Kurmanji Kurdish

Reader

Deniz Ekici

Kurmanji Kurdish
Reader

Deniz Ekici

2007

Kurmanji Kurdish Reader

Copyright 2007 by McNeil Technologies, Inc.

All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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ISBN: 978-1-931546-33-1
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Printed and bound in the United States of America

To Dawin
Ji Dawin ra

Also
To my mother
and all Kurdish mothers,
the real guardians of this language.

Herweha
Ji dayika min
ji hemi dayikn kurd ra,
yn ku parzgern rastn yn v ziman ne.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................... i
Introduction..............................................................................................................iii
Users Guide ............................................................................................................ v
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... vi
References ...............................................................................................................vii
Sources of the Selections ..................................................................................... viii
Part 1: Grammar
The Kurmanji Alphabet and Pronunciation Key ................................................ 3
Case Terminology ................................................................................................... 4
I. Personal Pronouns ......................................................................................... 4
A. Nominative Case Personal Pronouns .......................................................... 4
B. Possessive (Oblique Case) Pronouns .......................................................... 5
II. Ezafeh (Noun Connector) .......................................................................... 5
A. Ezafeh with Definite Nouns ......................................................................... 6
1. The Usage of Ezafeh in the Possessive Structure .................................. 6
2. The Usage of Ezafeh with a Modifier ..................................................... 8
3. The Verb hebn (to exist/to have/there is/there are) ............................. 9
a) In the Northern Dialect ........................................................................ 10
b) In the Behdn Dialect .......................................................................... 11
B. Indefinite Nouns ........................................................................................... 12
1. The Indefinite Singular Article (-ek/-yek) ............................................ 12
2. The Indefinite Plural Article -y(in) ........................................................ 13
C. Ezafeh with Indefinite Nouns ..................................................................... 13
1. The Usage of Ezafeh in the Possessive Structure ................................ 13
2. The Usage of Ezafeh with a Modifier ................................................... 14
D. Secondary Ezafeh ........................................................................................ 15
E. Secondary Ezafeh with Indefinite Nouns ................................................. 17
F. The Use of the Conjunction [and] as a Secondary Ezafeh .............. 18
G. The Comparative Form of Adjectives and Adverbs ............................... 18
H. The Superlative Form of Adjectives and Adverbs ................................. 19
III. Pronouns and Nouns in the Nominative Case .............................. 20
A. Nominative Case Personal Pronouns ........................................................ 21
B. Nominative Case Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives .................. 22
C. The Negative Form of theVerb Bn (To Be) ........................................... 23
1. By using the particle ne before the predicate ....................................... 23
2. By prefixing the particle nn to the verb ............................................... 23
D. The Days of the Week................................................................................. 24
E. The Periods of the Day ................................................................................ 24
F. The Months.................................................................................................... 25

G. The Seasons .................................................................................................. 25

IV. Pronouns and Nouns in the Oblique Case ..................................... 25
A. Oblique Case Personal Pronouns............................................................... 26
B. Reflexive Pronoun Xwe ............................................................................... 28
C. Oblique Case Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives ......................... 29
D. Definite Nouns in the Oblique Case ......................................................... 31
E. Indefinite Nouns in the Oblique Case ....................................................... 32
F. Nouns and Pronouns in the Oblique Case as the Object of a
Preposition ................................................................................................. 33
G. Pronouns in the Oblique Case as the Goal of the Sentence................... 36
H. The Adverbial Uses of the Oblique Case ................................................. 36
1. The Days of the Week in the Oblique Case.......................................... 36
2. The Periods of the Day in the Oblique Case ........................................ 37
3. The Months in the Oblique Case ............................................................ 38
4. The Seasons in the Oblique Case ........................................................... 39
I. The Numbers .................................................................................................. 39
J. Ordinal Numbers ........................................................................................... 42
V. Vocative Case Endings ............................................................................. 44
VI. Imperative .................................................................................................... 44
VII. Verb Tenses ................................................................................................ 45
A. Present Tense ................................................................................................ 45
1. Compound Verbs ...................................................................................... 49
2. Present Tense to Convey Present Progressive Meaning ..................... 50
3. Present Tense to Convey Present Perfect Progressive Meaning ....... 51
4. Subjunctive Mood and Its Use in the Present Tense ........................... 53
a) Present Tense Optative Mood with Bila and Ka ............................. 55
b) The Use of the Subordinating Conjunction da ku ........................... 56
B. Future Tense.................................................................................................. 57
C. Simple Past Tense ........................................................................................ 61
1. Intransitive Verbs ..................................................................................... 61
2. Transitive Verbs ....................................................................................... 63
D. Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense ....................................................... 66
1. Intransitive Verbs ..................................................................................... 66
2. Transitive Verbs ....................................................................................... 67
3. Past Progressive Tense to Convey Past Perfect Progressive
Meaning ...................................................................................................... 69
E. Present Perfect Tense ................................................................................... 71
1. Intransitive Verbs ..................................................................................... 71
2. Transitive Verbs ....................................................................................... 73
3. Present Perfect Tense to Convey Present Perfect Progressive
Meaning ...................................................................................................... 75
F. Past Perfect Tense ........................................................................................ 76

