50 Essential Kurdish Words and Their Meanings: A Beginner’s Kurmanji Guide

Ferdi Elmas

2–3 minutes

–

Oct·22·2026

This beginner-friendly list introduces 50 useful words and short expressions in Kurmanji, a major variety of Kurdish commonly written in a Latin-based alphabet. Kurdish has several varieties, so these entries should not be assumed to match Sorani spelling or usage exactly. Some words also have different meanings depending on context and region.

1. Greetings and polite expressions

Kurmanji	English
1. Silav	Hello / greetings
2. Roj baş	Good day
3. Şev baş	Good evening / good night (context-dependent)
4. Spas	Thanks
5. Ji kerema xwe	Please
6. Bibore	Sorry / excuse me
7. Bi xatirê te	Goodbye (to one person; usage varies)
8. Erê	Yes
9. Na	No
10. Baş	Good / well

2. People and everyday life

Kurmanji	English
11. Ez	I
12. Tu	You (singular)
13. Em	We
14. Heval	Friend
15. Mal	Home / house
16. Malbat	Family
17. Zarok	Child
18. Mêr	Man / husband (context-dependent)
19. Jin	Woman / wife (context-dependent)
20. Nav	Name

3. Common things and places

Kurmanji	English
21. Av	Water
22. Nan	Bread
23. Çay	Tea
24. Xwarin	Food / eating
25. Derî	Door
26. Pirtûk	Book
27. Dibistan	School
28. Bajar	City / town
29. Gund	Village
30. Rê	Road / way

4. Useful describing words

Kurmanji	English
31. Mezin	Big
32. Biçûk	Small
33. Nû	New
34. Kevin	Old
35. Xweş	Nice / pleasant / delicious (context-dependent)
36. Germ	Warm / hot
37. Sar	Cold
38. Zû	Fast / early
39. Dereng	Late
40. Hêsan	Easy

5. Useful verbs and question words

Kurmanji	English
41. Çûn	To go
42. Hatîn	To come
43. Xwarin	To eat
44. Vexwarin	To drink
45. Dîtin	To see
46. Kirin	To do / make
47. Çi?	What?
48. Kî?	Who?
49. Kîjan?	Which?
50. Çawa?	How?

6. Put a few words into sentences

Silav! — Hello!
Roj baş! — Good day!
Tu çawa yî? — How are you? (informal singular)
Ez baş im. — I am well.
Navê min Ferhad e. — My name is Ferhad. (Example name used for language practice.)
Spas! — Thank you!
Av dixwazim. — I want water. (A simple example; phrasing can vary by context.)

Pronunciation tip: Kurmanji letters such as ç, ş, ê, î and û represent important sound distinctions. Listen to recordings as well as reading a list. Pronunciation guides generated by text-to-speech may be useful for practice but should not replace recordings and feedback from proficient speakers.

7. Practice routine

Learn five words at a time rather than memorizing all 50 in one session.
Say each word aloud and use it in a short phrase.
Review the words the next day, then again after a week.
Keep Kurmanji and Sorani notes separate if you are studying both.
Ask a fluent speaker to check pronunciation and regional usage where possible.

Further learning and sources

Kurdish Language & Learning