Thank you in Kurdish: Spas, please, sorry and more

“Thank you” is often the first thing people want to learn in a new language, and in Kurdish it is a short word: Spas. This guide covers thank you, please, you’re welcome and sorry in Kurmancî (Northern Kurdish, written in Latin letters) and Soranî (Central Kurdish, written in an Arabic-based script). Every phrase below comes from the ZimanGo lessons.

Spas: the everyday thank you

Spas /spas/ سپاس spas Thank you

Spas is the word you will use most often. It works with friends, family, teachers and strangers alike.

The word is shared by both dialects. Soranî writes it سپاس. You will also see the spelling سوپاس supas, and the lessons use both.

Thank you very much

To give a bigger thanks, add gelek in Kurmancî. In Soranî, add زۆر zor. Both mean “a lot” or “very”.

Sipas dikim is a full sentence, “I thank you”, and gives your thanks a little more weight than the single word. Na sipas is how you politely turn down an offer, such as a second cup of tea.

When someone asks how you are, you can thank them in the same breath: Ez baş im, te spas. You will find more answers in our guide to how are you in Kurdish.

Please: Ji kerema xwe

Ji kerema xwe تکایە tikaye Please

Ji kerema xwe literally means “from your kindness”. It is longer than the English word, but you use it in the same places: ordering food, asking for help or inviting someone in.

In Soranî, the everyday word for please is تکایە tikaye. It is short and easy to add to any request.

Look at where “please” sits. Kurmancî can put ji kerema xwe at the start or at the end of a request. In these Soranî examples, تکایە usually comes first.

You’re welcome: Kerem ke

Kerem ke فەرموو fermû You’re welcome

The lessons teach Kerem ke in Kurmancî for “you’re welcome”. In Soranî, they teach فەرموو fermû.

At heart, both are a polite “please, go ahead”. Kerem means kindness or generosity, the same word you saw in ji kerema xwe.

That is why you will hear them most when someone offers you something. A host says them when handing you a glass of tea (“here you are”) or inviting you to sit down or come in.

Sorry and excuse me: Bibore

Bibore /biˈboɾɛ/ ببورە bibûre Sorry

Bibore literally asks the other person to forgive you, and the Soranî ببورە works the same way. In everyday speech both cover “sorry” and “excuse me”, for example when you bump into someone or need to get a stranger’s attention.

Min bibexşîne literally means “forgive me”. It is a fuller way to say sorry or to ask someone to excuse you. In Soranî, لێم ببورە adds “me” to the same verb as the short form.

To apologise for something specific, start with the short word and then say what happened, as in the second and third rows of the table.

When someone says sorry to you, answer kindly with Tiştek nîne, “it’s nothing”. In Soranî, say هیچ نییە.

A short polite exchange

Here is how the phrases fit together on a short visit to a friend’s home.

Use the dialect of the people you will talk to. Our comparison of Kurmancî and Soranî explains the differences, and ZimanGo teaches both. For your next step, learn the Kurdish greetings or browse our list of common Kurdish phrases.