1. Intransitive Verbs ..................................................................................... 76

2. Transitive Verbs ....................................................................................... 78
VIII. The Passive Voice.................................................................................... 79
A. Passive Present Tense ................................................................................. 80
B. Passive Future Tense ................................................................................... 82
C. Passive Simple Past Tense .......................................................................... 85
D. Passive Past Progressive Tense ................................................................. 86
E. Passive Present Perfect Tense..................................................................... 88
F. Passive Past Perfect Tense .......................................................................... 90
IX. Causative ....................................................................................................... 91
A. Causative Present Tense ............................................................................. 92
B. Causative Future Tense ............................................................................... 93
C. Causative Simple Past Tense ...................................................................... 94
D. Causative Past Progressive Tense ............................................................. 95
E. Causative Present Perfect Tense ................................................................ 97
F. Causative Past Perfect Tense ...................................................................... 98
X. Conditional .................................................................................................... 99
A. Present Tense Subjunctive .......................................................................... 99
B. Past Tense Subjunctive .............................................................................. 100
1. Intransitive Verbs ................................................................................... 100
2. Transitive Verbs ..................................................................................... 100
C. Conditional Sentences ............................................................................... 100
1. Present and Future Tenses Real Condition (True)............................. 101
2. Present and Past Tenses Unreal Condition (Untrue) ......................... 103
3. Optative Mood with Xwez .................................................................... 105
Part 2: Selections
1: Malbata Mrza Bot ................................................................................. 109
2: Qesra shak Paa tirba Ehmed Xan ................................................ 110
3: Li Amed festvala zarokan ................................................................... 112
4: end rewenbrn kurd .......................................................................... 114
5: Li Swsrey perwerdeya kurd .............................................................. 117
6: Li chan jin roja xwe cejn dikin .......................................................... 121
7: Li ser qursn ziman kurd yn taybet rewenbrn kurd ............. 123
8: Kerkk Kurdistan e bye serkaniyeka her bingeh ya
ragihandina kurd .................................................................................... 128
9: Kongreya Gel Kurdistan Abdullah Ocalan wek
serok gel kurd hilbijart..................................................................... 132
10: CD-Roma kurd ji bo zarokan ............................................................... 135
11: Li Amed het hezar zarok li keyan dixebitin ................................ 137
12: agirdn kurd Newroz proz dikin...................................................... 140
13: Ji bo hndekariya ziman kurd Kurdiya Njen derdikeve ................ 141
14: Kurd Paltalk .......................................................................................... 144

15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:

Ciwan Haco: Hema bjin mzka Ciwan ............................................ 147

Navenda PENa Kurd li dij serxwebna bakuriyan e .................. 152
Siyabend Xec ...................................................................................... 154
Salvegera 42emn a ewata snemeya Amd .................................... 158
Balafirn Kurdistan Airlines ber xwe didin ezmana .................... 160
Ala Kurd .................................................................................................. 161
Ji bo navn ku t de tpn w, x, q, hene destr nehat dayin ....... 163
Pirsgirka alfabey pniyazek .......................................................... 164
Di salvegeriya rojnamegeriya kurd de problemn
rojnamegeriya kurd ................................................................................ 167
Helbestvan hene, l weanxane tune ne ............................................... 170
Romana evn: Leyla Fgaro ................................................................. 173
roka kea kurd Fadia problma zewaca bi zor li Elmanyay .. 176
Li Vesoul du flmn kurd hatin xelatkirin ........................................ 178
UNICEF tirk bi hev re ken kurdan asmle dikin ........................ 180
ima ji zarokan re xwendina rokan girng e? .................................. 181
ima rojnamevan li Kurdistan p ve nae? .................................... 183
Ji poltkay revna Ciwan Haco xwekutina w ye ........................... 187

