Your partner’s family is from Erbil or Sulaymaniyah, you work in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, or you have roots in Iranian Kurdistan? Then you need Sorani, not Kurmanji. These are the phrases to start with.
Short answer: What are the most important Sorani Kurdish phrases?
Slaw (hello), Çonî? (how are you?), Başim, supas (I’m fine, thanks), Tkaye (please), Supas (thank you), Belê / Nexêr (yes / no) and Xwat legeł (goodbye). In Sorani script: سڵاو، چۆنی؟، سوپاس.
Sorani (Central Kurdish) is the Kurdish of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Iranian Kurdistan, and the main written language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is written in a modified Arabic script, from right to left. That makes it look intimidating at first, but the everyday phrases are short and very learnable, and many words overlap with Kurmanji.
I’ve been learning languages for over 20 years, from Norwegian to Danish and Swedish, and I’ve written four books on language learning. I don’t speak Sorani myself, so I kept this page deliberately focused: only the core phrases you really need in your first conversations. Each one comes in three forms: the Sorani script (so you recognize it on signs and in messages), a Latin transliteration (so you can read it today) and the IPA pronunciation.
Learning Kurmanji instead? Then go to our Kurmanji Kurdish phrases. Not sure which dialect you need? Our guide to learning Kurdish explains the difference.
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How to read Sorani: a 60-second primer
You don’t need to master the script to use this page, but three facts help a lot:
- Right to left: Sorani is written from right to left, like Arabic and Persian.
- Vowels are written: Unlike Arabic, Sorani writes almost every vowel as a letter. Once you know the alphabet, you can read what you see.
- Special letters in the transliteration: ł is a heavy, dark “l” (ڵ), ř a rolled “r” (ڕ), x the throaty “ch” of Scottish “loch” and ê sounds like the “ay” in “say”.
For every letter with its sound, see our guide to the Kurdish alphabet.
Sorani greetings: how to say hello in Sorani
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello! | سڵاو | Slaw | [sɫaːw] |
| Peace be upon you (formal greeting) | سەلام عەلەیکوم | Selam eleykum | [sɛˈlaːm ʕɛˈlɛjkʊm] |
| Welcome! | بەخێربێیت | Bexêr bêyt | [bɛˈxeːɾ beːjt] |
| Good morning! | بەیانیت باش | Beyanît baş | [bɛjaːˈniːt baːʃ] |
| Good evening! | ئێوارەت باش | Êwaret baş | [ʔeːwaːˈɾɛt baːʃ] |
| Good night! | شەوت باش | Şewit baş | [ʃɛˈwɪt baːʃ] |
How are you in Sorani?
The standard question is Çonî? (چۆنی؟), literally “how are you?”. Just as common is Başî? (باشی؟), “are you well?”. You will often hear both in a row, followed by several more questions about your family. That is normal Kurdish politeness, not small talk you can skip.
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are you? | چۆنی؟ | Çonî? | [t͡ʃoːˈniː] |
| Are you well? | باشی؟ | Başî? | [baːˈʃiː] |
| I’m fine, thank you. | باشم، سوپاس | Başim, supas. | [baːˈʃɪm suːˈpaːs] |
| And you? | ئەی تۆ؟ | Ey to? | [ʔɛj toː] |
| What’s new? | چ باسە؟ | Çi base? | [t͡ʃɪ baːˈsɛ] |
Please, thank you and yes/no in Sorani
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Please | تکایە | Tkaye | [tɪˈkaːjɛ] |
| Thank you | سوپاس | Supas | [suːˈpaːs] |
| Thank you very much | زۆر سوپاس | Zor supas | [zoːɾ suːˈpaːs] |
| You’re welcome / Don’t mention it | شایەنی نییە | Şayenî niye | [ʃaːjɛˈniː niːˈjɛ] |
| Yes | بەڵێ | Belê | [bɛˈɫeː] |
| No | نەخێر | Nexêr | [nɛˈxeːɾ] |
| Sorry / Excuse me | ببورە | Bibûre | [bɪˈbuːɾɛ] |
How to say goodbye in Sorani
The two farewells you will hear most are Xwat legeł, literally “God be with you”, and Maława, which comes from “may your home prosper”. Both are polite and fit almost every situation.
