Kurdish words, dialects and culture.
Short reads for learners: everyday phrases, how Kurmancî and Soranî differ, where the alphabet came from and the traditions behind the language.
Add ZimanGo as a preferred source on GoogleSee more of our articles in Google's Top Stories.How to say hello in Kurdish: Kurmancî and Soranî greetings
Silav! Learn the greetings Kurds use every day, from good morning to goodbye, in both Kurmancî and Soranî.
Read more · How to say hello in Kurdish: Kurmancî and Soranî greetings
Words & phrases
Greetings, numbers, family words and the sentences you will use first.
- How to say hello in Kurdish: Kurmancî and Soranî greetingsSilav! Learn the greetings Kurds use every day, from good morning to goodbye, in both Kurmancî and Soranî.
- Thank you in Kurdish: Spas, please, sorry and moreSpas! Learn how to say thank you, please, you’re welcome and sorry in Kurdish, and when to use each, in both Kurmancî and Soranî.
- How are you in Kurdish? Tu çawa yî? and how to replyTu çawa yî? Learn how to ask “how are you?” in Kurmancî and Soranî, how to answer on good and bad days, and how to ask back.
- How to introduce yourself in Kurdish: “My name is…”Navê min Aram e means “My name is Aram”. Learn to introduce yourself in Kurmancî and Soranî, with the one small rule behind every sentence.
- I love you in Kurdish: Kurmancî and Soranî words of loveEz hez dikim means both “I love” and “I like”. Learn how to say I love you in Kurdish, plus the words for love and heart and the warmest heart idioms.
- 50 basic Kurdish phrases for beginners: Kurmancî and SoranîFifty short phrases you can use from your first day: greetings, polite words, questions, food, shopping, time and feelings, in Kurmancî and Soranî.
- Kurdish numbers from 1 to 10: count in Kurmancî and SoranîYek, du, sê! Count from one to ten in Kurmancî and Soranî, then use the numbers to tell the time, give your age and ask a price.
- Days of the week in Kurdish, plus months and seasonsDuşem, Sêşem, Çarşem: learn the Kurdish days of the week in Kurmancî and Soranî, with today, tomorrow, times of day and the seasons.
- Family words in Kurdish: mother, father, brother, sisterMalbat means family in Kurmancî. Learn mother, father, brother, sister, grandparents, uncles and aunts in Kurmancî and Soranî, and how to introduce them.
The Kurdish language
Alphabet, grammar and how Kurmancî and Soranî compare.
- Kurmancî (Kurmanji) vs Soranî: what is the difference?Two big Kurdish dialects, two alphabets. See how Kurmancî and Soranî differ in script, grammar and everyday words, and which one to learn first.
- The Kurdish alphabet: Latin and Arabic scripts explainedKurdish is written in two main alphabets. Meet all 31 Kurmancî Latin letters, the extra letters of the Soranî script, and the story of why both exist.
- Is Kurdish hard to learn? An honest answerKurdish is easier to start than many people think, and a few parts take patience. Here is what is easy, what takes time and how your background changes the answer.
- Kurdish grammar basics: word order, ezafe and genderKurdish puts the verb last and links words with a small ending called the ezafe. Learn the core patterns of Kurmancî and Soranî grammar with real examples.
- 29 Kurdish idioms and expressions: what they meanA cold heart, red eyes and a white face: learn 29 Kurdish idioms in Kurmancî and Soranî, with their literal picture and their real meaning.
- What is Kurdish? The language, its dialects and speakersA clear introduction to Kurdish: its language family, speakers, the main dialects and how it is written.
- Translate to Kurdish and Kurdish to English: a practical guideTranslating Kurdish starts with choosing the dialect. Here is a five-step guide with a starter word list.
Dialects
Kurmancî, Soranî, Behdînî, Zazakî, Hewramî and how they fit together.
