t. to strike, play (instru-
ment); cut off: bila mr ser min l-
bidit let the prince cut my head off
l-gern v.t. collect
lh: di lh de ccmp. for, in support
of
lkoln f research; ~er m researcher
lv f lip, seashore
lvi!kest with a broken lid
l-xistin v.t. to beat, to play (musical
instrument), to ring (telephone)
li prep. in, at, to; also forms the rst ele-
ment of a number of compound prep-
ositions; see the second element
lib m copy (of a book), ake (of snow),
drop (tear); unit, single item
liberxwe free, unhindered
Libnan f Lebanon
lihf f quilt
lihstin (dial. var.) = lstin
likumn v.i. to trip
ling m foot, leg; li ser ~an standing, on
foot
lipa!may backward; ~n f backwardness
liq f branch
liqandin v.t. to hang; xwe ~ to hang
(int.)
liser vebn v.t. to diagnose
liv f motion, movement; ~ l dan, ~ l
xistin v.t. to put in motion
livandin livn- v.t. to move, put in mo-
tion: destikn ke!tiy z dilivandin he
was moving the oars of the boat
quickly
liviyan = livn
1
livn
1
v.i. to move, be in motion, stir
livn
2
m bed, bedding
livok unstable
lixwekirin f manner of dress
llandin v.t. to ululate
ls f high school; ~ xwendin to attend
high school
lstik f game, play, sport
lstin lz- v.i. to play
lz- ! lstin
lojman f lodging
loma for that reason, therefore
luht naked, bare
luks deluxe
lle f pipe, barrel (of a rie)
lrn v.i. to bay
lsn v.i. to perch
ma interrogative particle: with afrma-
KURMANJI KURDISH
224
tive questions a negative answer is
expected: ma rast e? thats not right,
is it?; with negative questions an af-
rmative answer is expected: ma ne
rast e? isnt that right?; with other
interrogatives ma gives the sense of
ever: ma tu y i bik bi kr? What
ever are you going to do with a knife?
ma kirin v.t. to kiss
Maden f Maden, also known as Paxir-
maden, city northwest of Diyarbekir
maf m share, portion; right; ~nas appre-
ciative
makne f machine, car
mal
1
f house, home: mala min mala te
my house is your house; ~bat f fam-
ily; ~mezin belonging to a great fami-
ly; ~xw paterfamilias
mal
2
m goods, possessions, wealth: ~
ticaret commercial goods
mal- ! mali!tin, mi!tin
malava (vocative particle) hey!, see
here!
mali!tin mal- v.t. to rub, rub out
maliye f tax ofce
malmat (pl) information
mam m paternal uncle
mamostat/et f pedagogy; ~at/et
kirin v.t. to teach: w mamostetiya
ziman ereb dikir he used to teach
the Arabic language
mamostay kirin v.t. to teach: w
mamostayiya rew!enbr ya gelek
rew!enbrn kurd kir he taught many
Kurdish intellectuals how to be intel-
lectuals
mamoste m teacher;
man mn- v.i. to remain, stay, dwell;
ne~ to cease to exist, to be no more:
nema xweya kir he never appeared
again; hindik ~ (+ subj.) to be about
to, to be on the verge of: hindik dima
fener bitemire the lamp was on the
verge of going out
mand exhausted; ~bn f exhaustion
mane (const mana) f meaning; ~w
moral, spiritual
mange f cow
man constraint, obstacle
mantiq m logic
maql reasonable; ~ dtin to consider
reasonable: w p!niyaza min maql
dt he considered my proposal reason-
able
mar m (obl mr) snake
mar kirin v.t. to marry (li to)
mar! f march, anthem
mase f (obl mas) table
mast m yogurt
ma!ellah goodness! (said to ward off
the evil eye when something is ad-
mired or praised)
mat silent
matmayn f astonishment
may(n) other
mazlm tyrannized; ~iyet f tyranniza-
tion
mazot f kerosene
me ! em
me- alternative negative subjunctive
and imperative prex = ne-
mebest f intent
mebin (archaic negative 3rd pl subjunc-
tive of bn) they may not be: gelek
mebin j even though they may not be
many
mecal f opportunity: ta niha mecal tune
b until now there has been no oppor-
tunity; ~ birrn v.t. to take an oppor-
tunity away
mecbr obliged; ~ kirin v.t. to oblige,
force
meclis parliament
medeniyet f civilization
medin civil
medrese f religious school
mefhm f concept
meh f month
225
Mehabad f Mahabad
mehkeme f court
mehkm condemned; ~ kirin v.t. to
condemn
mehll dissolved; ~ bn to be dissolved
mehr f marriage contract; ~ birn to
conclude a marriage contract
mehrm ji deprived of
meh kirin v.t. to wipe out
mej m marrow
mejl occupied; ~ bn li ser v.i. to be
occupied, busy with
mekan stance, position
mekteb f school
mela m (obl. mel) mulla
mele (dial. var.) = mela
melevan m swimmer; ~ f swimming
melkemot the angel of death
memr government ofcial
mencel a copper pot
mendik an herb
meqale f article
merasm f ceremony
merbend f bond, fetter
mereqdar f interest, inquisitiveness,
curiosity
mereq kirin v.t. to wonder
merg f death
merhele f stage: di merhela ewel de in
the rst stage
meriv m person, one (impersonal): gava
meriv li cihek dimne when one stays
in a place
merd m disciple, devotee
merkez f center; ~ central: hukmeta
merkez central government
mesaj f message
mesel f example; ~en for example
mesele f matter
mestir larger, bigger
mesliyet f responsibility
me! f walking: me!a xwe domand he
continued walking; ~andin v.t. to put
into practice; ~iyan/-n v.i. to walk
metleb ???
mewld f a poem celebrating the birth
of the Prophet Muhammad, tradition-
ally recited on festive occasions
mexsed f intent, intention
meydan f eld; ann ~ v.t. to bring to
the fore
meyeldar, meyildar = meyldar
meyn v.i. to remain
meyl f inclination; ~dar predisposed (ji
re to); ~dar f bias, predisposition
mezel
1
m grave, tomb
mezel
2
f room
mezheb m sect
mezin big, large, great; ~ bn v.i. to
grow up; ~ kirin v.t. to raise, bring
up; ~ah f greatness; bi ~bna as
vast as
m f female
mj long ago; ji ~ ve from long ago
mj f brain, mind
mjn v.i. to suck, suckle
mjvemay remnant, relic
mr
1
m man, husband; ~an f manliness;
~ik m fellow, guy; ~xas m gentleman
mr
2
! mar
mrg f meadow
mrxas brave
m! f bee; ~a hingiv honeybee
mtro f metro, subway
mvan m/f guest; ~dar f visit; ~per-
wer f hospitality; ~xane f reception
room
mze kirin li v.t. to look at, see
mi shut, closed; ~ kirin v.t. to shut,
cover
mideh m period of time
midr m director, principal
mih ???
mihrican f celebration, festival
mij m mist
mijn (dial. var.) = mjn
mijl bi ve occupied, involved with;
~ f occupation, activity
KURMANJI KURDISH
226
mikan = mekan
mil m neck, shoulder; support, aid; side,
direction; bi ~ yek girtin v.t. to
come to s.o.s aid, to lessen s.o.s bur-
den; ji ~ din on the other hand
milet m nation; ~perwer nationalistic
mil national
min ! ez
mindal m child
minet f obligation; b ~ generous
minnet = minet
miqam m musical mode
miraz ??? wish
mircan coral, coral bead
mirin mir-/mr- (dimire, dimre) v.i. to
die
miriyan = mirin
mir dead
mird m devotee
mir!k f chicken
mirov m man; f woman; m/f person;
~at f humanity, humaneness, chival-
ry
mirward m/f ??? pearl
misilman Moslem
Misir f Egypt; misr Egyptian
mi!t ji full of, lled to the brim with
mi!tin mal- v.t. to sweep
mit man v.i. not to make a sound
mit mat utterly silent
mizgn m good news; ~ f present given
to a person bearing good news
m f sheep
mh = m
mn- ! man
mna (prep.) like; ~ ku (conj.) as, while
mnak equal, similar; m example: weke
mnak for example; ~ f similarity
mr m prince; f princess; ~ek princeling
mohr f seal, stamp; ~ xistin v.t. to seal,
put a stamp on
mor = mohr
more cracked (as a mud wall)
moz(e) ying insect
mr- ! mirin.