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodbye (“God be with you”) | خوات لەگەڵ | Xwat legeł | [xwaːt lɛˈɡɛɫ] |
| Goodbye | ماڵئاوا | Maława | [maːɫ.ʔaːˈwaː] |
| See you tomorrow | تا بەیانی | Ta beyanî | [taː bɛjaːˈniː] |
| Nice to meet you | خۆشحاڵم بە ناسینت | Xoşhałim be nasînit | [xoːʃˈħaːɫɪm bɛ naːsiːˈnɪt] |
Introducing yourself and getting by in Sorani
Note a small but useful detail: to ask where someone is from, Sorani speakers literally ask “whose people are you from?” (Xełkî kwêyt?). Your answer is built the same way.
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | ناوم جۆناسە | Nawim Jonas e. | [naːˈwɪm ˈd͡ʒoːnaːs ɛ] |
| What is your name? | ناوت چییە؟ | Nawit çiye? | [naːˈwɪt t͡ʃiːˈjɛ] |
| Where are you from? | خەڵکی کوێیت؟ | Xełkî kwêyt? | [xɛɫˈkiː kweːjt] |
| I am from London. | خەڵکی لەندەنم | Xełkî Lendenim. | [xɛɫˈkiː lɛndɛˈnɪm] |
| Do you speak English? | ئینگلیزی دەزانیت؟ | Înglîzî dezanît? | [ʔiːŋɡɫiːˈziː dɛzaːˈniːt] |
| I speak a little Kurdish. | کەمێک کوردی دەزانم | Kemêk kurdî dezanim. | [kɛˈmeːk kʊɾˈdiː dɛˈzaːnɪm] |
| I don’t understand. | تێناگەم | Tênagem. | [teːnaːˈɡɛm] |
| How much is it? | بە چەندە؟ | Be çende? | [bɛ t͡ʃɛnˈdɛ] |
| I need help! | یارمەتیم پێویستە | Yarmetîm pêwîste! | [jaːɾmɛˈtiːm peːwiːsˈtɛ] |
Typical Sorani expressions: blessings instead of “thanks”
Like Kurmanji, Sorani is full of small blessings. Instead of a plain “thanks”, people wish you healthy hands, a prosperous home or bright eyes. These are the expressions that make hosts smile when a foreigner uses them:
| Sorani | Transliteration | Literally | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| سەرچاو | Serçaw | “On my eye” | “Gladly!” or “Of course!” when someone asks you for something. Often said with a hand touching the eye. |
| دەستت خۆش بێت | Destit xoş bêt | “May your hand be well” | To the person who cooked or did something for you. The standard thank you after a meal. |
| ماڵت ئاوا | Małit awa | “May your home prosper” | Thanking your hosts for their hospitality. |
| چاوت ڕوون بێت | Çawit řûn bêt | “May your eyes be bright” | Congratulations on a birth, or when a loved one returns home. |
| سەرت سەلامەت بێت | Serit selamet bêt | “May your head be safe” | Expressing condolences after a death in the family. |
| نەورۆزت پیرۆز بێت | Newrozit pîroz bêt | “Blessed Newroz to you” | Happy New Year on Newroz, March 21. |
Sorani words of affection
If you are learning Sorani for your partner, these are the words you will hear, and want to use, most:
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| I love you. | خۆشم دەوێیت | Xoşim dewêyt. | [xoːˈʃɪm dɛˈweːjt] |
| My dear / my soul | گیانەکەم | Gyanekem | [ɡjaːnɛˈkɛm] |
| My darling | ئازیزم | Azîzim | [ʔaːziːˈzɪm] |
Basic Sorani words: family and everyday life
Family terms are used constantly in Kurdish households, often instead of first names. If you compare them with our Kurmanji phrases, you will see how close the two dialects are in this area.