Part 3: Translations
1: Mr. Bots Family.................................................................................... 195
2: Ishak Paas Palace and the Tomb of Ehmed Xan .......................... 195
3: The Childrens Festival in Diyarbakir [Amed] ................................... 196
4: A Few Kurdish Scholars ........................................................................ 197
5: Kurdish Education in Switzerland ........................................................ 198
6: Throughout the World Women Celebrate Their Day ........................ 201
7: About Private Kurdish Language Courses and
Kurdish Intellectuals ............................................................................... 201
8: Kerkuk Kurdistan (web page) Has Become the Most
Fundamental Source of Kurdish Communication .............................. 204
9: The Kurdistan Peoples Congress Chose Abdullah Ocalan as
The President of the Kurdish People ................................................ 206
10: Kurdish CD-ROM for Children ............................................................ 207
11: Eight Thousand Children Work on Streets in Diyarbakir [Amed] .. 208
12: Kurdish Students Celebrate Newroz .................................................... 209
13: Kurdiya Njen [Modern Kurdish] is Coming Out for Kurdish
Language Teaching ................................................................................. 210
14: Kurds and Paltalk .................................................................................... 211
15: Ciwan Haco: Lets Call It Ciwans Music ...................................... 212
16: PEN Kurdish Center Opposes the Independence of Northerners .... 215
17: Siyabend and Khej .................................................................................. 216
18: The 42nd Anniversary of the Burning of Amuds Theater ............... 219
19: The Planes of the Kurdistan Airlines Are Heading Toward
the Skies ................................................................................................... 220
20: The Kurdish Flag .................................................................................... 220

21: Permission Was Not Given for Names Including the Letters W,
X, Q, and ................................................................................... 221
22: The Alphabet Problem and a Suggestion ............................................ 222
23: On the Anniversary of Kurdish Journalism the Problems of
Kurdish Journalism ................................................................................. 223
24: There Are Poets but There Are No Publishing Houses! ................... 225
25: The Romance Novel: Leyla Figaro ...................................................... 228
26: The Story of the Kurdish Girl Fadia and the Problem of Forced
Marriage in Germany ............................................................................. 229
27: Two Kurdish Films Awarded in Vesoul .............................................. 230
28: UNICEF and the Turks Together Assimilate the Kurdish Girls ...... 231
29: Why Is Reading Stories to Children Important? ................................ 232
30: Why Does Journalism in Kurdistan Fail to Make Progress? ............ 233
31: Ciwan Hacos Flight from Politics Will Be Suicide .......................... 235
Part 4: Glossary ............................................................................................... 241

Acknowledgments
This Kurmanji Reader has been a few years in the making. Although it is
not a grammar book, it has an extensive grammar section in addition to its
thirty-one selections and vocabularies. The ideas expressed in the selections
are those of the authors in their respective articles and they are not intended
to represent the position of the author of this book.
During the writing process, many people offered me valuable help with this
project. For his assistance in choosing appropriate articles and his
continuous support, I am grateful to Mr. Thomas Creamer. I owe a great
deal to Ms. Laura Boulden for her thorough review of this book and
invaluable corrections and suggestions to improve the quality of this book.
I would like to acknowledge Mr. Jack Jones, Ms. Erin Gyomber, and Ms.
Carole Breakstone for their expert editing work. I would also like to thank
Mr. Aung Kyaw Oo for formatting the book, and Mr. Mark Jeon for his
help in recording the articles.
I am indebted to Mr. Baran Rizgar for the long, valuable conversations we
had over the phone and the Internet about Kurmanji grammar. I am also
indebted to the editors of Kurdish newspapers, magazines, and web sites
who let me use their news and articles; I would like to thank Mr. efik
Beyaz, the former president of the Istanbul Kurdish Institute; Mr. Rojhat
Amed of Peyama Kurd; Mr. Haydar Diljen of dibistanakurdi.com; Mr.
Arif Zrevan of nefel.com and kerkuk-kurdistan.com; Mr. Srwan Hec
Berko of amude.net; Mr. Rbiwar Premrd of rojev.com; Mr. Tayp Temel
of Azadiya Welat; and Mr. Ali Riza Vural of Doz Publishing House. I must
also thank my students at the Inlingua Language Center for all their help.
Most of all, I am eternally grateful to Dr. Michael L. Chyet, who reviewed
numerous drafts of this book and each time provided me with invaluable
comments, suggestions, improvements, and corrections that I have
incorporated into my work. It has been a great privilege and source of
confidence to have Michaels support in this project.
A special thanks to my wife Dawin for her encouragement and constant
support during this project.

