Kurmanji Grammar Series 15 — Conjunctions (Girêdek). English explanations and Kurmanji examples only. This expanded lesson covers coordination, causes, conditions, time clauses, purpose, contrast, paired conjunctions and comparison. Download the full five-page PDF with 46 examples, exercises and answer key.
What is a conjunction?
Conjunctions connect words, phrases and clauses. In Kurmanji, some connectors are single words, others are paired or multiword expressions. Some forms have regional or register variation. The same English connector may have several Kurmanji translations depending on the grammatical function.
Coordinating conjunctions
Conjunctions connect words, phrases and clauses of similar status.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| û | and | Ez û tu li vir in. | You and I are here. |
| û | and | Ew dixwîne û dinivîse. | She reads and writes. |
| lê | but | Ez dixwazim biçim, lê demê min tune ye. | I want to go, but I have no time. |
| lê | but | Ew ciwan e, lê gelek dizane. | He is young, but he knows a lot. |
| an | or | Tu çay dixwazî an qehwe? | Do you want tea or coffee? |
| an | or | Em îro biçin an sibê? | Shall we go today or tomorrow? |
| yan | or | Tu dê were yan li malê bimîne? | Will you come or stay home? |
Reasons and consequences
Ji ber ku introduces a reason; ji ber vê yekê links to a result. They are not interchangeable.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ji ber ku | because | Ez li malê mam, ji ber ku baran dibariya. | I stayed home because it was raining. |
| ji ber ku | because | Ew kêfxweş e, ji ber ku hevalên wî hatin. | He is happy because his friends came. |
| çimkî | because (regional) | Ez naçim, çimkî nexweş im. | I am not going because I am ill. |
| ji ber vê yekê | therefore | Baran dibare; ji ber vê yekê em li malê dimînin. | It is raining; therefore we are staying home. |
Conditions
Heke is the primary teaching form; eger is an alternative in some varieties. Unless can be paraphrased with if … not.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| heke | if | Heke tu werî, em ê biaxivin. | If you come, we will talk. |
| eger | if (alternative) | Eger tu werî, em ê biaxivin. | If you come, we will talk. |
| heke | if | Heke baran bibare, em ê li malê bimînin. | If it rains, we will stay home. |
| heke … ne- | if … not | Heke tu neyê, em ê dest pê bikin. | If you do not come, we will begin. |
| heke | if | Heke wextê te hebe, alîkariya min bike. | If you have time, help me. |
Time clauses
Time expressions may introduce clauses or combine with noun phrases; their classification depends on construction.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| dema ku | when | Dema ku ez hatim, ew li malê bû. | When I arrived, she was at home. |
| dema ku | when | Dema ku tu amade bî, em ê biçin. | When you are ready, we will go. |
| gava ku | when | Gava ku ez hatim, ew radibû. | When I arrived, he was getting up. |
| dema ku | while | Dema ku ez dixwînim, ew muzîkê guhdarî dike. | While I study, she listens to music. |
| berî ku | before | Berî ku tu biçî, bi min re biaxive. | Before you go, speak with me. |
| piştî ku | after | Piştî ku ew hat, em dest pê kir. | After he came, we started. |
| heta ku | until | Li vir bisekine heta ku ez vegerim. | Wait here until I return. |
That, purpose and relative clauses
Ku has several grammatical functions and is not always a literal equivalent of English that.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ku | that | Ez dizanim ku ew li malê ye. | I know that she is at home. |
| ku | that | Ew dibêje ku dê were. | He says that he will come. |
| ku | that | Ez bawer dikim ku ev rast e. | I believe that this is true. |
| da ku | so that | Ez dixwînim da ku fêr bibim. | I study so that I can learn. |
| da ku | so that | Em zû derketin da ku dereng nemînin. | We left early so that we would not be late. |
| ku | relative marker | Ev ew kes e ku ez nas dikim. | This is the person whom I know. |
Concession and contrast
Her çend … jî introduces an unexpected contrast. Other alternatives may be dialectal or register-dependent.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| her çend … jî | although | Her çend baran dibare jî, em diçin. | Although it is raining, we are going. |
| her çend … jî | although | Her çend ew westiyayî ye jî, dixebite. | Although she is tired, she works. |
| dîsa jî | nevertheless | Baran dibare; dîsa jî em diçin. | It is raining; nevertheless, we are going. |
Paired conjunctions
Paired conjunctions link coordinated alternatives or additions. Agreement and negation need attention.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hem … hem jî | both … and | Hem ez hem jî tu dixwînin. | Both you and I are studying. |
| hem … hem jî | both … and | Ew hem dixwîne hem jî dinivîse. | She both reads and writes. |
| an … an | either … or | An tu were an ez ê biçim. | Either you come or I will go. |
Comparison and related expressions
Not every comparison expression is a conjunction in every use.
| Kurmanji | English function | Kurmanji example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| wek | like / as | Ew wek mamosteyekî diaxive. | He speaks like a teacher. |
| wek ku | as | Wek ku tu dizanî, em sibê diçin. | As you know, we are going tomorrow. |
| mîna | like | Ev mal mîna mala me ye. | This house is like our house. |
Clause order and common mistakes
Compare Heke tu werî, em ê biaxivin and Em ê biaxivin heke tu werî. Do not confuse û (and) with an (or), or ji ber ku (because) with ji ber vê yekê (therefore). Ku may introduce complements, relative clauses or purpose constructions. Not all expressions in the tables are conjunctions in every use.
Mini dialogue — Axaftin
A: Tu îro têyî an sibê? — Are you coming today or tomorrow?
B: Heke wextê min hebe, ez ê îro werim. — If I have time, I will come today.
A: Baş e, lê zû were. — All right, but come early.
B: Ez zû têm da ku em biaxivin. — I will come early so that we can talk.
Exercises — Rahênan
1. Translate: and, but, or, because, if, although. 2. Fill: Ez dixwazim biçim, ___ demê min tune ye. 3. Fill: ___ tu werî, em ê biaxivin. 4. Translate: I stayed home because it was raining. 5. Translate: We left early so that we would not be late. 6. Explain ji ber ku versus ji ber vê yekê. 7. Give an example of hem … hem jî. 8. Rewrite with eger: Heke tu werî, em ê biaxivin. 9. Identify the linker in Dema ku ez hatim, ew li malê bû. 10. Translate: Although it is raining, we are going.
Answer key — Bersiv
1. û; lê; an/yan; ji ber ku; heke/eger; her çend … jî. 2. lê. 3. Heke or Eger. 4. Ez li malê mam, ji ber ku baran dibariya. 5. Em zû derketin da ku dereng nemînin. 6. Reason versus result. 7. Hem ez hem jî tu dixwînin. 8. Eger tu werî, em ê biaxivin. 9. dema ku. 10. Her çend baran dibare jî, em diçin.
References and editorial note — Çavkanî
For fuller discussion consult W. M. Thackston, Kurmanji Kurdish: A Reference Grammar (2006), and descriptive studies by Geoffrey Haig and Ergin Öpengin. Some regional and complex constructions require independent native-speaker review. This educational synthesis is not a claim of universal dialectal usage.
Next lesson — Dersa pêş
Lesson 16 — Articles, Demonstratives and Determiners.
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