Useful Kurmanji Kurdish phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Kurmanji Kurdish, which is spoken in Turkey, Syria,

and northern parts of the Kurdish-speaking areas of Iraq and Iran.
Jump to phrases
Click on any of the (non-English) phrases that are links (blue) to hear them spoken. If
you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
To see these phrases in many other languages click on the English versions. If you'd
like to see these phrases in any combination of two languages, try the Phrase
Finder.
Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person),
pl = plural (said to more than one person).

Kurmancî (Kurmanji /
English
Northern Kurdish)

Tu be xér hatî ye! (sg)

Welcome
Hun be xér hatî ye! (pl)

Rojbash (frm) - Good day

Hello (General greeting) Ser chava ser sera (inf)
Silav

Tu chawa ye? (frm/sg)

Chawa ye? (inf/sg)
How are you?
Hun chawa nin? (frm/pl)
Hun chawa ye? (inf/pl)

Ez bashem spas (I'm fine

Reply to 'How are you?'
thanks)

Long time no see Mi(n) te zood nedîtî ye!

Navé te chî ye? (frm/sg)

What's your name?
Navé we chî ye? (frm/pl)

My name is ... Navé mi(n) ... e

Tu jè kî dere ye (yî)? (frm)

Where are you from?
Tu jè ku ye (yî)? (inf)

I'm from ... Ez jè ... me

Pleased to meet you Ez kefxwesh bûm!

Beyanîbash (sg)
Spéde bi xer (sg)
Good morning Sibaha te bi xér (sg)
(Morning greeting) Beyanîbash (pl)
Spede bi xer (pl)
Sibaa we bi xer (pl)

Good afternoon
Rojbash
(Afternoon greeting)

Good evening Evarbash, evara te bi xér (sg)

(Evening greeting) Evarbash, evara we bi xér (pl)

Shevabash
Good night Sheva te bi xér (sg)
Sheva we bi xér be (pl)

Bi xateré te (sg)
Bi xateré we (pl)
Goodbye
Ogher be / Oxir be (response)
(Parting phrases)
Oghra te a xéré be (reply)
Bi xér o slametî (reply)

Serkeften (be)! (frm)

Good luck!
Serkeftin be! (frm)

Cheers! Good Health! Noshî can be! (frm)

(Toasts used when Nosh be! (frm)
drinking) Nosh! (frm)

Have a nice day Roja te xwesh be! (sg)

Bon appetit /
Noshî can be!
Have a nice meal

Bon voyage / Rêwîtîya te baş be! (frm)

Have a good journey Rewîtîa te xwesh be (frm)

I understand Ez fem dikem (frm)

Ez fam nakim (frm)

I don't understand
Ez fam nakem (frm)
 Balé (frm)
Belé (frm)
Yes
Eré (frm)
Aré (frm)

No Na

Belkî (frm)
Maybe
Begî (frm)

Tu kari hedî bivéje (frm)

Tu kare Hedî bibéje
Please speak more slowly Hedî bivejé
Jè kerema xwe hédî bibéje:
Jèkerema xwe hedî bivejé

Dîsa bibéje, Jè kerema xwe

dîsa bibéje
Please say that again
Dîsa bivéje, Jè kerema xwe
dîsa bivéje

Jè kerema xwe binivîsîne

(frm)
Tu kari jè kerema xwe veya
Please write it down
binivîsîne (frm)
Tu kari véya binivîsîne (frm)
Ev binivîsîne, (inf)

Tu kurmanjî dèpeyvé? (frm)

Tu kumnajî zané?(frm)
Do you speakKurmanji? Tu kumanjî dizané? (frm)
Tu kurdî zanî? (inf)
Kurmajî zanî? (inf)

Eré/balé, ez pichék(î)
kurmanjî dipeyvem (frm)
Eré/balé, ez pichikek
Yes, a little kurmanjî depeyvem (frm)
(reply to 'Do you speak Eré/balé, ez hinekî kurmanjî
...?') dipeyvem (frm)
Balé/eré, hinekî
Balé/eré pichek
Balé/eré pichukek
 Em chawa ... bi kurmanjî
dibéje? (frm)
Em chawa dibéje ... bi
kurmajî? (frm)
Tu chawa dibéje ... bi
How do you say ... Kurmanjî? (frm)
inKurmanji? Tu chawa bi kurmanjî dibéje
...? (frm)
Chawa em ... bi kumanjî
bibéjin?
Chawa em ... bi kurmanjî
dibejèn?

Mi(n) Biburîne (frm)

Mi(n) bibore
Excuse me
Mi(n) affu bike
Af bike(frm)

Chiqas e?
Chuqas e?
How much is this?
Ev chiqas e?
Ev chuqas e?

Bibure (frm)
Mi(n) affu bike
Sorry
Mi(n) bi borîne
Bi bexshe(frm)

Please Jè kerema xwe!

Spas (frm)
Gelek spas (frm)
Thank you Zor spas (frm)
Spas dikem (frm)
Mala te avabe (frm)

Spas xwesh (frm)

Ser chava (frm)
Reply to thank you
Tishtek nabe (frm)
Tishtek pé nay e! (frm)

Where's the toilet / Tualet li ku ye?

bathroom? Tualet lè kuy e?
 Banyo lè kuy e?
Tualet lè kî deré ye? (frm)
Hemam lè kiwe ye?
Hemam lè kî deré e (frm)

Ev camera éwé pere hertishtî

This gentleman will pay for bide (frm)
everything Ev jamèra éwé pere hertishtî
bide (frm)

Ev xanéma éwé pere

This lady will pay for hertishtî bide (frm)
everything Ev janèka éwé pere hertishtî
bide (frm)

Tu dixwazé bi mi(n) re
Would you like to dance bazde?
with me? Tu dixwazé bi mi(n) re bireqs
e?

I miss you Ez berya te dikèm (frm)

I love you Ez te hez dikèm (frm)

Xode shifa xere bishîne (frm)

Get well soon Xode slametye bide (frm)
Derbasbun be (frm)

Dev jè mi berde!
Leave me alone!
Dev jè min berde!

Hawar! (frm)
Help!
Alîkarî bike! (frm)

Agèr ! (frm)
Fire!
Agir ! (frm)

Bisekène! (frm)
Stop!
Bisekine! (frm)

Call the police! Telefonî polisa bike! (frm)

Christmas and New Year Noela we o ser sala we pîroz

greetings be! (pl)
Noel o ser sal piroz be!
 Noel o ser sala te pîroz be
(sg)
Cejna we Noel o ser sala we
pîroz be!
Cejna we Noel û ser salê we
pîroz be!

Eshtéra te pîroz be! (sg)

Easter greetings
Eshtéra we pîroz be! (pl)

Birthday greetings Rojbuna te pîroz be!

Zimanek hîch ne bes e

One language is never
Zimanek tené ne bes e
enough
Yek ziman ne bes e

My hovercraft is full of
Hoverkrafta mi(n) tijé
eels
marmasî e
Why this phrase?

Corrections and additions by Brandon Istenes, and Seyit Sakin of the Kurmanjî
National Council
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can
provide recordings, please contact me