Kurmanji Grammar Series 02: Kurdish Numbers — Complete Guide, Ordinals, Fractions and Exercises

Kurmanji Grammar Series — Lesson 02. A complete English-language introduction to Kurdish numerals: counting from 0 to 100, hundreds and thousands, ordinal numbers, number–noun grammar, fractions, percentages, time, age, money, regional variation, and practice exercises.

Free PDF workbook: Download the complete 22-page Numbers in Kurmanji PDF (A4; exercises and answer key). The downloadable workbook includes expanded tables and a separate full exercise section.

What will you learn?

Write any basic cardinal number from zero to a million.
Understand the grammar of numbers before nouns and how Kurmanji differs from English.
Distinguish cardinal and ordinal numbers such as sê / sêyemîn.
Use numbers when discussing prices, ages, dates, time, measurements, fractions, and percentages.
Recognize important regional variants instead of memorizing one misleading universal “Kurdish” list.
Apply the rules in conversations, exercises, and self-study.

Scope: This lesson is about Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) in a consistent Latin-based Hawar spelling system. Sorani and other Kurdish varieties have distinct forms and should not be treated as identical.

1. Cardinal numbers (hejmar): 0–20

A cardinal number answers “How many?” Start with the basic numeral roots. For two and three, the ordinary short forms du and sê are typical before nouns; extended forms such as didu/dido and sisê also occur in counting and regional usage.

Number	Kurmanji	English
0	sifir	zero
1	yek	one
2	du	two
3	sê	three
4	çar	four
5	pênc	five
6	şeş	six
7	heft	seven
8	heşt	eight
9	neh	nine
10	deh	ten
11	yanzdeh	eleven
12	diwanzdeh	twelve
13	sêzdeh	thirteen
14	çardeh	fourteen
15	panzdeh	fifteen
16	şanzdeh	sixteen
17	hevdeh	seventeen
18	hejdeh	eighteen
19	nozdeh	nineteen
20	bîst	twenty

Memory advice: Learn 11–19 as a group. Common forms such as yanzdeh (11), diwanzdeh (12), and hevdeh (17) do not follow a perfectly transparent formula for a beginning learner.

2. Tens and the number-building rule

Number	Kurmanji
20	bîst
30	sî
40	çil
50	pêncî
60	şêst
70	heftê
80	heştê
90	nod
100	sed

For compound tens, the normal learning pattern is TENS + û + UNIT. Û means “and”: 21 = bîst û yek, 46 = çil û şeş, and 99 = nod û neh.

Number	Kurmanji	Composition
21	bîst û yek	20 + 1
32	sî û du	30 + 2
44	çil û çar	40 + 4
57	pêncî û heft	50 + 7
69	şêst û neh	60 + 9
73	heftê û sê	70 + 3
88	heştê û heşt	80 + 8
99	nod û neh	90 + 9

3. Complete 0–100 Kurmanji number reference

The following full chart lists every number from 21 to 100. Read the table in columns; use the PDF version if you prefer a printable reference.

Number	Kurmanji	Number	Kurmanji
21	bîst û yek	61	şêst û yek
22	bîst û du	62	şêst û du
23	bîst û sê	63	şêst û sê
24	bîst û çar	64	şêst û çar
25	bîst û pênc	65	şêst û pênc
26	bîst û şeş	66	şêst û şeş
27	bîst û heft	67	şêst û heft
28	bîst û heşt	68	şêst û heşt
29	bîst û neh	69	şêst û neh
30	sî	70	heftê
31	sî û yek	71	heftê û yek
32	sî û du	72	heftê û du
33	sî û sê	73	heftê û sê
34	sî û çar	74	heftê û çar
35	sî û pênc	75	heftê û pênc
36	sî û şeş	76	heftê û şeş
37	sî û heft	77	heftê û heft
38	sî û heşt	78	heftê û heşt
39	sî û neh	79	heftê û neh
40	çil	80	heştê
41	çil û yek	81	heştê û yek
42	çil û du	82	heştê û du
43	çil û sê	83	heştê û sê
44	çil û çar	84	heştê û çar
45	çil û pênc	85	heştê û pênc
46	çil û şeş	86	heştê û şeş
47	çil û heft	87	heştê û heft
48	çil û heşt	88	heştê û heşt
49	çil û neh	89	heştê û neh
50	pêncî	90	nod
51	pêncî û yek	91	nod û yek
52	pêncî û du	92	nod û du
53	pêncî û sê	93	nod û sê
54	pêncî û çar	94	nod û çar
55	pêncî û pênc	95	nod û pênc
56	pêncî û şeş	96	nod û şeş
57	pêncî û heft	97	nod û heft
58	pêncî û heşt	98	nod û heşt
59	pêncî û neh	99	nod û neh
60	şêst	100	sed

4. Hundreds, thousands, millions and large numbers

The main place-value words are sed (hundred), hezar (thousand), milyon (million), and milyar (billion). Multipliers normally precede magnitude terms: du sed means 200, and sê hezar means 3,000. Written compounds and local spacing conventions can vary.

