Kurmancî

Kurdish

Iranian

FamilyIranian Speakers~30M ScriptLatin/Arabic CountriesTurkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria Official inIraq (regional) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3kur

Kurdish (Kurdî) is the conventional name for a set of closely related Iranian language varieties in the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European, spoken chiefly across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria and in diaspora communities. In this linguistic classification, Iranian names a broad historical language branch that also includes Persian, Pashto, and others; Kurdish is not a form of Persian. The largest literary standards are Kurmanji, written mainly in a Latin-based alphabet in Turkey and Syria, and Sorani, commonly written in a modified Arabic-based alphabet in Iraq and Iran; Southern Kurdish comprises additional varieties. The varieties differ substantially in phonology and grammar and are not always readily mutually intelligible. Kurdish and Arabic are Iraq’s two official languages under the 2005 constitution, while Kurdish recognition and schooling vary elsewhere.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Kurdish

Water

av

ɑːv

Fire

agir

ɑɡɪɾ

Sun

roj

ɾoːʒ

Moon

heyv

hejv

Star

stêrk

stɛːɾk

Night

şev

ʃɛv

Rain

baran

bɑːɾɑn

Snow

berf

bɛɾf

Wind

ba

ba

Earth

ax

ax

Stone

kevir

kɛˈvɪɾ

Mountain

çiya

tʃɪˈja

Sea

derya

dɛrˈja

Mother

dê

dɛː

Father

bav

bɑːv

Daughter

keç

kɛtʃ

I

ez

ɛz

You

tu

tu

We

em

ɛm

Name

nav

nav

Person

mirov

mɨˈrov

Head

ser

sɛɾ

Eye

çav

tʃɑːv

Ear

guh

ɡuh

Nose

poz

poz

Mouth

dev

dɛv

Tooth

diran

dɪˈɾaːn

Tongue

ziman

zɪˈmaːn

Hand

dest

dɛst

Foot

pê

peː

Heart

dil

dɪl

Bone

hestî

hesˈtiː

Blood

xwîn

xwiːn

Poop

gû

ɡuː

Love

evîn

ɛviːn

Tree

dar

dɑːɾ

Dog

kûçik

kuːtʃɪk

Cat

pisîk

pɪsiːk

Fish

masî

maˈsiː

Bird

balinde

balinde

Butterfly

perperîk

pɛrpɛˈriːk

Egg

hêk

heːk

Bear

hirç

hɪɾtʃ

Horse

hesp

hɛsp

House

mal

mɑːl

Milk

şîr

ʃiːr

Honey

hingiv

hɪnˈɡiv

Salt

xwê

xweː

Wine

şerab

ʃɛˈɾab

Rice

birinc

bɪˈrindʒ

Chocolate

çoklata

tʃoklata

Iron

hesin

hɛˈsɪn

Wheel

teker

tɛˈkɛɾ

Silk

hevirmiş

hɛvɪɾˈmɪʃ

Book

pirtûk

pɪɾˈtuːk

Eat

xwarin

xwɑːɾɪn

Drink

vexwarin

vɛxwɑːɾɪn

Sleep

razan

raˈzan

One

yek

jɛk

Two

du

du

Three

sê

seː

Four

çar

tʃaːr

Five

pênc

pɛːndʒ

Hundred

sed

sɛd

Hello

silav

sɪlɑːv

Thank you

spas

spɑːs

Good

baş

bɑːʃ

New

nû

nuː

Red

sor

soɾ

White

spî

spiː

Black

reş

rɛʃ

Green

kesk

kɛsk

Blue

şîn

ʃiːn

Cuckoo

pepûk

pɛˈpuːk

Computer

komputer

komputɛɾ

Sushi

sûşî

suːʃiː

Tea

çay

tʃaj

Coffee

qehwe

qɛhˈwɛ

Sugar

şekir

ʃɛˈkɪr

Orange

pirteqal

pɪɾtɛˈqal

Ninety-nine

nod û neh

noːd uː nɛh

Dopamine

dopamîn

dopaˈmiːn

At sign

at

ɑːt

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Iranian

Meaning KurdishSorani KurdishSouthern KurdishZazaDariSouthern LuriPersian
Water av /ɑːv/ ئاو /ɑːw/ ئاو /ɑːw/ aw /aw/ آب /ɑːb/ âw /ɒːw/ آب /ɒːb/
Fire agir /ɑɡɪɾ/ ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ ئاگر /ɑːɡɪɾ/ adır /aˈdɨɾ/ آتش /ɑːtaʃ/ taš /taʃ/ آتش /ɒːtæʃ/
Sun roj /ɾoːʒ/ خۆر /xoːɾ/ رۆژ /ɾoʒ/ tîj /tiːʒ/ خورشید /xoɾʃed/ xor /xor/ خورشید /xorʃiːd/
Moon heyv /hejv/ مانگ /mɑːŋɡ/ ماهنگ /mɑːhænɡ/ aşmî /aʃˈmiː/ ماه /mɑːh/ mâng /mɑːŋ/ ماه /mɒːh/
Star stêrk /stɛːɾk/ ئەستێرە /ʔæsteːɾæ/ ئەستارە /æstaːɾæ/ astare /asˈtaːre/ ستاره /setɑːˈɾa/ estâre /esˈtɑːɾe/ ستاره /setɒːˈɾe/
Night şev /ʃɛv/ شەو /ʃɛw/ شەو /ʃɛw/ şewe /ʃɛwɛ/ شب /ʃaw/ šow /ʃow/ شب /ʃæb/
Rain baran /bɑːɾɑn/ باران /bɑːɾɑːn/ باران /bɑːɾɑːn/ varan /vɑɾˈɑn/ باران /bɑːˈɾɑːn/ bârun /bɒːrun/ باران /bɒːˈɾɒːn/
Snow berf /bɛɾf/ بەفر /bæfr/ بەفر /bɛfr/ vor /voɾ/ برف /barf/ barf /barf/ برف /bæɾf/
Page 1/11

Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Kurdish
Ez dixwazim cil û bergek ku li dikanek li hember otêlê dîtim biceribînim
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

Kurdish
Ez dixwazim cil û bergek ku li dikanek li hember otêlê dîtim biceribînim
زه غواړم یو سوټ چې په دوکان کې مخامخ هوټل مې ولید وازمایم
من می‌خواهم کت و شلواری که در مغازه‌ای روبروی هتل دیدم امتحان کنم
من دەمەوێ جلێک کە لە دوکانێک بەرامبەر هۆتێل بینیم بیپۆشم

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