mudet m period
mudr m school principal
muesese f institution
muhlet f grace period, respite
munaqe!e f debate; ~ kirin v.t. to de-
bate
munasebet f occasion; bi ~a on the oc-
casion of
muxtar m village chief, elder
muzk f music
m m hair, strand of hair; iota: ne m-
wek not an iota
mr f ant
na- (negative prex for present indic-
ative verbs) not
naln v.i. to wail, cry out
name f letter
nams f honor; womenfolk
nan m bread; ~pj f bakery
nar m pomegranate
narn delicate
nas acquainted, known, familiar; ~ kirin
v.t. to know, be acquainted with, rec-
ognize; ~andin v.t. to introduce,
make known; dan naskirin v.t. to in-
troduce
nasiyar familiar
nasnav m identity
nav
1
f middle; di ~a de in the midst
of; li ~ hev de girtin to surround; ~n
middle (adj.), central: Rojhilata Navn
the Middle East
nav
2
m name; ~ kirin v.t. to name;
~andin v.t. to name; ~dar famous, re-
nowned; ~no notorious; ~not f noto-
riety
navbera prep. between, among
naverok f contents
navik f waist
navnetewey international
navn!an f address
227
navteng f girth
naxr no
naxir f herd
naxwe this being so
naylon f plastic: trikn ~ plastic bags
naynik = neynik
nazik ne, delicate
ne not; ~ ~ neither nor; ~ l not
but; ne- (negative prex for sub-
junctive, imperative, and past-tense
verbs) not
nebeled uninformed, unknowing
near helpless; ~ man to have no alter-
native; ~ f helplessness; ji ~ with no
alternative
nedar f poverty
ned ve, ji suddenly
nefel f clover
nefes dan v.t. to huff and puff; to be out
of breath
nefret f hatred; ~ kirin ji v.t. to hate,
abhor
nefs f self; ~a xwe karn to control one-
self; ~pik humble; ~pik, ~pi-
kah f humility
neft f oil
neh nine
neheq f injustice
nehy prohibition
nejihevdurebyn f indivisibility and
inseparability
nema notagain
nemaze especially
nemir undying, immortal: dibe xwediy
navek nemir he possesses an immor-
tal name
nemirovane unmanly, cowardly
nenas unacquainted, unfamiliar, un-
known; ~ unacquainted with
nepixandin nepixn- v.t. to blow up, in-
ate
nepixn v.i. to swell
neqandin v.t. to select, choose
neraz discontent; ~bn f discontent-
ment
nerind evil
nerm soft, gentle, ne; ~ah f softness,
gentleness; ~ik softly, gently
nesir f prose
ne!n unhappy
netewe f nation; ~yn Yekby the
United Nations; ~y national; ~yt f
nationalism
nev m/f grandchild, offspring
Nevroz f Persian New Years day
newal f valley
nex! miracle; ~n miraculous
nex!e f map
nexwe otherwise
nexwe! sick, ill; unpleasant; ~ f sick-
ness, disease; ~xane f hospital
nexuyay invisible
neyar m enemy, opponent, foe
neyn f destitution
neynik f mirror
neynok f ngernail, toenail
neynk = neynok
nezan f ignorance
nirvan m hunter
nr f game, prey; n ~ v.i. to go
after game
nrvan m hunter
nrevan m scout
nrn v.i. to look; f view, speculation
n!an f target, mark; ~ kirin v.t. to take
aim at, to focus on
nv (dial. var.) = nv
nv (dial. var.) = nv
nzk near; ~ah f proximity; ~ near to,
nearly
nzkat kirin bi v.t. to approach
nirn f malediction, curse
nif! m generation
nifs f identity card
nig m foot; ~n xwe zdey xwe avtin
to overstep ones bounds
nigardar beautiful
niha now; ber ~ before now, ago
KURMANJI KURDISH
228
nihe = niha
nihran expectant, apprehensive
nihrn li v.i. to look at, to notice; to
look upon, regard (wek as)
nihrtin (dial. var.) = nihrn
niho (dial. var.) = niha
nijad m race; ~perest racist
nijde f brigandage
nik f side, direction; toward, to; prep.
next to, with, to, for
nikil m beak
nikilandin nikiln- v.t. to peck
nimj f prayer; ~ kirin v.t. to pray
nimne f example: ji bo nimne as an
example, for example; ~nde f exam-
ple
niqutandin v.t. to drip
niqutn v.i. to drip
nisbet bi relative to
nisxe = nusxe
ni!an = n!an
ni!k: ji ~ (~a) ve suddenly
ni!tin n-/ni!- v.i. to sit
nitilandin v.t. to draw, to mark
nivistin -niv- v.i. to sleep
niviz ???
nivn
1
m (usually pl) bed; ~ nexwe!iy
sick bed; destek ~ a set of sheets and
bedding material
nivn
2
-niv- v.i. to lie down, sleep
nivsandin v.t. to write
nivsar f writing, text
nivsevan m writer
nivsn v.t. to write
nivskar m/f writer; ~ kirin to write,
engage in writing
nivsk written
niv! = nif!
nivz half
niwal f small valley
niyet f intention
nixabtin = nuxumandin
nixamtin = nuxumandin
nixumandin = nuxumandin
nizar m mountain side (where the sun
never shines)
nizim low
njad = nijad
nn none, nothing
nsan f April
n!an f sign, mark, military decoration;
~ dan v.t. to show; ~ kirin v.t. to indi-
cate
nv half; ~ saet half an hour; ~c half
done; ~ !ev midnight; ~roj f noon;
~sedsal f midpoint of a century
nvek f half
nveruh half-dead
nvi!kest cracked
nv f middle, midpoint, half
nzing (dial. var.) = nzk
nod ninety
nojdar f panacea
nok f chickpea; ~a taht pebble
nola (prep.) like: nola hev like each
other
noqim bn v.i. ???
not = nod
nozdeh nineteen
nu new; ji ~ ve all over again
nuby new-born
nudem modern
nuh = nu
nuha (dial. var.) = niha
nuhat new, newly come about: niv!
nu the new generation
nuht f newness, novelty
nujen newly invented, new-fangled,
modern
nuka (dial. var.) = nuha
nusxe f copy
nuvejn f renaissance
nuxumandin v.t. to cover, veil
nuxumn v.i. to be covered, veiled
nuyt f novelty
nuzewic newly-wed
n = nu
nh = nu
229
njen = nujen
nner representative
NY = Neteweyn Yekby the United
Nations
oda, ode f (obl od) room
okyans f ocean
ol f religion; ~dar religious; ~ religious;
~perwer religious
ord f army: Ordiya Sor the Red Army
ordu = ord
orre or f roar
orte f middle
Osman Ottoman
otorte f authority
pag stable
pak pure, clean; ~hilann ji v.t. to get
rid of
pakt package
pal
1
f mountainside
pal
2
dan v.t. to push
palas ???
pale m worker
pan wide, broad
panat f expanse, breadth
pansiman kirin v.t. to bandage
papor f stove
paqij pure, clean; ~ kirin v.t. to clean;
~ f cleanliness
paqi! (dial. var.) = paqij
par
1
f part, share
par
2
last year
par
3
f back; ji ~ re from behind
pare, pere m piece: du s pern
kaxizn two or three pieces of paper;
~ bn v.i. to be fragmented; ~ kirin
v.t. to fragment
parastin parz- v.t. to protect, guard
Pars f Paris
pars Persian language
part f political party: partiyn kurd yn
siyas Kurdish political parties
parve kirin v.t. to distribute
paseport f passport
pa! m the back; li ~ ser prep. behind;
~ xwe avetin bi v.t. to throw oneself
into s.th.; ~eroj f past, the past; ~ng
later; ~ver backward; ~vert f
backwardness
pa!il f bosom
pa! f end; heta pa!iy until the end
patik f back of the head
paye f high rank, place of honor; ~t f
honor
payz f autumn
pejirandin v.t. to accept
pekiyan = pekn
pekn pek- v.i. to splash, splatter, rise
up suddenly
pekok: strka pekok shooting star
pel m leaf, page
pelikan stairs, stairway
pelk leaf
pembo m cotton
pena f refuge, asylum; ~ber m/f refugee;
~ber f refugee status
pencere f window
peng ???