Number	Kurmanji
100	sed
101	sed û yek
115	sed û panzdeh
125	sed û bîst û pênc
200	du sed
350	sê sed û pêncî
999	neh sed û nod û neh
1,000	hezar / yek hezar
1,001	hezar û yek
1,200	hezar û du sed
2,026	du hezar û bîst û şeş
4,507	çar hezar û pênc sed û heft
12,345	diwanzdeh hezar û sê sed û çil û pênc
100,000	sed hezar
1,000,000	milyon / yek milyon
2,000,000	du milyon
1,000,000,000	milyar

How to build a large number: Split the number into millions, thousands, hundreds, tens, and units. Say each non-zero place-value block from largest to smallest, joining the remaining blocks with û. A zero place is normally omitted inside ordinary quantity expressions.

5. Numbers with nouns: essential Kurmanji grammar

5.1 Cardinal + noun

In a common beginner construction, NUMERAL + NOUN is used. The noun frequently has a basic singular-looking form even when the English translation contains a plural noun.

Kurmanji	English
yek kitêb	one book
du kitêb	two books
sê zarok	three children
çar roj	four days
pênc mamoste	five teachers
deh sal	ten years
bîst pirtûk	twenty books

Do not mechanically add English-like plural morphology to every noun after a number. Longer expressions can involve case endings, Ezafe, and dialectal variation; this lesson teaches the usual simple patterns first.

5.2 Çend: How many or how much?

Kurmanji	English
Çend kitêb hene?	How many books are there?
Sê kitêb hene.	There are three books.
Tu çend salî yî?	How old are you?
Ez bîst û sê salî me.	I am twenty-three years old.
Ev çend e?	How much is this?

5.3 Yek is not the indefinite suffix -ek

Yek kitêb emphasizes a count of one book, whereas kitêbek may mean “a book.” They overlap in certain contexts but are not identical grammatical structures.

5.4 Ezafe and word order

Ordinary cardinal numerals normally precede the noun, while many attributes follow the noun in an Ezafe construction. Compare sê kitêb (“three books”) with kitêba yekem (“the first book”). Ezafe endings depend on gender, number, and the construction involved.

6. Ordinal numbers: first, second, third

Ordinal numbers express sequence or rank. Common modern forms include short -em and extended -emîn, with adjusted forms for particular word endings. Memorize yekem/yekemîn (first), duyem/duyemîn (second), and sêyem/sêyemîn (third).

Position	Short form	Extended form
1st	yekem	yekemîn
2nd	duyem	duyemîn
3rd	sêyem	sêyemîn
4th	çarem	çaremîn
5th	pêncem	pêncemîn
6th	şeşem	şeşemîn
7th	heftem	heftemîn
8th	heştem	heştemîn
9th	nehem	nehemîn
10th	dehem	dehemîn
11th	yanzdehem	yanzdehemîn
12th	diwanzdehem	diwanzdehemîn
20th	bîstem	bîstemîn
21st	bîst û yekem	bîst û yekemîn
22nd	bîst û duyem	bîst û duyemîn
30th	sîhem	sîhemîn

In compound ordinals, the last number element changes: bîst û yekemîn (twenty-first), not an ordinal of every individual component. Examples in phrases include roja yekem (“first day”), cara duyem (“second time”), and yekemîn roj (“first day”). Historical and regional Kurmanji also uses other ordinal formations.

7. Fractions, halves and quarters

Nîv means “half.” A quarter can be expressed as çarêk or çaryek in various usages. A general fractional expression can use ji plus a denominator form, as in ji çaran yek (“one out of four”).

Fraction	Kurmanji	English
½	nîv / nîvek	one half
⅓	sêyek / ji sêyan yek	one third
¼	çarêk / çaryek / ji çaran yek	one quarter
¾	ji çaran sê	three quarters
⅖	ji pêncan du	two fifths
1½	yek û nîv	one and a half
2½	du û nîv	two and a half

These are selected instructional forms; the pronunciation and some fraction formations vary across regional varieties and formal mathematics registers.

8. Percentages and decimals

The expression ji sedî literally indicates “out of a hundred.” Thus ji sedî pênc means 5%. Some users also say sedî pênc. Numerical notation is often the clearest choice in technical contexts.

Percent	Kurmanji
1%	ji sedî yek
5%	ji sedî pênc
25%	ji sedî bîst û pênc
50%	ji sedî pêncî
100%	ji sedî sed

Decimal symbols differ by international convention: English material often shows 2.5, whereas many European documents use 2,5. In everyday quantity speech, du û nîv (“two and a half”) naturally expresses 2.5. Arbitrary decimal pronunciations may use regionally borrowed terminology; there is no single neutral everyday reading for every community.