Introduction
This Kurdish newspaper reader is the latest addition to a small corpus of
resources available to advanced student of Kurdish.
The articles that Mr. Ekici has chosen for this Kurmanji newspaper reader
are timely, and the topics reflected in them give a good idea of how varied
Kurdish life is today. The additional explanatory notes which have been
provided -- some about cultural matters, others about grammatical points
add to the books value. The world of Kurdish studies welcomes a work
such as this, showing things as they are in the first decade of the 21st
Century. A great deal of effort has been put into this impressive
undertaking: the newness of the material is truly refreshing.
With the exception of the correction of obvious typographical errors, the
articles have been taken word for word as they appeared in their original
format: grammatical inaccuracies have not been altered, although they are
pointed out and discussed in the notes. This means that the spelling of
certain words may vary from one article to the next, an inevitable situation
in a language as rich in multiformity and regional variation as Kurmanji
Kurdish. The vocabulary also manifests variability, as some writers borrow
liberally from Sorani, while others refrain from this practice.
The articles in this volume have been limited to publications and web sites
that use the Latin orthography for Kurdish, although Kurmanji is also
written in the Arabic script in Iraq and Iran (but not in Syria, interestingly
enough, where it is written in the Latin script), and at least until recently in
a modified Cyrillic script in the lands of the former Soviet Union (Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan).
The very first Kurdish reader was Alexandre Jabas Recueil de notices et
rcits kourdes servant la connaissance de la langue, de la littrature et
des tribus du Kourdistan, runis et traduits en franais published in St.
Petersburg, Russia in 1860. It was in Kurmanji, the northern dialect of
Kurdish, and consisted of 40 texts in Arabic script, accompanied by French
translations. (A reprint edition is available through APA-Philo Press,
Amsterdam.) Not until 1959 did the first modern Kurdish reader for
foreigners appear, in the guise of Stig Wikanders Recueil de textes
kourmandji, which was published in Uppsala. It contained only the texts
themselves, without accompanying translations, vocabularies, or
explanatory notes. This was reprinted in Istanbul in 1992 under the Kurdish
title Berhevoka Kurd, without any editorial changes whatsoever. In 1968,
Joyce Blau published a small volume entitled Kurdish Kurmandji Modern
Texts: Introduction, Selection and Glossary, which includes a glossary. Her
iii

