Kurdish Phrases (Kurmanji): Greetings, Farewells & Everyday Expressions

Meeting your partner’s Kurdish family, visiting Kurdistan or reconnecting with your roots? These Kurmanji phrases get you through the first conversations, and the typical Kurdish expressions further down will earn you a smile.

Kurdish phrases are the short expressions you use every day: to greet someone, say please and thank you, introduce yourself or simply keep a conversation going. For anyone learning Kurdish, these phrases make an enormous difference, because real communication starts long before your grammar is solid.

All phrases on this page are in Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), the dialect written in Latin script and spoken by the largest number of Kurds: in Turkey, Syria, the Duhok region of Iraq and most of the Kurdish diaspora in Europe. If your Kurdish connection is Erbil, Sulaymaniyah or Iran, you need Sorani instead: see our Sorani Kurdish phrases. Not sure which one? Our guide to learning Kurdish explains the difference.

From my own experience learning several languages: phrases are the fastest way to build real confidence. When I started Norwegian, I was having basic conversations within weeks. Not because my grammar was good, but because I had the right expressions ready. I don’t speak Kurdish natively, but the principle is the same: learn the phrases you will really use, out loud, with the right pronunciation. That’s why every phrase here comes with an IPA transcription.

☀️ Free book: "How to Learn Kurdish in Just 7 Weeks"

Discover all the tricks that will help you learn Kurdish quickly and efficiently – much faster than you ever thought possible.

*

Kurmanji Kurdish greetings

Greetings are the first thing you will use in any real conversation. Kurmanji greetings follow clear patterns, and once you know them, responding correctly becomes second nature. Watch the sounds that don’t exist in English, such as the throaty x (like the “ch” in Scottish “loch”).

How to say hello in Kurdish (Kurmanji)

If you are greeted in Kurmanji Kurdish, respond with one of these:

Please, thank you and you’re welcome in Kurdish

These are the words you will use most in a Kurdish home. Spas is the everyday “thank you”, but Kurds often use warmer expressions, more on those below.

How are you in Kurdish? (Tu çawa yî)

The phrase Tu çawa yî? is one of the most searched Kurmanji expressions and one of the first you will hear in any conversation. It means “how are you?” and works in formal and informal situations.

How to answer when someone asks how you are in Kurmanji:

How to say goodbye in Kurdish (Kurmanji)

The standard Kurmanji farewell is Bi xatirê te!, roughly “with your blessing” or “in your care”. The person staying behind usually answers Bi xêr biçî!, “go well”. Knowing both halves of this little exchange is one of the easiest ways to sound less like a textbook.

Typical Kurdish expressions you won’t find in a textbook

This is where Kurdish gets its character. Many everyday Kurdish expressions are small blessings: you don’t just say “thanks”, you wish the other person a healthy hand, a prosperous home or bright eyes. Use a few of these with your partner’s family or your hosts and you will see faces light up. Here are the ones you will hear most often:

Kurdish sayings and proverbs

Kurdish has a rich oral tradition, and proverbs still come up in everyday conversation, especially with older family members. Recognizing one or two shows real interest in the culture:

Introducing yourself in Kurmanji Kurdish

Whether you are meeting your partner’s relatives or travelling in the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Syria or Iraq, introducing yourself correctly makes a strong first impression. Kurdish speakers appreciate the effort, even if your vocabulary is still small.

Useful phrases when your Kurdish isn’t strong enough yet:

Basic Kurdish words: family and everyday life

If you are learning Kurdish for your partner’s family, these are the words you will hear at every gathering. The family terms matter most, because Kurds address relatives by their role much more often than by name.

Everyday Kurmanji Kurdish phrases

Useful “I am…” expressions in Kurdish

These phrases cover a wide range of real situations, from travel emergencies to casual conversation. According to Ethnologue, Kurmanji is spoken by an estimated 15 to 20 million people, which makes it the most widely spoken Kurdish dialect.

Apologising in Kurmanji Kurdish

Useful signs and notices in Kurdish

These are the Kurmanji words you will see most often in public places in Kurdish-speaking regions.

Numbers 1–25 in Kurdish (Kurmanji)

Numbers are among the first things you need in real situations: prices, addresses, phone numbers. The Kurmanji number system is regular. Once you know 1 to 10, the teens follow a clear pattern, and from 21 on you simply link the numbers with û (“and”). For the sounds of each letter, see our guide to the Kurdish alphabet.

Colours in Kurdish (Kurmanji)

Four of these colours carry a special meaning for Kurds: red, white and green form the Kurdish flag together with a yellow sun, and you will see sor, spî, kesk and zer everywhere at Newroz.

Days, months and seasons in Kurdish (Kurmanji)

The days of the week are simply counted from Saturday: yekşem is “day one”, duşem “day two” and so on, with Friday (în) as the exception. For the months, Kurmanji has its own traditional names, shown below. In everyday speech, especially in Turkey and Syria, you will also hear the common alternatives Sibat (February), Nîsan (April), Tebax (August), Îlon (September), Cotmeh (October), Mijdar (November) and Kanûn (December).

Frequently asked questions about Kurdish phrases

How do you say hello in Kurdish?

In Kurmanji, say Silav or Merheba. To welcome someone, say Bi xêr hatî!. In Sorani, hello is Slaw.

How do you say please in Kurmanji?

Ji kerema xwe, literally “from your kindness”. For example: Ji kerema xwe hêdî biaxive means “Please speak slowly”.

How do you say thank you in Kurdish?

The everyday word is spas, or gelek spas for “thank you very much”. A warmer, very Kurdish way is Her hebî!, “may you always be there”.

What does “ser çavan” mean?

Ser çavan literally means “on my eyes” and is used to say “gladly” or “you’re welcome”. It is often accompanied by touching the eyes or placing a hand over one eye as a sign of respect.

How do you say goodbye in Kurdish?

In Kurmanji, the person leaving says Bi xatirê te! and the person staying answers Bi xêr biçî!, “go well”.

Related links

• Learn Kurdish: your complete guide to Kurmanji and Sorani
• Sorani Kurdish phrases for beginners
• The Kurdish alphabet: Kurmanji and Sorani letters with pronunciation
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• Train your listening comprehension
• Learning languages quickly, is it possible?
• The different types of language learners

Prefer another language?

• 🇩🇪 – Kurdische Floskeln
• 🇳🇴 – Lær kurdisk på nett