pengizandin pengizn- v.t. to make
jump, spurt
pengizn v.i. to spray, spurt
penr m (obl. penr) cheese
per
1
m side
per
2
m feather
per
3
f piece
peran heavy: cezay peran heavy penal-
ty
pere = pare
pern rivet; bi hev ~ kirin to rivet
together, to patch together
perde f (const. perda) curtain
perd f ceiling beam
pere m money
pergal m compass; bi ~ derketin to be
encompassed
perg (+ construct) hatin v.i. to come
across, nd; n ~ to go to nd
KURMANJI KURDISH
230
perpitn v.i. to utter: dil min diperpite
I get sick at my stomach
perwaz f ight
perwerd f education
pesin m praise; ~andin v.t. to praise, to
approve of; wesf pesn dan to
praise and extol
pesn m trace
petrol f petrolium
pevgirdan f connection
pex!an f prose; ~nivskar m prose-
writer
pey: li ~ (prep.) behind, after; di ~ de
(prep.) after
peya m man
peya bn v.i. to get out, off, down (from
vehicle)
peyda bn v.i. to be found: min zanb
w saet ava germ peyda nabe I knew
there was no warm water to be found
at that time; ~ kirin v.t. to nd
peyitandin v.t. to prove
peyivn v.i. to talk, speak: ez zde p re
nepeyivm I didnt speak to him long
pey hev one after the other
peyman f pact, agreement; ~ girdan
ligel to conclude a pact with
peyv f conversation, talk, words: me
peyv dagerand ser huner edebiyat
we turned the conversation to art and
literature; ~ik f expression
peywend f relation: peywendiyn nav-
netewey international relations
pez f sheep
pezkv (dial. var.) = pezkv
pezkv mountain sheep
p
1
= bi + w/w
p
2
m foot
pandin pn- v.t. to wrap, roll
pn p- v.t. to roll, wrap;
pjin f feeling
pjn pj- v.i. to be cooked; v.t. to light
(cigarette)
pk together; ~-ann v.t. to get together,
collect, arrange; ~-hatin v.i. to come
about, come to be; ~-hatin ji v.i. to
consist of
p-ketin v.i. to catch (re)
pkol kirin v.t. to stick together (snow)
pkva together
p-xistin v.t. to light (re), to switch on
pl f wave; ~ bn v.i. to spread out
plpl wavy, undulating
pnc ve; ~ih, ~ fty
pra along with him (see p)
prg ! perg
psr f collar; windpipe; forefront; area
just below the summit of a mountain
p! forward: mirov bi p! de bie one
will go forward; ~-ketin to advance;
bi ~ derketin to come out to the fore;
~eroj f the future; ~de xistin to pro-
mote; ~ket advanced
p!ayk f forefront
p!ber m guide, leader; ketin ~ to be
faced with; ~ in the lead, leadership,
(prep.) in front of; ~ derketin to
lead, go out ahead of
p!dexistin f promotion, advancement
p!eng m leader, vanguard
p!ep!a, li prep. out in front of
p!eroj f future
p!evan m leader
p!gotin f foreword
p!iya prep. before, in front of
p! adj. rst: cara p! the rst time, di
du-s saln p! de during the rst
two or three years; f advance: ~ya
girtin v.t. to prevent
p!k avant-garde, forerunner
p!n rst
p!ke! f present, gift, tribute; ~ kirin v.t.
to offer (as a gift), to present
p!merge m guerrilla
p!niyaz f proposal, suggestion
p!veketin f advancement, progress
pt f ame
ptgiran lazy, indolent
231
pwend bi f connection to
pwst necessary; ~ f necessity, require-
ment
pxember m prophet
p-xistin -x- v.t. to light, turn on (light)
pxwas barefooted
pi small, little; ~ek a little bit, for a
moment; a little thing
pife pif f huff and puff
pif kirin v.t. to blow, puff
pin kirin v.t. to hiss
pij scattered
pijandin v.t. to cook
pijn v.i. to be cooked
pijiqandin v.t. to make (blood) gush
pijiqn v.i. to explode, to blow up
piling m tiger
pilot m/f spark ???
pilpil ???
piqpiqok f bubble
pir
1
very, many, much; ~an f most,
majority: piraniya wan most of them;
pirraniya caran most of the time
pir
2
f bridge
pir f body hair
piroze kirin v.t. to tear to shreds
pirs f question; ~ek ji kirin v.t. to ask
a question of s.o.; ~gir skeptic;
~girk f question: pirsgirka kurd
the Kurdish question
pirsan v.t. to ask (a question)
pirtepirt f sputtering ???
pirtik f sheet (glass, paper)
pirtk f paper, sheet of paper
pirtve kirin v.t. to tear to pieces
pisk f cat
pismam m cousin
pispor, pispr m expert; ~ f expertise
pi!aftin v.t. to assimilate
pi!irn to ruminate (?)
pi!t f back, hill; ~a prep. behind, on the
other side of; ~a xwe dan v.t. to turn
ones back; ~ prep. after; ~ ku conj.
after; ~germ supported, protected;
~gir m supporter; ~gir f support; ~re
then, later, afterward; ~xwar
hunched-over
piyale f glass, goblet
piyes f play
pizot m torch: avn w wek du pizotn
gir bn his eyes were like two ery
torches
pjame m pyjamas
pn f kick; ~-avtin v.t. to kick
pne ???
ppoq f glass
pr old; m/f old man, old woman; ~ik f
grandmother
prat f old age
prhepok m monster ???
proz sacred, holy; ~ kirin v.t. to cele-
brate; to congratulate: ew w roja han
mna karnevalek proz dikin they
celebrate that day like a carneval;
~bah f congratulations; ~wer holy
ps bad, dirty; ~ik nasty, awful; ~it f
obscenity
psr (dial. var.) = psr
pvan f measurement, criterion; ~din
pvn- v.t. to measure
PKK = Partiya Karkern Kurdistan
Kurdish Workers Party
plan f plan; ~ker m planner; ~ -
kirin to make a plan
pola m steel
poltka f politics; policy
ponijn v.i. to be engrossed in thought
por m hair (on the head); ~re! black-
haired; ~zer blonde
po!man regretful; ~ bn li to regret
s.th./doing s.th.
poxsde sad
poz m nose, snout
prensp m principle
proje f project
protesto kirin v.t. to protest, go on
strike, boycott
PTT = Post Telefon Telexraf Post, Tel-
KURMANJI KURDISH
232
ephone, and Telegraph
p useless, unuseable
pk f snowstorm, blizzard
prt f hair, fur, pelt; ~ per feathery
coat
ptperest idolator; ~ f idolatry
PZ = pi!t zayn anno domini (AD)
qaax m smuggler
qad f eld, place; ~a !er eld of battle
qaf f head
qahf m cave, cavern
qail bn to accept (bi)
qal f statement; ~ kirin v.t. to state; ~
ceng f ght
qalikday frostbitten ???
qalik m shell, husk
qalind thick, fat
qam f stature, height; measurement for
the height of the sun in the sky
qam m whip
qami! reed
qanser f cancer
qann f law
qarn v.i. to cry bitterly
qasid m messenger, envoy
qas ku as much as
qatil m murderer
qayi!, qay! f strap, thong, belt; rivalry,
competition; bi re ketin ~ to
compete against: te digot qey ew bi
min re ketib qay! youd think he
was in competition with me
qaymeqam m provincial governor
qaz m goose
qazax f butane
qe no, none, at all: ez qe naxwnim I
dont read at all
qebl kirin v.t. to accept; wek hatin
qeblkirin to be accepted as
qedandin v.t. to nish, to complete
qedeh f cup, goblet
qeder
1
m amount; ~ for the length
of
qeder
2
f fate, destiny
qedexe f prohibition; (adj) prohibited; ~
kirin to prohibit, to ban
qedir m worth; qedr zann to ap-
preciate; qedr xwe girtin to esteem
oneself; ~gir appreciative, estimable
qediyan v.i. to end, be nished
qelandin v.t. to tire
qeln v.i. to get tired
Qefqasya f the Caucasus
qefsing f breastbone
qehbik f harlot
qehbt = qehpet
qehern (dial. var.) = qehirn
qehir f wrath, rage;
qehirn v.i. to get angry (ji at)
qehpe f prostitute; ~t f prostitution
qehwe f coffee
qela! split open, wounded
qela!tin -qel!- v.t. to split, split open;
qela!tina cerah surgical incision
qelaw fat
qelem f pen
qelemrew m realm
qelew (dial. var.) = qelaw
qel!- ! qela!tin
qeli!andin qeli!n- v.t. to split, cleave
qeli!n v.i. to be split
qelizandin v.t. to make disappear; xwe
~ to slip away
qel!t f crack
qels weak: kultura devk ya Kurd xurt e
l kultura nivsk qels e Kurdish oral
culture is strong, but the written cul-
ture is weak; ~ f weakness
qel! = qel!t
qel!qel! cracked
qenc good, pretty, nice; ~ beauty, chari-
table act, good deed
qerar decision
qerax f edge, shore
qerim wrinkled
qerebalix f crowd, confusion; ~ kirin
v.t. to act up, to ail around
233
qereqol m police station
qerisn v.i. to freeze solid
qermi f wrinkle; ~ wrinkled
qerpee kirin v.t. to hold tightly in
ones embrace
qesir f palace
qest f intention, purpose; ~a kirin
v.t. to head toward
qe!a f ice
qet (+ neg.) never, not at all
qetan v.i. to be nished; be cut
qetandin qetn- v.t. to nish; break, cut:
kurdn li dervey welt ev zincra
kirt qetandine Kurds outside the
country have broken this shameful
chain; ji hev ~ to part from one
another
qeter m scales, balance; ~ kirin v.t. to
spy (something in the distance)
qetiyan = qetan
qewimn v.i. to happen
qewirandin v.t. to drive away
qewn strong
qewl f promise; ji ~n xwe veki!iyan to
reneg on ones promises, go back on
ones word
qey hey; why?; te digot qey youd
think, it was as though
qeyd f bond, fetter
qeyde f rule
qeytank! kirin v.t. ???