Manuel de kurde: Kurmanji, co-authored with Veysi Barak and published

in 1999, contains a larger number of reading passages, with French
translations and vocabulary. Geoffrey Haigs Corpus of Kurmanji Texts on
CD-ROM consists of texts from two Kurdish publications, the weekly
newspaper Azadiya Welat published in Istanbul, and CTV, a company
broadcasting news items in Kurdish on the internet. The material in it
covers the decade of the 1990s.
This survey would be incomplete without the mention of several important
Sorani readers. Sorani is the dialect of central Kurdistan, with its own
written tradition in the Arabic script. In 1967 at the University of Michigan,
Jamal Jalal Abdulla and Ernest McCarus published three Sorani Kurdish
readers (1. Newspaper Kurdish.- 2. Kurdish essays.- 3. Kurdish short
stories) together with a textbook and glossary. These readers, which are
still in print, and badly in need of an updated second edition, are
accompanied by helpful vocabularies and a battery of comprehension
exercises. These are still an essential part of the training of any serious
student of Sorani. Joyce Blaus Manuel de kurde: (dialecte sorani)
appeared in 1980 and the second edition, renamed Methode de kurde:
Sorani appeared in 2000. Both contain several texts with French
translation, as well as a glossary.
It is a privilege and an honor to present this new contribution to Kurdish
studies to the public. I have gotten to know Deniz Ekicis work over the
past few years. He belongs to a new breed of Kurdologist, a native speaker
with a respect for the difference between his native dialect and the
standardized language that is in the process of being formed. Deniz has
several years of experience teaching Kurmanji to foreigners. He is one of
an all too small group of native speakers who can do so with an awareness
of the grammatical rules that few of his compatriots take seriously.
The book includes a pronunciation key, grammatical explanations with
examples taken from the readings in the book, and vocabularies. Because
of the English translations, this reader will be of use to people interested in
the Middle East who have no knowledge of Kurdish, as well as to the
increasing number of students of Kurdish language and culture.
Michael L. Chyet
Washington, D.C.
February 2007

iv

Users Guide
The selections of text are a reflection of the richness of the Kurdish
language. Due to the various socio-political and cultural factors from which
it has been forged, along with its lengthy history, contemporary Kurdish
includes both a vast number of words which vary in origin as well as an
assortment of grammatical constructions. The variation in word choice,
spelling, and grammar is often regional, as is reflected in the fact that the
authors of the selections are from different areas of Kurdistan. It is
important for the language learner to be aware of these variations, as he/she
will encounter them in daily interactions. However, there is also a
movement towards standardization of Kurmanji, and it is important for the
language learner to prioritize his or her production in accordance with the
conventions accepted as standard Kurmanji. While the selections and the
recordings reflect the original text, the footnotes present alternative word
choices or sentence constructions that are in accordance with standard
Kurmanji. Any disparities between the recordings and the original text,
such as clarifications and the written format of numbers, are marked with
brackets to indicate the authors edits.
One of these varieties that has had significant influence on Kurmanji
Kurdish spoken in Turkey is that of the Behdnan region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Centered around the cities of Zakho and Dohuk, the Behdn (also referred
to as Southern) variety has also influenced the Kurmanji spoken in some
areas of Turkey, in particular, Hakkari [Colemerg]. Due to the fact that
students may encounter this influence, the differences of the Behdn
variety have been noted in the grammar. Moreover selections one, eight,
ten, and thirty exhibit some Behdn preferences, particularly in the usage
of the ezafeh construction and ways of expressing possession.
The reading selections have been translated in a way that is as faithful to
the source material as possible in order to reflect the precise contextual
meaning of the source material while maintaining a fluid translation.
Since it is not feasible to provide the definition of each word in each article,
newspaper readers are used with relevant dictionaries that serve as
supplementary material. In this Kurmanji Reader, I have tried to provide
only a few phrases, some idioms, and essential words in the vocabulary
section of each article. Thus, Dr. Michael L. Chyets comprehensive
Kurdish-English dictionary will serve as a complement to the lessons
presented here. All the words whose definitions cannot be found in the
vocabulary section can be found in Dr. Chyets dictionary.
The reader will note that throughout the various texts, words referring to
regions, such as North, South, et cetera are used. Kurds commonly use
v

these references to indicate the political country within which that area of
Kurdistan falls. These designations are as follows:
Bar Kurdistan = Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan
Bar Rojavay Kurdistan = Southwest (Syrian) Kurdistan
Bakur Kurdistan = Northern (Turkish) Kurdistan
Rojhilat Kurdistan = Eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan
Moreover, the Kurdish word for cities and towns is presented in brackets so
that the reader will become accustomed to how Kurds refer to a particular
place.
In each grammar section, after the examples with pronouns as the subject
and objects of the verb, you will find at least two additional examples with
proper nouns -Berfn (female) and Ferho (male) - to show how the proper
nouns are treated when they are in different positions in the sentence.