9. Age, prices, shopping and measurements

Kurmanji	English
Tu çend salî yî?	How old are you?
Ez hijdeh salî me.	I am eighteen years old.
Birayê min bîst û yek salî ye.	My brother is twenty-one years old.
Ev çend e?	How much is this?
Ev pênc euro ye.	This costs five euros.
Min du kitêb kirîn.	I bought two books.
Sê kîlo sêv dixwazim.	I want three kilograms of apples.
Pênc litre av	five liters of water

Age commonly uses NUMBER + salî + a copular form. Everyday shopping mixes Kurdish number forms with currency or measurement unit names that may be internationally borrowed. A code such as 405 may be read digit by digit as çar – sifir – pênc, rather than as the quantity çar sed û pênc.

10. Dates, calendar years and telling the time

Years can be read using the ordinary large-number system: 2026 = du hezar û bîst û şeş. A teaching form for 1999 is hezar û neh sed û nod û neh. In practice, shorter local readings also occur.

The Kurmanji words roj (day), meh (month), and sal (year) help frame dates. Month naming systems and calendar conventions differ among communities; an unambiguous written date such as 2026-10-28 can be useful for international readers.

A useful time question is Saet çend e? (“What time is it?”). Compare Saet sê ye (“It is three o’clock”) and Saet sê û nîv e (“It is half past three”). Expressions for minutes and quarters vary regionally; digital notation helps in precise contexts.

11. Frequency and distribution

Kurmanji	English
carek	once
du caran	twice
sê caran	three times
pir caran	many times / often
her car	every time
yek bi yek	one by one
du bi du	two by two
sê bi sê	three by three
cot bi cot	pair by pair

These are not ordinary quantity expressions. Du caran describes frequency, while du bi du indicates proceeding or grouping in pairs. International mathematical symbols (+, −, ×, ÷) can be used in written arithmetic.

12. Pronunciation and regional variants

Reference spelling	Alternative or comment
sifir (0)	zîro also occurs; words meaning “none” depend on context.
du (2)	didu / dido in counting or regional speech.
sê (3)	sisê in counting and some regional varieties.
yanzdeh (11)	yazdeh and other shortened forms.
diwanzdeh (12)	dwanzdeh / dozdeh / duwazdeh.
hevdeh (17)	hivdeh and other local forms.
hejdeh (18)	hijdeh and other local forms.
sî (30)	sih.
çil (40)	çel.
nod (90)	not.

The forms in this guide are intended to be consistent, not to declare other regionally attested spellings or pronunciations incorrect. Learners should choose the variety they want to speak and verify regional pronunciation with native speakers and recordings.

13. Seven common mistakes to avoid

Writing sê as se or bîst as bist without diacritics in formal Kurmanji spelling.
Leaving out û: use bîst û yek for twenty-one.
Inventing all teen numbers using English-like logic rather than memorizing attested forms.
Adding plural markers after every numeral as though Kurdish followed English noun-number rules.
Confusing sê (three) with sêyem (third).
Reading a phone number or address as an ordinary quantity when digit-by-digit pronunciation is clearer.
Assuming Sorani, Kurmanji, and Southern Kurdish have exactly the same numeral vocabulary.

14. Short conversations

Dialogue A: At a bookshop

Kurmanji	English
A: Ev çend e?	How much is this?
B: Ev pênc euro ye.	This is five euros.
A: Du kitêb dixwazim.	I want two books.
B: Baş e.	All right.

Dialogue B: Age

Kurmanji	English
A: Tu çend salî yî?	How old are you?
B: Ez bîst û sê salî me.	I am twenty-three.
A: Xwişka te çend salî ye?	How old is your sister?
B: Ew hijdeh salî ye.	She is eighteen.

15. Test your knowledge

Exercise A: Write 7, 12, 19, 24, 46, 79, 100, 125, 999, and 2026 in Kurmanji. Exercise B: Convert sî û heft, du sed û bîst û yek, and pênc hezar û pêncî into digits. Exercise C: Translate “first”, “second”, “third”, “three books”, and “five percent”.

Short answer key: A: heft; diwanzdeh; nozdeh; bîst û çar; çil û şeş; heftê û neh; sed; sed û bîst û pênc; neh sed û nod û neh; du hezar û bîst û şeş. B: 37; 221; 5050. C: yekemîn; duyemîn; sêyemîn; sê kitêb; ji sedî pênc.

Full practice: Download the PDF workbook with expanded exercises and complete answer key.

16. Recommended seven-day learning plan

Day 1: Learn 0–20 and practice pronunciation.
Day 2: Memorize tens; build 21–99.
Day 3: Practice hundreds and thousands.
Day 4: Make numeral + noun phrases.
Day 5: Study ordinals and fractions.
Day 6: Practice prices, ages, years and percentages.
Day 7: Complete the PDF exercises and check the answer key.

17. Academic references and further study

Editorial note: This lesson uses modern pedagogical Kurmanji examples, differentiates regional forms, and does not assume one uniform numeral system for every Kurdish variety. Spelling and inflection can vary across grammars.

PDF: Download Kurdistan Voice Kurmanji Grammar Series 02 — Numbers, Complete Guide and Workbook (PDF).