Useful Sorani Kurdish phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Sorani Kurdish, which is spoken in western Iran and much of Iraqi Kurdistan.

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See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

English Soranî (Sorani / Central Kurdish)
Welcome Bi xêr bî
Hello (General greeting) Sillaw
Ew kata bash
Em kata bash
(Çonî?) چۆنی
Hello (on phone) Elu
How are you? (Çonî?) چۆنی
(le chyay?) لە چییای؟
Reply to 'How are you?' من باشم، سوپاست دەکەم، ئەی تۆ؟
(mn bashim, swpast dakam, ay to?)
Long time no see Demêke tum nebînîwe
What's your name? Nawî tu çiye?
(Nawt chya?) ناوت چییە؟
My name is ...  
Where are you from? Xelkî kam deverî?
(To khelky kwey?) تۆ خەڵکی کوێیت؟
I'm from ...  
Pleased to meet you (Xoşhalim bi nasînit) خۆشحاڵم بە ناسینت
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
Beyanî baş
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)
Roj baş
Good evening
(Evening greeting)
Êware baş
Good night Shaw Khosh; Shaw bash
Goodbye
(Parting phrases)
Xuda li gel
Good luck! Xoşbext bî!
(Bekhtewer beet) بەختەوەر بیت
Cheers! Good Health!
(Toasts used when drinking)
Noş
Have a nice day (Rojêkî xoş) ێك ڕۆژ باشى هەيە!
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
Noşigyan
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
Xuda li gel
I don't know (Mn nazanm) من نازانم
I don't understand (Tênagim) تێ ناگه م
(Mn te nagem) من تێ ناگەم
Please speak more slowly Tikaye, tozê hêwaş tir qise bike
Please say that again Tikaye, dîsan bîllêrewe
Please write it down Tikaye, ewe binûse
Do you speak English? ئایا زمانی کوردی قسە دەکەیت؟
(Aya zmany englizy qse dekety?)
Do you speak Kurdish? Kurdî qise dekeyt?
ئایا زمانی کوردی قسە دەکەیت؟
(Aya zmany kurdy qse dekety?)
Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')
(tenha kemekek) تەنها کەمەکێک
How do you say ... in Kurdish? Çon delley ... bi Kurdí?
Excuse me Lêm bibûre
How much is this? (Eme bi çende?) ئەمە بە چەندە؟
Sorry (Bibûre) ببوورە
Please  
Thank you Sipas dekem
(supas) سوپاس
Reply to thank you شایانی نیه‌
Where's the toilet / bathroom? Awdestxaneke li kwê ye?
This gentleman will pay for everything Em pîyawe hemû parekey dedat
This lady will pay for everything Em afrete hemû parekey dedat
Would you like to dance with me? Hez dekeyt legel ma bireqsî?
I miss you  
I love you Xoştim dewê; Min tom xoş dewêt; Ji te hez dikîm
Get well soon Hîway selametît bo dexwazim
Leave me alone! Wazim lê bêne!
Help! Yarmetîm berê!
Call the police! Polîs bang lê ke!
(telefon bke bo polees) تەلەفۆن بکە بۆ پۆلیس
Christmas greetings ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻛﺮﻳﺴﻤﻪﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت ﻭ ساڵی ﺗﺎﺯﻩﺗﺎﻥ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت
(jachny krismastan piroz bet u saly tazetan piroz bet)
ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻛﺮﻳﺴﻤﻴﺴﺖ ﺑﻪ خۆشى بێت
(jachny krismiset be khoshy bet)
New Year greetings ساڵی ﻧﻮێت ﭘﻴرۆز بێت
(saly nwet piroz bet)
Easter greetings Cejnî Hêkesûr pîroz bê
Birthday greetings Cejnî li daykbûnit pîroz bê
Rojbûnit pîroz bê
Rozhi la daikbunt piroz bet
ﺟﻪﮊﻧﻰ ﻟﻪ ﺩﺍﻳﮏ ﺑﻮﻭﻧﺖ ﭘﻴﺮﯙﺯ بێت
(Jachny le daik bunt piroz bet)
Congratulations! Pîroz be!
One language is never enough Yek ziman her bes niye
My hovercraft is full of eels Seyarey balindîyekem pirr ye li marmasî

Translations mostly provided by Goran Sadjadi.

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Hear some phrases in Sorani Kurdish:

Information about Kurdish | Phrases (Kurmanji) | Phrases (Sorani) | Numbers (Kurmanji) | Numbers (Soranî) | Yezidi alphabet | Tower of Babel | Learning materials

Links

Collections of Kurdish phrases
http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Key-Phrases-in-Kurdish
http://polyglotclub.com/language/kurdish/post/5071
http://wikitravel.org/en/Kurdish_phrasebook
http://learn101.org/kurdish_phrases.php
http://www.academia.edu/1238481/Kurmanji_Kurdish_For_The_Beginners_PDF_
http://www.krg.org/p/p.aspx?l=12&p=215

Phrases in Iranian languages

Dari, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish (Sorani), Mazandarani, Ossetian, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Tajik, Zazaki

Phrases in other languages

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