Abbreviations
adj.
adv.
cf.
conj.
f.
lit.
m.&f.
m.
pl.
prep.
s.o.
s.t.
vi.
vt.
v.

adjective
adverb
compare
conjunction
feminine
literally
masculine and feminine
masculine
plural
preposition
someone
something
intransitive verb
transitive verb
verb

vi

References
Bedir Xan, Celadet Al. (1998). Elfabya Kurd & Bingehn Gramera
Kurdmanc. stanbul: Doz Press.
Bedir Xan, Emir Celadet & Lescot, Roger. (1991). Krte Dil Bilgisi
(Kurmanc). 3. Bask. stanbul: Doz Press.
Bedir Xan, Kamuran. (1997). Kolay Krte. 2. Bask. stanbul: Doz Press
Chyet, Michael L. (2003). Kurdish-English Dictionary: Ferhenga
Kurmanc-nglz. New Haven: Yale University Press.
. Em Hn Kurmanc Dibin unpublished grammar texts.
eleb, Ferddon Dr.and Sipka, Danko Dr. (2002). Kurmanji KurdishEnglish Glossary. Springfield: Dunwoody Press.
Farqn, Zana. (2000). Trke-Krte Szlk. Istanbul: Istanbul Kurdish
Institute Publications
. (2004). Ferhenga Kurd-Tirk. Istanbul: Istanbul Kurdish Institute
Publications.
Kurdo, Qanat. (1991). Gramera Zman Kurdi; kurmanci-sorani. Istanbul:
Koral.
Redhouse Byk Elszl; ngilizce-Trke/Trke-ngilizce, (2000).
stanbul: Sev Press.
zel, eto. (2004). Kurdiya Njen. Istanbul: Istanbul Kurdish Institute
Publications.
Rizgar, Baran. (1996). A Multi-Level Course in Kurmanji: Learn Kurdish:
Dersn Kurd. London: Baran Rizgar.
Saadallah, Salah. (2000). Saladins English-Kurdish Dictionary. Istanbul:
Avesta Press.
Tan, Sam. (2000). Waneyn Reziman Kurmanc. Stenbol: Welat
Publications.
Varl, Sadk & ler, kram et al. (1992). Kurdiya Hsa. Istanbul: Istanbul
Kurdish Institute Publications.
Zrevan, Arif. (1997). Bingehn Rastnivsandina Kurdiy (Kirmanc).
Stockholm: Nefel Publications.

vii

Sources of the Selections

Amude Web site (Haltern, Germany, 2002 -) [A Kurdish web site
broadcasting news items on the Internet] at: amude.net
Azadiya Welat, (Istanbul, 1996-) [A daily Kurdish newspaper]
at:www.azadiyawelat.com
Bedir Xan, Kamuran. 1997. Kolay Krte. Second Edition. stanbul: Doz
Press.
Beyaz, efik. Gulan, 2004. Li Ser Qursn Taybet n Ziman Kurd
Rewenbrn Kurd. Zend (magazine) Issue: 1.
Dibistana Kurd (Vsters, Sweden, 2000 -) [a web page established by
Haydar Diljen to preserve and develop the Kurdish language] at:
www.dibistanakurdi.com
Kerkuk Kurdistan e Web site (Stockholm, 2002 -) [A Kurdish web site that
broadcasts news items on the Internet] at: www.kerkuk-kurdistan.com
Nefel Web site (Stockholm, 1997 -) [A Kurdish web site that broadcasts
news items on the Internet] at: www.nefel.com
Peyama Kurd (Bonn, 2004 -) [A weekly Kurdish newspaper publishing
news items in Kurmanji, Dimili, and Sorani]
Rojev (Istanbul, 2003-2004) [A Kurdish web site that broadcast news items
on the Internet] at: rojev.com
Varl, Sadk & ler, kram et al. 1992. Kurdiya Hsa. Istanbul: Istanbul
Kurdish Institute Publications.

viii

Grammar

Grammar
The Kurmanji Alphabet and Pronunciation Key
The Kurmanji alphabet consists of 31 letters; 8 vowels, and 23 consonants
as follows.
Alphabets

Pronounciation Key

Example

Vowels
A, a
E, e
,
I, i
,
O, o
U, u
,

as in car
as in pen
as in fake
as in dim
as in seek
as in boat
as in wing
as in cool

adar, sal
endam, xale
, hja
inirn, xizan
ro, pvaz
olan, bablsok
urf, kurmanc
ris, p