qeza
1
f district
qeza
2
f accident; fate; ~ bela misfor-
tune, calamity
qezenc f prot, earnings, advantage: bi
qezenca to the advantage of ; ~
kirin v.t. to earn, gain, win
qrn v.i. to scream
qijak raven
qijik f crow
qilr(n) lthy
qir kirin v.t. to eliminate, exterminate
qiral m king
qirax (dial. var.) = qerax
qireqir creak, splintering sound
qirdik m clown
qirik
1
f crow
qirik
2
f throat; ~tal f bitter aftertaste
qir! f stem, branch; ~ik f twig
qise f conversation, talk
qismet m fate
qiyamet f resurrection; roja ~ dooms-
day
qizwan terebinth, a small tree
qjeqj f loud cry, scream
qjiyan v.i. to scream
ql m fang, canine tooth; ber ~an dan to
sink the fangs into
qm f contentment, satisfaction; ~a xwe
ann bi to consent to
qmet f worth, value
qr f cry, shout; ~ kirin v.t. to shout;
~ewr f cry, shout; ~n v.i. to cry out,
screech
qrn v.i. to scream, screech
qz f daughter
qo m horn (of an animal)
qonax f inn; a one-days distance on a
journey
qontrol f check
qufuln v.i. to feel very cold
qul f hole, opening: qula rviyan fox
hole; ~ kirin to pierce
qulibn v.i. to fall down, collapse,
scramble down
quling crane
qulo m league (measure of distance)
quloz bn v.i. to rise up
qulqul full of holes
qulubn = qulibn
qumandan m commandant
qunc f corner; xistine ~ek as to corner
quncik f little bit
quntar f foot of a mountain
quran f the Koran
qurane f hinge
qurban f sacrice, victim; qurbana
armanca xwe a martyr to ones cause
KURMANJI KURDISH
234
qurm m tree stump: mna qurm dara
mir like a dead tree stump
qut cut, cut off; ~ bn v.i. to get cut off
qut f box
quwet power; bi ~ powerful
q f cliff, height, summit
qn f back; ~a iy mountain skirt; li
ser ~ xistin to topple
qntar = quntar
qutk f small box
ra = re
ra-bn v.i. to rise, arise, get up; to
abandon, give up (li s.th.)
ra-girtin v.t. to pick up; xwe ~ to recov-
er
rahet f ease, comfort
ra-hi!tin v.t. to put down
ra-ketin v.i. to sleep
ra-kirin v.t. to take away, pick up; to
wake up (trs.); to cancel, abolish; ji
nav ~ to eliminate
raman f stance
ra-man -mn- v.i. to stand, stay, remain
standing; to be perplexed
ra-medandin v.t. to lay down
ra-msan -ms- v.t. to kiss
ran m thigh
ra-pelikn v.i. to crawl, creep
ra-pvan v.t. to pick up; gav ~ to tread
rapor f report
raser superior
rast right, correct; ~ hatin li to come
across; ~ kirin v.t. to correct; bi ~
really; ~e prep. straight toward;
~erast really and truly; ~er correct;
~nivsn f orthography
rav f hunting
ra-westan v.i. to stand up, stop, stand
still; li ser ~ to dwell on, stand up
against
ra-westandin v.t. to make stop
ra-westiyan = ra-westan
rawir wild animal
ra-xistin v.t. to spread
ray f opinion
ra-zan -z- v.i. to lie down, sleep
razdar mysterious
raz contented (li with)
re postposition forms the second part of
a number of circumpositions, general-
ly indicating accompaniment; see the
prepositional element
ref m row; ock (of birds)
reh f way, road; artery, vein; root; ~
penc roots
rehet easy, comfortable, quiet; ~ f
comfort, ease
rehm f mercy; ~ kirin li to have mercy
on; ~et the late
rehmet f Gods mercy; n ~ to pass
away
res m head, chief; ~ cumhr presi-
dent of the republic
rencber f hardship, trouble
reng m color; bi ~ colored, multi-
colored; bi i ~ how?; ~e~ of all
colors; ~dr f description, quality, ad-
jective; ~n varied, colorful
ren f avalanche
req
1
m turtle
req
2
stiff; ~ rt stiff as a board
reqem f number
reqisn v.i. to dance
resim m picture
resm ofcial
re! black; ~ girdan v.t. to go into
mourning; ~ kirin v.t. to blacken
re! re!at f anything black or blackish
in color
re!at f blackness, darkness
rev f ight, retreat
revan rev- v.i. to run away
revandin v.t. to let escape, to take away
revde m herd, pack; ~ girtin v.t. to form
a pack
revn = revan
rewneq brightness, brilliance
235
rewrewik f mirage
rew! f style, manner
rew!enbr intellectual
rex m side, edge, shore; (prep.) next to,
beside
rexne f criticism; ~ girtin li v.t. to criti-
cise; ~gir m critic
rext m cartridge belt
reyan v.i. to bark
rez m vineyard, orchard
r f (const. riya) road, way: bi w riy
in that way; bi riya via; ~ girtin v.t.
to block the road, stop, prevent: k r
li ber wan girtiye? whos stopped
them?; (bi) ~ ketin to set off, start
out; ~ kirin to dispatch, send; bi ~
kirin to see off
rbendan f February
rber m leader; ~ f leadership; ~ kirin
to lead
rbwar m wayfarer
re f trace, track; ~ hildan v.t. to pick
up a trail
rj kirin v.t. to wash
rk-xistin v.t. to arrange, put in order
rkxistin f coalition
rl f forest, wood
rncber kirin v.t. to struggle, suffer
hardship
rven f gait, walk
rvebir = birvebir
rv m fox
rvng m traveler
rwit f journey
rw m/f traveler; ~t f journey, trip
rz f line; ~ bn v.i. to line up; ~kirin
v.t. to line up, arrange
rz-girtin ji v.t. to respect, have respect
for
rzik f law, rule
rziman f system, arrangement, gram-
mar
ricaf f shaking, trembling
ricifn v.i. to tremble
rih f beard
rihet (dial. var.) = rehet
rihm (dial. var.) = rehm
rijandin rijn- v.t. to pour out
rijiyan v.i. to ow, to spill
rij f scorched part at the bottom of a pot
rik stubbornness, relentlessness, ner-
vousness
rikrikn v.i. to chatter (of the teeth)
rind good, beautiful; well: ew bi ziman
ngilz rind dizanib he knew Eng-
lish well
risk = rizq
riv (dial. var.) = rv
rivn f ame
riy ! r
rizan v.i. to rot
rizandin v.t. to let rot
rizgar saved, rescued; ~ bn v.i. to
escape, be rescued; ~ kirin v.t. to
save, rescue; ~kir saved, liberated
riz rotten
rizn di de v.t. to be thrown into
rizq m sustenance
r! f beard
rtm m rhythm
ro f sun: di bin ro(ye)ka havn de under
a hot summer sun
roava m west, dusk; ~y western
rohilat m dawn, east
rohn bright
roj f day; ew ~ ev ~ e from that day to
this: ew roj ev roj e malbata min li v
bajar rdin my family has lived in
this city from that day to this; ~ane
daily; ~ava west; ~hilat f east: Roj-
hilata Navn the Middle East; ~name
f newspaper; ~nameger f journalism
rokrol f role
rom m the Ottoman Empire; Ottoman,
Turk
roman f novel; ~nivs novelist
ronah f light, brightness; bi ~y der-
ketin to come to light
KURMANJI KURDISH
236
ronakbr intellectual
ronay = ronah
rondik f tear
ronesans f renaissance
ruh m spirit, soul; ~iyet f morale, spirit
ruhn f brightness; ruhniya avan light
of the eyes, favorite
rutbe m rank
ruv (dial. var.) = rv
r m (const riy, rw) face
rbar m river
rh!rn convivial, amusing, light-
hearted
rj (dial. var.) = roj; ~k = rojek one
day, some day
rken f smile, smiling
rmet f honor, respect
rn m oil
rni!tevan m inhabitant
r-ni!tin -n- v.i. to sit, dwell (the
present tense is used only for habitual
action; the pres. perf. tense rni!tiye
means s/he is sitting, and the past.
perf. tense rni!tib means s/he was
sitting); odeya rni!tin sitting
room
rpel f page, sheet
rs Russian; ~ Russian (language)
rt naked, bare
rxan v.i. to collapse
rxandin v.t. to destroy
sa f (const. siya) shadow; ser siya
ketin v.i. to get anywhere near
saet f hour
sal f year; ~mezin aged
salon f reception room
san ! se
sar cold
satil f bucket
saw terror, fear
sawar f bulghur wheat, cracked wheat
sax healthy, well, whole
saxik honest
say bn v.i. to clear up (weather)
saz kirin v.t. to establish
se m (obl. pl san) dog
sebeb m reason
sebir f patience; ~ neman to be impa-
tient: d sebra min nemaye now Ive
lost my patience
sed hundred; ~sal f century; ~sal f cen-
tennary; ji ~ per cent; bo ~ per cent
seda m/f sound ???
