English explanations and Kurmanji examples only. Learn the difference between English -ly adverbs and Kurmanji adverbials, with comparison tables, exercises and an answer key. Download Lesson 13 PDF (4 pages).
Learning objectives — Armancên fêrbûnê
Understand the difference between English adjective + -ly and Kurmanji adverbial expressions; recognize manner, time, place, frequency and degree; distinguish adjectives and adverbs by function; practice examples and questions.
1. What is an adverb? — Hoker çi ye?
Adverbs and adverbial expressions tell us how, when, where, how often, or to what degree something happens. English quickly, slowly and carefully are manner adverbs; today, here, often and very express other adverbial meanings.
2. English -ly versus Kurmanji
In English, many manner adverbs are made by adding -ly to an adjective, not to a verb: quick → quickly, slow → slowly, careful → carefully. Exceptions include good → well and fast → fast. Kurmanji has no single general productive suffix equivalent to English -ly. Instead, it uses lexical words such as hêdî (slowly), zû (quickly/early), baş (well), and phrases such as bi lez (quickly/in a hurry) or bi baldarî (carefully). The correct translation depends on context.
3. English–Kurmanji comparison
| English adjective | English adverb | Kurmanji adverbial |
|---|---|---|
| quick | quickly | zû / bi lez |
| slow | slowly | hêdî |
| careful | carefully | bi baldarî |
| good | well | baş |
| easy | easily | bi hêsanî |
4. Complete sentence examples
| English | Kurmanji |
|---|---|
| She speaks quickly. | Ew zû diaxive. |
| He walks slowly. | Ew hêdî dimeşe. |
| She works carefully. | Ew bi baldarî dixebite. |
| He speaks well. | Ew baş diaxive. |
| I study every day. | Ez her roj dixwînim. |
5. Four useful questions
Kengî? — When? Li ku? — Where? Çawa? — How? Çend caran? — How often? These questions help identify the information an adverbial expression gives.
6. Time adverbs — Hokerên demê
îro — today; duh — yesterday; sibê — tomorrow; niha — now; paşê — later; berê — before/earlier. Ez îro dixebitim. — I am working today. Ew sibê tê. — He/she is coming tomorrow.
7. Place adverbials — Hokerên cihê
li vir — here; li wir — there; li derve — outside; li hundir — inside. Ew li vir e. — He/she is here. Zarok li derve dilîzin. — The children play outside. Some are multiword phrases.
8. Manner — Hokerên awayê
hêdî — slowly/gently; zû — quickly/early; baş — well; bi lez — quickly/in a hurry. Ew hêdî diaxive. — He/she speaks slowly. Tu baş dixwînî. — You read/study well.
9. Frequency — Hokerên dubarebûnê
her roj — every day; her tim — always; carinan — sometimes; pir caran — often; qet — ever/at all (depending on context and negation). Ez her roj dixwînim. — I study every day. Ez qet naçim. — I never go.
10. Degree and intensity — Hokerên radeyê
gelek — very/a lot; pir — much/very; hinek — a little/somewhat. Ev pirtûk gelek baş e. — This book is very good. Ez gelek dixwînim. — I study a lot.
11. Adjective or adverb? — Rengdêr an hoker?
| Function | English | Kurmanji |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | This book is good. | Ev pirtûk baş e. |
| Adverb | She reads well. | Ew baş dixwîne. |
The same form baş can describe a noun or the manner of an action; the function changes, not necessarily the word.
12. Adverbial phrases and word order
Not every adverbial is one word: bi lez, li vir and her roj are multiword expressions. Compare Ez îro dixebitim. — I work today, with Îro ez dixebitim. — Today I work. Position can affect emphasis.
13. Negation and scope
Ez niha naçim. — I am not going now. Ez qet naçim. — I never go. Do not translate qet as always meaning never independently of the verb.
14. Questions and answers
A: Tu kengî têyî? — When are you coming? B: Ez sibê têm. — I am coming tomorrow. A: Ew li ku ye? — Where is he/she? B: Ew li vir e. — He/she is here.
15. Common mistakes — Çewtiyên gelemperî
Do not add English -ly to Kurmanji words. Do not assume that every English adverb has a one-word equivalent. Distinguish sibê (tomorrow) from sibe (morning). Interpret zû and qet in context.
16. Exercises — Rahênan
A. Translate îro, duh, sibê, niha. B. Identify the function of li vir, her roj, hêdî, gelek. C. Translate Ez îro dixebitim. D. Fill in: Ew ___ diaxive. (slowly). E. Ask a question for Ez sibê têm. F. Explain baş in Ev pirtûk baş e and Ew baş dixwîne. G. Translate: I never go. H. Give two multiword adverbials. I. Why does English quick → quickly not directly apply to Kurmanji? J. Translate: She works carefully.
17. Answer key — Bersiv
A. today; yesterday; tomorrow; now. B. place; frequency; manner; degree. C. I work/am working today. D. hêdî. E. Tu kengî têyî? F. adjective / adverb, respectively. G. Ez qet naçim. H. li vir, her roj, or bi lez. I. Kurmanji uses different words and phrases, not a general -ly suffix. J. Ew bi baldarî dixebite.
18. References and editorial note — Çavkanî
For fuller treatment consult W. M. Thackston, Kurmanji Kurdish: A Reference Grammar (2006), and descriptive work by Geoffrey Haig and Ergin Öpengin. This introductory educational synthesis has not received independent native-speaker editorial review. Regional usage may vary.
19. Next lesson — Dersa pêş
Lesson 14 — Prepositions and Postpositions (Daçek).
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