- Kurdish dialects explained: Kurmancî, Soranî and moreKurdish is not spoken the same way everywhere. Here is a clear map of the main Kurdish dialects, where people speak them and how they differ.
- What is Behdînî (Badini Kurdish)? The Kurmancî of DuhokBehdînî, often spelled Badini, is the Kurmancî of Duhok, Zakho and Amêdî. Here is where the name comes from, how it is written and what makes it sound different.
- Zazakî (Kirmanckî): the Zaza language and its speakersZazakî, also known as Kirmanckî or Dimilî, is spoken in eastern Anatolia and by Zaza families abroad. Here is where it lives, how it is written and how it relates to Kurdish.
- Hewramî (Gorani): the language of the Hawraman mountainsHigh in the Hawraman mountains, Hewramî (Gorani) was once a great language of Kurdish poetry. Meet its places, its poets and its sounds.
Culture & history
Newroz, dengbêj, literature, names, food and the people who shaped the language.
- Who are the Kurds? People, language and homelandAn estimated 30 to 45 million Kurds live across the mountains of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria and around the world. Here is a simple introduction to their homeland, language, faiths and traditions.
- Newroz: the Kurdish New Year, Kawa’s legend and traditionsFires on the hills, long lines of dancers and picnics in the spring sunshine: this is Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, and the legend of Kawa the blacksmith behind it.
- Who created the Kurdish alphabet? Celadet Bedirxan and HawarIn 1932, Celadet Alî Bedirxan presented a Latin alphabet for Kurdish in his Damascus journal Hawar. Here is how it came about, and how Kurds wrote before and beside it.
- Mem û Zîn and the classics of Kurdish literatureA short tour of Kurdish literature, from Ehmedê Xanî’s love story Mem û Zîn to the poets and novelists who carried Kurdish writing into the modern age.
- Dengbêj: the Kurdish storytellers who sing historyFor generations, Kurdish singer-storytellers called dengbêj have carried love stories, laments and history in their voices alone. Meet the tradition and its great names.
- Kurdish names and what they mean: girl and boy namesMany Kurdish names are everyday words: hope, rain, star, mountain. Here are Kurdish girl names, boy names and names for both, with what each one means.
- Kurdish food: favourite dishes and the words to order themDolma, kutilk, warm nan and sweet black tea: meet the best-known dishes of Kurdish cuisine and learn the words to order them in Kurmancî and Soranî.
- Kurdish music: instruments, singers and words to learnFrom dengbêj tales to dance songs: a short guide to Kurdish music, instruments and singers.
- Kurdish cinema: directors, themes and film wordsA short guide to Kurdish cinema, its directors and themes, with film words to learn.
Kurdish & technology
Typing Kurdish, speech recognition and Kurdish in the age of AI.
- Kurdish AI: teaching computers a low-resource languageKurdish has an estimated 20 to 30 million speakers but little data for computers to learn from. Here is what that means for speech recognition, voices and translation.
- Kurdish keyboard: type Kurdish letters on phone and computerNeed an ê or a ş? Here is how to type every Kurmancî and Soranî letter on your phone and computer, using the keyboards that are already built in.
Learning tips
Habits and ideas for learners, heritage speakers and families.
- Learning Kurdish as a heritage speaker: where to startYou understand your grandmother, but your answers come out in German, Swedish or English? Here is how heritage speakers can build on the Kurdish they already have.
- How to learn Kurdish in 10 minutes a day: a simple routineTen focused minutes a day can take you further than one long session a week. Here is a simple routine for Kurmancî and Soranî, and what to expect.
- How to teach kids Kurdish at home: a guide for parentsChildren learn Kurdish best at home. Here are simple habits for diaspora families, from bedtime phrases and songs to house labels and calls with grandparents.
- Kurdish school: vocabulary and where Kurdish is taughtSchool vocabulary in Kurdish plus a short guide to where children and adults learn the language.
Start learning Kurdish today
Em dest pê bikin! (Let's begin!)