sedem f reason, cause
seff f classroom
seg m dog
seh f intuition, feeling; ~ kirin v.t. to
understand intuitively
sehol f ice
Seirt f Siirt; ~ native of Siirt
sekinan/-n v.i. to settle down, to be
quiet, to dwell; to tarry; to light
(gaze) (li ser upon): ez dixwazim li
ser pirsek bisekinim I want to dwell
on a question
selik f basket
semax f endurance; ~ kirin v.t. to bear,
to endure
Sen m the River Seine
seqem f dry cold
seqer f Saqar, a poison that drips from a
tree in hell
ser m head; (prep.) to, toward, on, over;
bi ~ ketin v.i. to get ahead, succeed;
n ser v.i. to attack; ~ xwe bi re
!andin v.t. to trouble oneself with,
bother with: ser xwe bi kultura kurd
re na!nin they dont bother with
Kurdish culture; ~ bin m the ins
and outs, everything: ser bin v
gund ez bikanibim ji v premr
hn bibim I could learn all there is to
know about this village from this old
man; b ~ bin endless
seranser: li ~ (prep.) all over: li seran-
ser dinyay all over the world
serbajar m capital
237
serberday stray, wandering
serbest free; ~ f freedom
serbilind bi proud of; ~ah/~ f pride
serbixwe free; ~bn f liberation
serdar m leader; ~ f leadership, com-
mand
serdest m overlord; ~ f mastery, rule; ~
kirin v.t. to rule: yn ku ro serdestiya
kurdan dikin those who rule over the
Kurds today
sereke main
serencam f end, outcome
ser! f headache
serraz f distinction
sergerdan perplexed
sergevez pride
sergiran important
sergn m dung
sergovend f dance line; bi ser ~ gir-
tin to lead a dance line
serhed f frontier, border
ser m head; ear (of grain); ~ birdin to
complete; ~ hil-dan to rebel; ~ xistin
li to visit; to apply to; n ser to
come to fruition
serhildan f uprising
serjorek serjrek ups and downs
serkar f direction, leadership
serketin f success
serma f cold, coldness
sermawj Libra
sermyan m capital
sernivs f fate
sernuxumand veiled
serok m leader; ~at f leadership; ~cum-
hr m president; ~e!r m chieftain;
~wezr m prime minister
serphat f adventure
serqot bare-headed
serraf m jeweler
sersal f new years day
serser careless
ser-!u!tin v.t. to take a bath
sertj towering
serve bn v.i. to be attached
serwer m leader
serwext informed, knowledgeable
sew f level: rojnameyn me yn roja
royn negih!tine sewiya wan our
newspapers of today have not reached
their level
sewsen lily
seyda m savant
seyr f view; adj strange
seyran f outing; ~ -kirin v.t. to ar-
range an outing; ~geh f park, prome-
nade, place for an outing
s
1
three
s
2
f (constr. siya) shadow; di bin siya
de under the aegis of
sp f tripod
sw m orphan
swlek m sole (of a shoe)
sibat f February
sibeh f morn, dawn: sibeh heta var
from morning till night; ~ tomorrow;
v ~ this morning
sibetir f the next morning; ~a w !ev
the morning after that night
sib = sibeh
sih
1
angry, irritated; ~it f irritation
sih
2
= s
2
sij f puss, lth; ~n v.i. to ooze
sik sar very sad (heart) ???
silav f greeting
silawat (pl) benedictions; ~an k!andin
v.t. to give benedictions
simbl m mustache
simsimn v.i. to leave tracks, to make a
trail
sincir aming, burning
sindoq f box, trunk
sing f breast
sinif f class, grade
sipartin sipr- = spartin
sip = sp
sipndar f poplar
sipta f whiteness
KURMANJI KURDISH
238
sir f cold wind; ~ seqem, ~ serma f
biting cold weather
sirf only, purely
sirgn f exile; ~ bn to be exiled
siru!t f nature
sis three
sist weak; ~ kirin v.t. to weaken, make
weak
sitar f protection
sitrk = strk
sitir m thorn
sitran = stran
siwar mounted, on horseback
siya ! sa
siyaset f politics; ~van m politician
siyas political
sivik light, not heavy
s
1
thirty
s
2
f shadow; ~ dan to cast a shadow
sleh (pl) arms, armament: slehn sivik
light arms
sng f breast
snor m border, boundary
sstem m system
stil f (dial. var.) = satil
Swas f Sivas
swaxnekir unpenetrated
sobe f heating stove; ~ vxistin to light
a stove
sof Su, respectful term of address for
an old man; ~t f Susm, mysticism
sohbet f conversation, talk
sol f shoe; ~ker m shoemaker
sond f oath; ~ xwarin to swear an oath
sor red; threshed (wheat); ~ah f redness
sorav red grape; ~(n) dark red
sorgul rose
sosin f iris
sosret unusualness; bi ~ unusual
soz dan v.t. to promise
sparin spr- v.t. to entrust
spartin = sparin
spas thank you; ~ kirin v.t. to thank;
~dar f gratitude
speh good-looking, pretty, attractive
spda, spde f dawn
spr- ! sparin
sp white; ~t f whiteness
standin (dial. var.) = stendin
stasyon f railway station
stelih ordinary, common
stemkar f oppression
Stenbol f Istanbul
stendin stn- v.t. to take, get; bi pa! de
~ to take back
steyr = str
str f star; ~k f star; ~nas m astronomer;
~nas f astronomy
stiran stir- v.t. to sing
stn- ! stendin
sto = st
stran f song; ~bj singer
st m neck; ~xwar obedient, cowed
stn f column
str thick, stout
sufrik m tablecloth
sur f breeze
suret f speed
surgn = sirgn
suwar on horseback; ~ bn to mount
s m crime, fault
sd m prot; ~ wergirtin ji v.t. to prot
from
sl m waterfall
Sriya f (obl Sriyay, Sriy) Syria
sxte m theological student
Swd f Sweden
!a happy, glad; ~ bn bi v.i. to be happy
with, rejoice over s.th.; ~ kirin v.t. to
gladden: w pirtk dil min !a kirib
that book had gladdened my heart;
~h f gladness, happiness
!a Shaite (school of Islamic jurispru-
dence)
!agirt m pupil, apprentice
!ah m king
!ahd m witness
239
!ahk shining, brilliant
!ar m poet
!al m traditional baggy Kurdish trousers
!all m magpie
!andin !n- v.t. to send
!an kirin, ~ dan v.t. to show
!ano f stage
!ans m chance
!areza competent; ~y f competence, ex-
pertise
!a! wrong; ~ bn v.i. to be wrong: ez ne
!a! bim I wouldnt be wrong; ~ kirin
v.t. to mistake; reya xwe ~ kirin v.t.
to lose ones way; ~ f mistake, fault
!a!fhmkirin f misunderstanding
!a!ik f turban; ~ sp white-turbaned
!ax m branch
!e = !eh
!eh m comb; ~ kirin v.t. to comb
!ehd m martyr
!ehsiwar m expert horseman
!ekal f old shoe
!ekir m sugar
!emitandin v.t. to make slide
!emitn v.i. to slip, to slide
!eng tuft of hair
!ep f blow, slap in the face
!epe f snowdrift
!epn v.i. to sink down (into snow)
!eqe!eq noisy sound, chatter
!equdeq hard knocks
!er m war: !er chan y yekemn
World War I; ~ kirin, ~ dan (dayn)
v.t. to ght war
!eref f honor
!ert f the Sharia, Islamic law
!erm f shame; ~dar modest; ~dar f
modesty; ~ kirin ji v.t. to be ashamed
of: min ji xwe !erm kir I was ashamed
of myself
!erpeze destitute; ~ bn v.i. to be desti-
tute; ~ kirin v.t. to put s.o. in a bad
situation, to best
!ert f condition, qualication
!ervan m warrior
!e! six
!e!t sixty
!ev f night; ~re! f dark night
!ewat f re
!ewitandin v.t. to burn
!ewitn v.i. to burn
!exs person; ~ personal; ~iyet f person-
ality
!ewq f light; ~a elektrk ashlight
!- ! !iyan
!landin !ln- v.t. to exploit
!l turbid, murky
!l (dial. var.) = !l
!n m inhabitant, (pl) people
!rn sweet
!x m sheikh
!idet violence, strength
!ifr m driver
!ir f poetry
!idandin !idn- v.t. to strike (a match)
!ik f doubt; b ~ doubtless(ly)
!ikandin !ikn- v.t. to break
!ikeft f cave
!ikr m rock, mountain crag
!ikestin !ik- v.i. to break, be defeated
!ikir thanks: !ikir ji Xweda re thank
God
!ikil form, symbol
!il damp, wet; ~ kirin v.t. to wet, damp-
en
!ilftaz buck naked
!ip on foot
!iqitn v.i. to slip
!irket f company
!irove f interpretation; ~ kirin v.t. to
interpret
!istin !o- v.t. to wash
!ivan m (obl. !ivn) shepherd
!ivant f shepherding; ~ kirin v.t. to
shepherd, to be a sheep herder
!ivn ! !ivan
!ivir m mountain goat
!ixul m work; ~n v.i. to work, occupy
KURMANJI KURDISH
240
oneself
!iyan !- v.i. to be able
!iyar awake; ~ bn v.i. to wake up; ~
kirin v.t. to wake s.o. up
!n
1
blue, green
!n
2
= !wn
!n- ! !andin
!ndar = !wndar
!r m milk
!ret f advice; ~ kirin li v.t. to advise
!rn sweet, pretty, nice
!t aware, sober
!v f sunset; ~a var nightfall
!kandin !kn- = !ikandin
!kev f cupboard
!o- ! !istin
!op f footprint, trace; ~ ji ser xwe
winda kirin to throw a pursuer off
track; ~gern scout, tracker; ~ hi!tin
v.t. to leave a trace
!or
1
salty, brackish (water); ~ay f salti-
ness
!or
2
talk, words; ~ kirin v.t. to talk, chat
!orbe f soup
!ore! f rebellion, uprising; ~ger m rebel,
revolutionary: !ore!gerek bol!evk a
Bolshevik revolutionary
!orezar f desert, wasteland
!un = !n
!u!tin (dial. var.) = !istin
!uxul m work, occupation; ~ kirin v.t.
