Asking for Directions in Kurmanji (Kurdish): Useful Phrases
Are you travelling, or following a conversation, and wondering how to ask for directions in Kurmanji (Kurdish)? This page gathers phrases recorded by our teachers.
You will learn how to ask where a place is, how to recognise “straight ahead”, “right” and “left”, how to say that you are lost, and how to say thank you. Every phrase comes with its English translation, so you can copy it and practise.
Asking where a place is
Click the button after a phrase to hear it spoken by a teacher.
The basic question is Li ku ye … ?, which means “Where is … ?” The dots mark the spot where you name the place you are looking for.
Our teachers recorded these complete examples:
- Silav! Bazar li ku ye?: Hello! Where is the market?
- Metbex li ku ye ?: Where is the kitchen?
- Û mala bavê te li ku ye?: And your father's house, where is it?
Directions: straight ahead, right, left
Three directions are enough to get started.
- rasterast: straight ahead
- rast or milê rastê: to the right
- çep or milê çepê: to the left
For right and for left, you will meet two forms each, a short one and a longer one. They have the same meaning.
The word rê, or cade, means “road”.
Here are two full sentences with directions:
- Ji kerema xwe re rasterast.: Go straight ahead, please.
- Paşê li wir milê rastê.: Then turn right over there.
Saying you are lost and asking if it is close
To say that you have lost your way: Ez wenda bûm. (I am lost.)
To find out whether the place is near: Nêzîk e ? (Is it close?) The word nêzîk means “near” or “close”.
To ask for the next step: Û paşê ? (And then?)
Places worth knowing
- bank: bank
- park: park
- bazar: market
- meydan: square (public)
- camî or mizgeft: mosque
- îstgeh or rawestek: station
- dikan or firoşgeh: shop
Two small words help you place things: li vir (here) and li wir (over there). They differ by only one letter, but they do not mean the same thing.
Ready-to-copy phrases
- Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ?: Excuse me, I am lost. Where is the market?
- Ji kerema xwe re rasterast.: Go straight ahead, please.
- Paşê li wir milê rastê.: Then turn right over there.
- Bazar nêzîk e. Rast here, paşê çep.: The market is close. Go right, then left.
- Erê, pir nêzîk. Li navenda bajarê ye.: Yes, very close. It is in the city centre.
- Spas! Û mizgeft?: Thank you! And the mosque?
Mini-dialogue
This dialogue is made up of phrases recorded by our teachers.
- A: Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ? (Excuse me, I am lost. Where is the market?)
- B: Bazar nêzîk e. Rast here, paşê çep. (The market is close. Go right, then left.)
- A: Gelek spas! (Thank you very much!)
Tips for practising
- Learn the three directions first: rasterast, rast, çep. Then you will also recognise the longer forms milê rastê and milê çepê.
- Memorise Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ? as a whole. It joins an apology, the fact that you are lost, and the question.
- If the directions stop, ask Û paşê ?
- To check the distance, ask Nêzîk e ?
- Finish with Gelek spas!
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “Where is … ?” in Kurmanji?
You say Li ku ye … ? A complete example is Metbex li ku ye ?, which means “Where is the kitchen?”
How do you say “straight ahead”?
The word is rasterast. In a full sentence: Ji kerema xwe re rasterast. (Go straight ahead, please.)
How do you say “left” and “right”?
“Left” is çep or milê çepê. “Right” is rast or milê rastê.
How do you say “I am lost”?
Say Ez wenda bûm. (I am lost.) You can follow it with a question, as in Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ?
Read also
Main menu
