50+ Essential Kurdish Phrases for Beginners
Whether you are visiting Kurdistan, connecting with Kurdish friends, or just starting to learn, these phrases will get you speaking Kurmanji Kurdish right away. Each phrase includes a simple pronunciation guide.
Pronunciation tip: Kurdish is phonetic — words are pronounced exactly as they are written. The letter x sounds like "kh" (as in Scottish "loch"), ş = "sh", ç = "ch", j = "zh" (as in "pleasure"), and ê= "ay".
👋 Greetings & Introductions
🙏 Polite Expressions
💬 Everyday Conversation
❓ Questions
🔢 Numbers (1–10)
❤️ Love & Family
🍽️ Food & Dining
🎉 Celebrations & Compliments
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hello in Kurdish?
The most common way to say hello in Kurdish (Kurmanji) is "Silav" (see-LAHV) for informal settings, or "Roj baş" (ROHZH BASH) meaning "Good day" for more formal situations.
How do you say thank you in Kurdish?
"Spas" (SPAHS) means "thanks" in Kurdish. For "thank you" you can say "Spas dikim" (SPAHS dee-KEEM), which literally means "I give thanks."
How do you say I love you in Kurdish?
"Ez ji te hez dikim" (EZ zhee teh HEZ dee-KEEM) means "I love you" in Kurdish (Kurmanji). It literally translates to "I from you love do."
How do you say happy birthday in Kurdish?
"Rojbûna te pîroz be!" (rohzh-BOO-nah teh pee-ROHZ beh) means "Happy birthday!" in Kurdish. "Rojbûn" means "birthday" and "pîroz be" means "be blessed/celebrated."
How do you say good morning in Kurdish?
"Beyanî baş" (beh-yah-NEE BASH) means "Good morning" in Kurdish. You can also use "Roj baş" (ROHZH BASH) meaning "Good day" as a general daytime greeting.
How do you say beautiful in Kurdish?
"Xweşik" (KHWEH-sheek) means "beautiful" in Kurdish. For "very beautiful," say "Gelekî xweşik e" (geh-leh-KEE KHWEH-sheek eh).
Is Kurdish hard to learn?
Kurdish (Kurmanji) uses the Latin alphabet, which makes reading and writing straightforward for English speakers. The grammar has some unique features like grammatical gender and SOV word order, but with consistent practice (10–15 minutes a day), beginners can start having basic conversations within a few weeks.