to work; ~andin v.t. to put to work;
~n v.i. to work
! spouse
!jin derz bn v.i. to stand on end
(the hair)
!likn v.i. to move stealthily
!m gloomy, inauspicious
!n f place; track, wake: div ew tkeve
!na bav xwe he must follow in his
fathers footsteps; ~a girtin v.t. to
follow in the wake of, take the place
of; ~da after: ji w sal !nda after
this year; nuha ~da henceforth; di ~a
ku (conj.) instead of
!! quick, nimble, sleek; mirina ~ sud-
den death
!!a!! pieces of glass
!!e f glass
!!tin (dial. var.) = !istin
!wn f mourning; ~dar in mourning
ta
1
prep. & conj. until: ta niha up till
now
ta
2
m fever
tab m illumination; ~ ann v.t. to illumi-
nate
tabet f nature
tacir m merchant; ~ f commerce
taht f rock; noka ~ pebble
tal bitter, sharp
talde f shelter
talyan Italian
tam f taste
tamar = temar
tanq f tank (mil.)
taqet endurance
taqb f surveillance: di bin taqba
polsan de under police surveillance;
~ kirin to keep under surveillance
tar f a path through snow
Taran f Tehran
tar dark; ~t f darkness
tarx f history
tas f bowl
ta!t m breakfast
tat m rise, hill
tav
1
f light, sunlight
tav
2
f rainshower
tavik f sunlight
tavil quickly, soon; immediately
taybet special; bi ~ especially
tayek ki!andin ji v.t. to shake
tayn kirin v.t. to determine, assign,
appoint
taz naked; ~ kirin v.t. to strip naked
te ! tu
teb natural
241
Tebrz f Tabriz
tecrube f experience
tedrcen gradually
tefandin -tefn- v.t. to put out (light,
candle)
tefe! f face, countenance
tefn v.i. to go out (light, candle)
tefsr Koranic commentary
tehlke f danger
tehqr f deprecation
tehsldar m tax collector
teht m mountain range
tej (dial. var.) = tij
tek single, alone, by oneself; ~ ten
alone, all by oneself
tekane lone
teko alone, singly
tela! commotion
telefon f telephone
teletel on tiptoes
televizyon f television
telte f sheet (of ice), crust
tem m fog
temam perfect, complete
temar f artery, vein
tema!a kirin v.t. to watch, to look at
tema!e = tema!a
tema!evan spectator, watcher
tembel lazy; ~ f laziness
temen m life, lifespan, age
temene respect; bi ~ respectfully
temirn v.i. to die ???
temiz kirin v.t. to clean
temslkar m representative
tena = tenha
tendr f oven, pit; ~a zik the pit of the
belly
ten alone, only, except for; bi ~ only:
em ferz bikin ku tu bi ten bikarib
Kurdistanek bik lets assume that
you could only create one Kurdistan;
ne bi ~ l j not only but also;
~t f misery, loneliness
teng narrow, tight; ~as f difculty,
straits
tenha alone; bi ~ xwe by him/her/itself,
alone
ten!ta next to
teor f theory
tep f tap
tepan mallet
tepandin v.t. to pat, to tap
tepe m summit, mountain top
teperep kirin v.t. to rap
teq f a sharp sound; ~--req loud sound
teqandin teqn- v.t. to burst, explode, to
re, shoot (gun)
teqn v.i. to burst, explode
ter fresh, verdant; ~ f freshness
terch kirin v.t. to prefer
tercuman m translator
teres pimp
terik chapped
terf kirin v.t. to describe (ji re for,
to)
terqet m dervish order
terk f leaving; ~ dan/kirin v.t. to leave,
abandon: gava terka mala xwe da
when s/he left home
term m corpse
terorzm f terrorism
terpiln v.i. to roll
terr f tail
ter! livestock
tesewif Susm; ~ Sustic
tesr f inuence
teslm kirin v.t. to turn in, to turn over,
to submit
te!kl f organization, formation
te!t f trough
te!wq encouragement; ~ kirin v.t. to
encourage
te!xele f trouble, turmoil
tetik, tetk f trigger
tev all, entire, altogether; together with;
~a all, entirely, totally; ~ah/~ay f
entirety: di tevayiya Ewrpa all over
Europe; ~da, ~ de altogether, entire-
KURMANJI KURDISH
242
ly; bi ~ay entirely, in toto; xwe
~gir-dan v.t. to get oneself together
tevdr f plan
tevger f industry, activity, movement:
Tevgera Rizgariya Kurdistan Kurd-
ish Liberation Movement
teviz numb
tevizn f numbness; ~ok f numb feeling
tev (prep.) along with; ~hev altogether;
~ ku (conj.) although
tevlihev confused, mixed up; ~ f confu-
sion
tevl f awareness
tewqif kirin v.t. to arrest
texik f shelf
texlt sort, kind: her du texlt nivsar
both sorts of writers
texmn f guess, thought; ~ kirin v.t. to
guess, estimate
text m throne
texte m board
teyan a large basin used in bathhouses
teyr, tr m bird; ~ ty birds and fowl
teze new(ly), fresh(ly); ~ kirin to re-
fresh
t
1
= di + w/w
t
2
= tu +
t
3
coming, next: meha ~ the coming
month
t-gih!tin v.i. to understand, realize
tk n v.i. to break up, split apart
tkel prep. along with
t-ketin v.i. to go to, wind up (some-
where): ew dixwaze tkeve cepheyan
he wants to go to the fronts; ~ !na to
take the place of: keng azad
serbest tkevin !na sitemkar
zordariy? when will freedom and in-
dependence take the place of injustice
and oppression?
tkil connected; ~bn f connectedness;
~ f connection
t-kirin v.t. to put on
tko!er m activist, combatant
tko!n dan v.t. to strive, make an effort
tkz (dial. var.) = tekz
tr
1
full, satised; ~ bn v.i. to be sat-
ised (hunger), to be slaked (thirst); ~
kirin v.t. to satisfy, make full, to be
sufcient: emr w tr nekir he didnt
live long enough
tr
2
= teyr
tvel various, different
t-xistin v.t. to include; xwe ~ to put
oneself
tif f spit
tik f bellows, hearth
ting f rie
tije brimful
tij full; ~ kirin v.t. to ll
til f nger
tilik, tilk = til
tim
1
always; her~ always
tim
2
f desire
timobl f automobile
tin (dial. var.) = ten
tiral lazy
tirb f grave, tomb
tirn f train; ~a di bin erd de sub-
way; ji ~ by train
tirimpl f automobile
tirk Turk; ~ Turkish (language); ~nijad
racially Turkish
Tirkiye f (obl Tirkiyey, Tirkiy) Tur-
key
tirs f fear; ~an va out of fear
tirsandin v.t. to scare; to fear
tirsner frightful, frightening
tirsiyan/tirsn ji v.i. to be afraid of, fear
tir! bitter; ry xwe ~ kirin to scowl
ti!t m thing: ti!tek din something else
titn f tobacco
tiving f (dial. var.) = tung
tiw = tu w
tixtor m doctor
t thirsty
tfal ???
tj (dial. var.) = tj; ~ hr nrn li to
243
look closely and carefully at, to
scrutinize
tn
1
f thirst
tn
2
! btn
tn- ! ann
tp f letter of the alphabet; m type, sort
tr thick, dense, dark
traj f print run; km ~ of a small print
run, printed in small numbers
trj f sunlight, ray: trjn hviy rays
of hope
t! piece, group
tol f revenge; ~ wergirtin v.t. to extract
revenge
top f cannon, cannonball
topik f pile
torbe sack
torin m person of name, person of re-
nown; descendant, offspring
toz f dust; ~ telaz dust
trimbl f automobile
tu
1
(obl. te) you (sing.)