| English | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mother | دایک | Dayk | [daːjk] |
| Father | باوک | Bawk | [baːwk] |
| Brother | برا | Bira | [bɪˈɾaː] |
| Sister | خوشک | Xuşk | [xʊʃk] |
| Wife | ژن | Jin | [ʒɪn] |
| Husband | مێرد | Mêrd | [meːɾd] |
| Child | منداڵ | Mindał | [mɪnˈdaːɫ] |
| Son / daughter | کوڕ / کچ | Kuř / Kiç | [kʊr] / [kɪt͡ʃ] |
| Mother-in-law / father-in-law | خەسوو / خەزوور | Xesû / Xezûr | [xɛˈsuː] / [xɛˈzuːɾ] |
| Friend | هاوڕێ | Hawřê | [haːwˈreː] |
| Water | ئاو | Aw | [ʔaːw] |
| Bread | نان | Nan | [naːn] |
| Tea | چا | Ça | [t͡ʃaː] |
Numbers 1–10 in Sorani
| Number | Sorani | Transliteration | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | یەک | Yek | [jɛk] |
| 2 | دوو | Dû | [duː] |
| 3 | سێ | Sê | [seː] |
| 4 | چوار | Çwar | [t͡ʃwaːɾ] |
| 5 | پێنج | Pênc | [peːnd͡ʒ] |
| 6 | شەش | Şeş | [ʃɛʃ] |
| 7 | حەوت | Ḧewt | [ħɛwt] |
| 8 | هەشت | Heşt | [hɛʃt] |
| 9 | نۆ | No | [noː] |
| 10 | دە | De | [dɛ] |
Sorani vs. Kurmanji: the same phrases side by side
If someone in the family speaks Kurmanji and someone else Sorani, this comparison helps you see the connection. Some words are identical, others differ completely:
| English | Sorani | Kurmanji |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Slaw | Silav |
| How are you? | Çonî? | Tu çawa yî? |
| Please | Tkaye | Ji kerema xwe |
| Thank you | Supas | Spas |
| Yes / No | Belê / Nexêr | Erê / Na |
| Goodbye | Xwat legeł | Bi xatirê te |
| Gladly (“on my eye”) | Serçaw | Ser çavan |
| Water / bread / tea | Aw / Nan / Ça | Av / Nan / Çay |
Want to really speak Sorani?
Phrases get you through the first minutes. For real conversations with your partner’s family, a tutor from Erbil or Sulaymaniyah is the fastest way, because they correct your pronunciation and script from day one. There is currently no major Sorani course app, so this is the option I recommend.
Frequently asked questions about Sorani phrases
How do you say hello in Sorani?
Hello in Sorani is Slaw (سڵاو). A more formal greeting is Selam eleykum, and to welcome someone you say Bexêr bêyt.
How do you say “how are you” in Sorani?
Ask Çonî? (چۆنی؟) or Başî? (باشی؟). The usual answer is Başim, supas, “I’m fine, thanks”.
How do you say thank you in Sorani?
Supas (سوپاس) or zor supas for “thank you very much”. After a meal, say Destit xoş bêt, “may your hand be well”.
How do you say I love you in Sorani?
Xoşim dewêyt (خۆشم دەوێیت). A common term of endearment is gyanekem, “my soul”.
Are Sorani and Kurmanji phrases the same?
Partly. Words like nan (bread) or supas/spas (thanks) are almost identical, but everyday phrases such as “yes”, “please” and “goodbye” differ completely. Sorani is also written in Arabic-based script, Kurmanji in Latin letters.
Related links
- Learn Kurdish: your complete guide to Kurmanji and Sorani
- Kurdish phrases (Kurmanji): greetings, farewells and everyday expressions
- The Kurdish alphabet: Kurmanji and Sorani letters with pronunciation
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Train your listening comprehension
- Learning languages quickly, is it possible?
Prefer another language?
- 🇩🇪 – Kurdisch lernen
- 🇳🇴 – Lær kurdisk på nett
About the author
Sven Mancini has published four books on language learning and has over 20 years of hands-on experience learning new languages, from Norwegian (business fluent since 2005) to English, French, Spanish, Danish and Swedish. He writes about the methods behind effective language learning, not about one specific language. Read more about Sven here.