Consonants
B, b
C, c
,
D, d
F, f
G, g
H, h
J, j
K, k
L, l
M, m
N, n
P, p
Q, q
R, r
S, s
,
T, t
V, v
W, w
X, x
Y, y
Z, z

as in book
as in John
as in cheap
as in door
as in far
as in bargain
as in ahead
as in leisure, casual
as in kite
as in lock
as in morning
as in net
as in poll
as Arabic ( qaf)
as Arabic ( ra)
as in sad
as in shake
as in ten
as in victory
as in wide
as in German ch auch
as in young (always consonant)
as in zoo

bira, Mehabad
carinan, encam
ar, kue
derew, kendal
Farqn, serfiraz
gazin, belengaz
heval, dahol
jyan, bajar
Kurdistan, hk
leheng, balgf
mijar, name
navdar, evn
payz, gopal
qawe, paqij
ronah, zarok
serma, hesp
ev, pek
taz, bazin
vala, havn
wne, bawer
xk, tax
yar, neynok
zava, bazin

Grammar
Case Terminology
There are only three cases in Kurmanji: the nominative (direct case), the
oblique case, and the vocative case. To lessen the confusion that may arise
among students familiar only with English grammar, the term possessive
will be used when the noun or pronoun appears in an obvious possessive
usage, e.g., my friend or friend of mine. The term oblique will be used in
all other circumstances of this case. The term nominative will be used
throughout.
I. PERSONAL PRONOUNS
In Kurmanji, there are two groups of pronouns.
A. Nominative Case Personal Pronouns
Ez
Tu
Ew

I
You
He, she, it

Em
Hn
Ew

We
You (pl.)
They

These nominative pronouns are used, as they are in English, to show the
person and number of verbs.
The verb bn (to be) is conjugated in the present tense as follows.
Ez
Tu
Ew
Em
Hn
Ew

im

e
in
in
in

I am
You are
He, She, It is
We are
You (pl.) are
They are

before vowel:

Ez
Tu
Ew
Em
Hn
Ew

me
y
ye
ne
ne
ne

Note: In Kurmanji, the word order is subject + object + verb.

Ez xwendekar
Tu xwendekar
Ew xwendekar
Em xwendekar
Hn xwendekar
Ew xwendekar

im.
.
e.
in. 1
in.
in.

I am a student.
You are a student.
He/she is a student.
We are students.
You (pl.) are students.
They are students.

[lit: I student am]

You student are.
He/She student is.
We students are.
You students are.
They students are.

In Behdn, in becomes n in the first person plural, e.g., em xwendekar n.

Grammar
As stated above, if the noun ends with a vowel, the personal endings are as
follows:
im becomes me
becomes y
e becomes ye
in becomes ne
The noun mamosta [teacher] ends with a vowel.
Ez mamosta
Tu mamosta
Ew mamosta
Em mamosta
Hn mamosta
Ew mamosta

me.
y.
ye.
ne. 2
ne.
ne.

I am a teacher.
Yor are a teacher.
He/she is a teacher.
We are teachers.
You (pl.) are teachers.
They are teachers.

B. Possessive (Oblique Case) Pronouns

Min
Te
W
W

I, my, mine
You, your, yours
He, it, his, its (masculine)
She, it, her, its, hers (feminine)

Me
We
Wan

We, our, ours

You, your, yours (pl.)
They, their, theirs

II. EZAFEH (NOUN CONNECTOR)

All Kurmanji nouns have grammatical gender. Thus, a Kurmanji noun is
either masculine or feminine. Masculine nouns require the ending ,
feminine ones require a, and the plural of both masculine and feminine
require n. These endings are called ezafeh. The gender of a noun cannot
be deduced from the bare form (i.e., without ezafeh) as in pirtk sor (book
red).
In two instances these endings (ezafeh) can be used: (1) to indicate the
possessive (genitive) case, that is, when a noun precedes pronouns such as
min, te, w, and (2) when a modifier modifies a noun, i.e., pirtka sor (the
red book). It is not possible to make a possessive determiner or to modify
or qualify a noun without these connectors.
In the second part of an ezafeh construction, nouns and pronouns should be
in the oblique case.
2

In Behdn ne becomes yne in the first person plural, e.g., em mamosta yne.