tu
2
no, not any, none, nothing; ~ caran
never; ~ kes nobody; ~ ti!t nothing
tucar never
tuf f spit; ~ kirin v.t. to spit
tung f rie, gun; ~ ber-dan to re a
rie at
tukes (+ neg.) nobody
tj sharp
tk f hair, fur
tle m pup, cub
tlik m cub
tr m bag; ~ik m sack
trt = turt
ttin f tobacco
ummet f religious community
umr m life
unda (dial. var.) = wenda
unverste f university
uris Russian
usa (dial. var.) = wisa
ustu = st
zez f rumble
va = ve
vala empty; ~ kirin v.t. to empty; ~h f
void; vik~ totally empty
vazo f vase
ve (postposition) forms the second part
of a number of circumpositions, gen-
erally indicating motion away from;
see the prepositional element
ve-bn v.i. to open
ve-ceniqn (dial. var.) = ve-ciniqn
ve-ciniqandin v.t. to make tremble with
fear, to make shudder, to startle
ve-ciniqn v.i. to be seized by fright, to
be startled
ve-dan v.t. to give off; deng ~ to echo
veger f return
ve-gerandin -gern- v.t. to turn, to turn
back
ve-geriyan/gern v.i. to return; ~ ser to
turn to
ve-gevizn v.i. to ounder, wallow
ve-hrandin v.t. to grind up, crunch
vehnay spread out
ve-jandin -jn- v.t. to revivify
ve-jenn v.i. to rustle
ve-jinn (dial. var.) = ve-jenn
ve-kirin v.t. to open
ve-ki!andin ji v.t. to pull out of, pull
back from, withdraw from
ve-ki!n v.i. to withdraw
ve-maltin v.t. to roll up the sleeves
ve-man v.i. to bog down
ve-miran (ve-mirn) v.i. to go out (re,
&c.); ~din v.t. to put out, extinguish,
quell, quench: min lampa xwe ve-
mirand I put out my light
ve-po!andin v.t. to cover
ve-qetandin v.t. to distinguish, separate
ve-qetiyan v.i. to get separated: ji ber
perebna welt riyn zaravayn kur-
manc soran ji hevdu vediqetin
KURMANJI KURDISH
244
after the division of the country the
paths of the Kurmanji and Sorani dia-
lects part from each other; ~ bi to be
distinguished by
ve-qetn = ve-qetiyan
ver-kirin to send off, dispatch
ve-!artin -!r- v.t. to hide, bury
ve-texirn v.i. to taper off
ve-xistin v.t. to throw down
ve-xwarin v.t. to drink
ve-zelan v.i. to lie down and roll
around; xwe ve-zelandin to throw
oneself down and roll around
ve-ziliandin = ve-zelandin
v ! ev
vca therefore
vcar then, so
v-geriyan = ve-geriyan
vk re together
vn f wish, desire
v-xistin v.t. to light
vikvala ! vala.
vir here
vizn v.i. to buzz, to hum
vizvizk tangled, knotted
v ! ev
vrus f virus
vzevz f blowing, rustling (of wind)
waqewaq squeal of an animal
war
1
m = bar
war
2
m regard, respect; di ~ de con-
cerning; di v ~ de in this regard, in
this respect
war
3
m camp, camping ground; ~geh m
camp site
warkor n to disappear without a trace
we ! hun
wefakar faithful
wefat f death
weha thus, such
wek (prep.) like; ~e (prep.) like; ~e ku
(conj.) as: weke ku min got as I said;
~ din anything else
wekhev alike, equal; ~ f equality: li ser
esasn wekhev on a basis of equality
wekl advocate, lawyer; ~dar f advo-
cacy
welat m (obl. welt) country, homeland;
~hez lover of the homeland, patriot;
~parz defender of the homeland, pa-
triot(ic); ~perwer patriot
wele = welle
weleh = wel
wel thus, like that
welle by God
wenda lost; ~ bn v.i. to be lost; ~ kirin
v.t. to lose
wer bn di v.i. to fall into
wer- ! hatin
werger m translator; ~van m translator
wer-gerandin v.t. to transform, translate
wer-girtin v.t. to take up (see ber wer-
girtin, sd wergirtin, tol wergirtin)
werimandin v.t. to cause to swell
werimn v.i. to swell
wer-kirin li v.t. to wrap around
wesiyetname f will, testament
wers m rope
wesf m attribute, quality; ~ dan to de-
scribe
westan west- v.i. to stand, stop; to be
exhausted
westiyan = westan
westiyay exhausted
we!andin we!n- v.t. to publish
we!anxane f publishing house
wext f time: di eyn wext de at the same
time; di wexteke kurt de within a
short time; ~ ku (conj.) when
wezin f poetic meter
wezfe f duty
wezaret f ministry: Wezareta Ferheng
the Ministry of Culture
wezr m minister; ~t f ministry
w
1
! ew
w
2
tense
245
wje f speech, literature
wne m picture, painting; ~ger m artist,
painter
wran destroyed, ruined; ~ kirin v.t. to
destroy, ruin
wrn v.i. (+ subj.) to dare
winda (dial. var.) = wenda
wir there
wirn (dial. var.) = wrn
wisa(n) thus, such, so
w ! ew
wjdan m conscience
wucd f existence; hatin ~ to come
into existence
wusan (dial. var.) = wisa
x- ! xistin
xak f earth, ground
xal f mole
xalxal in spots, spotted
xanim f lady, mistress
xan m house
xapandin xapn- v.t. to deceive, to fool,
to play a trick on: mna ku hatibe
xapandin as though a trick had been
played on him
xapn v.i. to be deceived, to be fooled
xapok deceptive
xapxapok deceitful
xar
1
crooked, bent
xar
2
(dial. var.) = xwar
xarin (dial. var.) = xwarin
xastin (dial. var.) = xwestin
xask cunning, shrewd
xatir m mind, heart; ~gir considerate,
obliging; ~ girtin to be considerate
of, respect: bik mezinan xatir w
digirtin young and old were consid-
erate of him; ~xwestin f affection; bi
xatir re w ji min re got he said to
me with affection; dan ~ to be
considerate of
xav raw, immature
xayin traitor
xaz m ghazi, holy warrior
xazk ???
xebat f work, struggle
xeber f words, speech: xebera w ye
thats what he says
xeberdan f talk, speech
xebitan li ser v.i. to work on, strive for
xebitn = xebitan
xedar pitiless, cruel
xefk f trap
xelas kirin (v.t. to nish
xelas f liberation; !er xelasiy war of
liberation
xelat f prize, reward; ~ kirin v.t. to re-
ward
xelk m (construed as sing. for case but
pl. by sense) people
xem f grief, sadness; ~ xwarin ji v.t. to
sympathize with; ~gn sorrowful;
~gn f sorrow: ez bi xemgn dibjim
ku I say with sorrow that
xemilandin v.t. to adorn
xencer f dagger
xerab ruined; ~-bn to be ruined; ~e
ruined; ~ f harm, ruination
xerez f rancor, grudge; ~kar f holding a
grudge
xerf senile
xerc kirin v.t. to spend
xerb stranger, foreigner, exiled, away
from ones homeland; ~ f estrange-
ment, foreignness, the state of being
away from ones homeland; welat
~y foreign country
xerte f map
xertel f eagle
xesandin xesn- v.t. to twist, wring
xesar f damage, loss; ~ dtin v.t. to suf-
fer loss, be damaged; ~nedt undam-
aged
xet f line
xew m sleep; ketin ~ to fall asleep; ji ~
ra-kirin to rouse from sleep
xewle lonely, desolate
KURMANJI KURDISH
246
xewl f desolation, isolation
xewn f dream; ~ dtin v.t. to dream,
have a dream; ~erojik daydream
xeyal f imagination, fantasy, dream
xeyidn ji v.i. to get angry at
xeyn other; ji ~ (prep.) other than, aside
from: ji xeyn van ti!tan other than
these things
xeyo (Syr. Ar. khayyo, voc. only) fel-
low, guy, friend
xezal gazelle
xezeb f rage, wrath
xezne f treasury
xezr m father-in-law; f mother-in-law
xr f goodness; ~xwe! f chitchat;
bi~hatin dan v.t. to welcome: jinek
bixrhatin da min a woman wel-
comed me; bi ~a re thanks to; bi ~
br very good; ji ~a re because
of, on account of; ~hatin kirin li v.t.
to welcome; hatin ~ to be a wel-
come guest
xz f line; ~ik ditto
xidmet f service
xilas kirin to be saved
xilmam! = xilma!
xilma! half asleep, sleepy
xirab bad, evil
xisar f loss
xistin x- v.t. to cast, throw, put in, make
fall; ji hev de ~ to break up; ~ li to
beat
xissiyet = xussiyet
xi!ikn v.i. to drag along, scrape across
xi!r m/f ornament ???
xi!xi! f rustling, scratching sound
xitab m address; ~ kirin v.t. to address;
~ kesek kirin to address, speak to
s.o.
