Kurdistan is a region inhabited by an ethnic community that identifies itself as the Kurdish people, but does not have a state of its own, so its territory is divided between the current borders of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. The three main dialects of the Kurdish people are Sorani, Kurmanji and Kalhuri. Sorani is spoken by approximately 10 million people living in Iran and Iraq. Although it is the most characteristic language of the Iraqi Kurds, it is also spoken by a significant number of Kurds east of the same ethnic region. Sorani is generally written in Arabic characters, and read from right to left, but it also has an equivalent form in Latin characters, which is the one that will be studied in this article.
Steps
Step 1. There are very few sites online where you can find information on how to speak Sorani
Here you can find some expressions, words and phrases that will help you to take your first steps in this dialect language.
Step 2. Learn the keywords
- Yes: Bale
- No: Na
- Thanks: Supas
- Please: Tkaya
- Y: Woo
Step 3. Now some important phrases
- Good morning: Bayanit bash
- Good afternoon: Niwarot bash
- Good afternoon (at an hour later): Ewarat bash
- Good night: Shaw Shad
- Good morning: Roj Bash
- Goodbye: Xwahafiz (Xwa = God / hafiz = protect you)
- Hello: Slaw
Step 4. Learn some questions with their answers
- How are you ?: Choni? (or, to choni?)
- I'm fine: Bashm (Turkish region) chaakem (Iraqi region)
- I'm very good: Zor bashm
- I'm not okay: Bash nim
- I'm sick: Naxoshm
- Where are you ?: Lakwey?
- Where do you live ?: Lakwey azhit?
- I live in England: La England azhim
- How old are you ?: Tamant chanda?
- What is your name ?: Nawt chya?
- Where are you going ?: Bo kwe aroy?
- I go to work: Achm bo îsh
- What time do you return ?: Kay yatawa?
- I'll be back in the afternoon: Eawara demawa
- What is your job ?: îsht chya?
- Are you there yet ?: Agate?
- I'm going: Arom
- What: Chya?
- How many: Chand?
- How many siblings do you have ?: Chand brat haya?
- I have a brother: Yak bram haya
- Do you have children ?: Mnall't there?
- How are you doing ?: Bashee?
- Well, thank you, and you ?: Bash'm supas ey to?
- Do you understand what I mean ?: Te agate?
Step 5. Learn to talk to people
- You: t (pronounced 'tou')
- I: m
- My: already
- Mom: Dayk
- Dad: Bawk
- Sister: Khoshk
- Brother: Bra
- Paternal uncle: Mam
- Maternal Uncle: Khal
- Girl: Kch
- A girl: Kcheki
- Child: Kur (pronounced 'kooorr')
- A boy: Kureki
- Teacher: Mamosta
Step 6. Learn some words related to food
- I eat: Nan axom
- Rice: Brnj
- Tea: Cha
- Coffee: Qawa
- Water: Aaw
- Soup: Shla
- Okra: Bame
- Yogurt: Mast
Step 7. Other useful words
- Car: Sayara (Old Kurdish) Aotomobel (Modern Kurdish)
- Life: Zhyan
- Field: Wolat
- City: Shar
- Town: Ladey
- House: mal / khano
- Nation / Tribe: Khell
- Place of first date: Je Zhwan
- Son: Mnall
- Shirt: Kras
- Day: Roj
- Kiss: Mach
Step 8. Learn some expressions
- You are beautiful: Jwanit
- I'm going: Arom
- Don't go: Marro
- Let's go: Wara
- Come to me: Wara bo laymn
- I swear to God: Ba xwa
- For example: Farazan
- Good luck: Baxtawar
- You are a very pretty girl: To kcheki zor jwani
- You are a very cute boy: To kureki zor jwani
- I love you: Khoshm aweyt (xoshm aweyt)
- Life is cute: Zhyan khosha (Zhyan xosha)
Step 9. Learn descriptive words
- Together: Pekawa
- In the
- About: l sar
- Below: l zher
- To one side: Tanisht
- Back: Psht
- Go away: Bro
- Pleasant: Khosh
- OK: bash
- Much / very: Zor
- Pain: Esh
Step 10. Learn the main parts of the body
- Head: Sar
- Neck: Ml
- Eye / eyes: Chaw
- Nose: Loot
- Mouth: Dam
- Eyebrow: Brow
- Ear / Ears: Giwe
- Hair: Qzh
- Cheek: Roomat
- Hand: Dast
- Shoulder: Shan
- Chest: Sng
- Breast: Mamk
- Abdomen: Sk
- Navel: Nawk
- Foot / feet / end of leg: Gach
- Fingers: Panja
- Back: Psht
- Knee: Azhno
Step 11. Learn to count
- 1: yak
- 2: doo
- 3: yeah
- 4: chwar
- 5: penj
- 6: shash
- 7: hawt
- 8: hasht
- 9: no
- 10: da
- 11: yanza
- 12: dwanza
- 13: syanza
- 14: chwarda
- 15: tummy
- 16: shanza
- 17: havda
- 18: hazda
- 19: nozda
- 20: bist
- 21: bist u yak
- 30: be
- 40: chl
- 50: panja
- 60: shasht
- 70: hafta
- 80: hashta
- 90: nawat
- 100: saad
- 101: saad u yak
- 1000: hazar