xitimandin v.t. to close, seal: r hatine
xitimandin the roads have been closed
xiyal f dream, imagination
xizmet f service; ~ kirin v.t. to serve
xnji (dial. var.) = xeyn ji
xret f zeal, bravery, courage; ~ kirin
v.t. to try hard
xze-xze grating sound
xo f (dial. var.) = xwe; ~a xwe his own
self
xoce m master, teacher
xof f fear; ~ tirs f fear and trembling
xort young, young man/woman; ~an f
youth
xo!div beloved
xu (dial. var.) = xwe
xuda m (obl. xud) God; ~ hez good-
bye
xudan m owner; b~ godless, God-
forsaken, poor, pitiable
xuh f sister
xulam m slave; manservant
xunav f sprinkle, light rain
xur f itch
xure xur f snoring
xurn on an empty stomach
xurn = xurn
xurme f date
xurt strong, powerful; ~ gur strong,
puissant
xur natural
xussiyet f characteristic, distinguishing
feature
xu!n v.i. to rustle, to gurgle
xu!k f sister
xuya clear, obvious; ~ bn v.i. to be ob-
vious, appear, show up; ~ kirin v.t. to
seem, appear: hotel gelek xwe! luks
xuya dikir the hotel looked very nice
and deluxe
xuyan v.i. to seem, to appear
xuyan familiar; ~ kirin v.t. to famili-
arize
xn f blood; ~a ceger livers blood,
metaphor for tears of agony and suf-
fering
xs f snowdrift ???
xyan = xuyan
xwar down; ser da ~ bn to lean
247
over s.th.; ~ bn v.i. to descend; ~
kirin v.t. to lower, take down; hatin
~ to come down
xwarin f food
xwarin xw- v.t. to eat
xwaroviko coiled up
xwaz- ! xwestin
xwe oneself, -self (refers to the subject
of the clause in which it occurs); ~
girtin li ber to defend oneself
against; ji ~ in and of itself; bi~ him-
self, herself, itself; li ~ kirin to put
on, wear (clothes)
xwebikdtin f inferiority: kompleksa
xwebikdtin inferiority complex
xwedan m chief, head, leader
xwed m God
xwed m possessor, owner: xwediy
paseporteke Swd bm I possessed a
Swedish passport
xwehesn f self-awareness
xwefadekirin f self-expression
xwel f dust, ash; ~ li ser xwe kirin to
pour dust on ones head, to mourn;
~dan f ashtray
xwen f dream, vision
xwenas self-respecting
xwenav = xunav
xwendin xwn-/xwn- v.t. to read, study
xwende/a learned, literate; ~geh f
school, university; ~kar student;
~van m reader, scholar
xwer independent; pure(ly), exclu-
sive(ly): ev kovar ne xwer bi kurd
ne these journals are not exclusively
in Kurdish
xweser unbridled
xwestin xwaz- v.t. to want, to ask for
xwe! nice, pleasant, good; ~bn f suc-
cess; ~hal pleased, happy; ~haliya
xwe gotin to express ones pleasure;
~ik nice, pretty; ~ f pleasure
xwey = xwe
xweya = xuya
xwey = xwed; ~ kirin v.t. to raise
(animals)
xwez would that, I wish (+ past con-
ditional); ~t f desire, wish
xw f salt; sweat
xwdan v.t. to sweat
xwi!k f sister
xw m habit, disposition
xwn f blood; ~ego!t esh and blood;
~dar bloody; ~germ fervent; ~germ
f fervor; ~!rn likeable
xwsgirt damp
xwz f spit, saliva
xw!k (dial. var.) = xwi!k
ya fem. sing. construct extender; bi ~ te
in your opinion
yad (voc. only) mother
yan or; ~ ~ either or
yan that is, i.e.
yar m friend
ya reb O Lord!
yek one; ~ bn v.i. to be united; ~by
united; ~deng f unanimity; ~dest of
one piece; ~ejmar singular; ~emn
rst; ~t f unity; ~tiya Neteweyan
the League of Nations; ~netewet f
uninationalism, monoethnicity; ~ser
direct; ~ta peerless, without equal
yekser right away, immediately
y masc. sing. construct extender
yn pl. construct extender
YNK = Yektya N!tmanperwern
Kurdistan Patriotic Union of Kur-
distan (PUK)
yunan Greek
zabit m (obl zbit) m ofcer
zaf (dial. var.) = zehf
zalim m tyrant, unjust
zang sheer (cliff) ???
zann v.t. to know (neg. present nza-
nim, past (d)zanibm, subj. bzani-
bim); ~ bi to know about: xelk bi
KURMANJI KURDISH
248
siyaset nizanin the people dont
know anything about politics
zana = zane
zane learned, wise; ~bn f wisdom;
zanyar f knowledge
zar m language; ~ava m dialect; ~!rn
well-spoken, articulate
zaro small, young, m/f youngster; ~k
child; ~kat, ~kt, ~t f youth,
childhood
zarn v.i. to wail, lament
zar z (pl) kids
zava m bridegroom
zayin f birth
zehf many, lots of, very, very much
zehmet f trouble; ~ ki!andin v.t. to have
difculty, go to trouble, be bothered;
~ f ditto; ~k! worker, laborer
zef weak, skinny
zelal clear, limpid; ~ kirin v.t. to make
clear, clarify
zelam = zilam
zeliqandin v.t. to stick
zeliqn v.i. to stick
zell m despondent
zeman m time, era
zemzellk f icicle ???
zend f forearm
zengal m/f legging ???
zengil m bell; ~ telefon telephone
call; li ~ dr xistin to ring the door-
bell
zengn rich; ~ f wealth
zer yellow; ~at f yellowness; ~by
yellowed; ~ zinar nooks and cran-
nies
zerar f detriment, loss
Zerde!t Zoroaster
zev f land, eld
zewac f marriage
zewicn bi re v.i. to get married to
zewq m delight
zexim strong, sound; zexm f strength
zbit ! zabit
zc hide ???
zde much, a lot; ~ bn v.i. to increase;
~ kirin v.t. to increase
zr m gold; ~n golden
zrben ???
zrek f cleverness, intelligence
zihniyet f mentality
zik m belly; ~ek tr xwarin v.t. to eat
to ones ll; ~mak native, inborn
zilam m man, guy, fellow
ziliandin ! ve-ziliandin
zilik straw
zilim f injustice, tyranny
ziman m (obl zimn) language, tongue;
bi ~ ann v.t. to give voice to, ex-
press; ~van linguist; ~van f linguis-
tics
zinar m (obl. zinr) rock
zing ???
zingar f rust; ~girt rusty, rusted; ~ gir-
tin v.t. to rust, get rusty
zincr f chain, bond
zindan f prison
zind alive, energetic, lively
ziving f cave
zivistan f winter
zirav slender, slight
zivir twisted, knotted
zivirandin zivirn- v.t. to turn around,
turn back; avn xwe ~ ji de to
turn ones eyes away from , avert
ones gaze from
zivirn zivir- v.i. to turn, go/come back,
turn around, wander
ziwa dry
zixim (dial. var.) = zexim
zn z- v.i. to live, come to life
zre cumin
zrek clever
ztby ???
zv m silver
zvalzval ???
zving = ziving
zvironek sandy, dusty
249
zman = ziman
zolilk blossom, bloom
zor f force; ~ dan v.t. to force, compel;
~ kirin v.t. to use force; bi (dest) ~
by force; ~bet f oppressiveness; ~dar
forceful, oppressive; ~dar f oppres-
sion; ~dest f force, pressure; ~kirin f
violence
zozan m summer pasture, meadow
zuha (dial. var.) = ziwa
zuk f prominent, obvious
zulf m/f tress, lock (of hair) ???
zulum = zilim
zurne f clarion; ~van m clarion player
z quick, fast, soon, early; ~ an dereng
sooner or later; ~ be ~ very quickly; ~
de (+ pres. perf.) for a long time: z
de ye me hev du neditiye we havent
seen each other for a long time;
~brbir f quick thinking; ~ka, ~~ka
hurriedly, hastily, quickly; ~kan f
haste: zkaniya te i ye? whats your
hurry?; ~ ve for a long time, since
long; ji ~ de from early on
zrezr f howling
zrn v.i. to howl
zr man v.i. to be lost
KURMANJI KURDISH
250

Kurmanji Kurdish Fort The Beginners

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Kurmanji Kurdish Fort The Beginners

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Kurmanji Kurdish, Lesson 1 1

P,p pit (back),

Table 1. The Vowels in Kurmanji (approximate phonetic values)

Good bye (Xatirxwestin)

1 yek 11 yanzdeh 21 bstyek 40 il

5 pnc 15 panzdeh 25 bstpnc 80 het

9 neh 19 nozdeh 29 bstneh 200 dused

23 121 65 51

2 Asking utage(temen abo age)

3 KinshipTermin l al) o ogy(nonobligatorymateri

3.1. Some examples for the usage of kinship words:

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