Sorry, Excuse Me and Please in Kurmanji: How to Be Polite in Kurdish
Want to say “sorry”, “excuse me” or “please” in kurmanji (Kurdish)? This page brings together phrases recorded by our native teachers so you can express yourself politely from your very first exchanges.
You will find the two ways to apologise, the essential expression for making a polite request, ready-to-use examples, and a short dialogue to put everything in context.
“Sorry” and “Excuse me” in Kurmanji
Two phrases let you apologise or say excuse me:
Click the button after a phrase to hear it spoken by a teacher.
- Bibore : Excuse me / Sorry
- Li min bibore ! : I am sorry
Bibore appears on its own at the end of a reply and at the start of a sentence in our recordings. Li min bibore ! is a complete sentence expressing regret.
“Please” in Kurmanji
ji kerema xwe means “please”. Our recordings use it in requests of all kinds.
Ready-to-use examples
These phrases come directly from our recordings and can be used as they are:
- Li min bibore ! : I am sorry
- Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ? : Excuse me, I am lost. Where is the market?
- Erê, bê guman. Bibore! : Yes, of course. Sorry!
- Menu, ji kerema xwe ! : The menu, please!
- Hesab, ji kerema xwe ! : The bill, please!
- Ez jî baş im. Ji kerema xwe, hûn dikarin hêdî biaxivin ? : I am fine too. Please, could you speak slowly?
How to respond
The phrase Erê, bê guman. Bibore! (Yes, of course. Sorry!) combines a positive answer and an apology in one reply. The fragment Erê, bê guman. on its own means “Yes, of course.”
Short dialogue
Here is an exchange made up of phrases recorded by our teachers:
- 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.
Tips from our recordings
ji kerema xwe at the end of a sentence: Menu, ji kerema xwe ! and Hesab, ji kerema xwe !
ji kerema xwe at the start of a sentence: Ji kerema xwe, hûn dikarin hêdî biaxivin ? (Please, could you speak slowly?)
Bibore alone at the end of a reply: Erê, bê guman. Bibore! At the start of a sentence: Bibore, ez wenda bûm. Bazar li ku ye ?
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “sorry” in Kurmanji?
Use Li min bibore !, which translates as “I am sorry”.
How do you say “please” in Kurmanji?
ji kerema xwe is the expression to remember. It appears in several of our recorded phrases, always with this meaning.
What is the difference between Bibore and Li min bibore?
In our recordings, Bibore is translated as “Sorry / Excuse me” and Li min bibore ! as “I am sorry”. The two forms are distinct.
How do you ask someone to speak slowly in Kurmanji?
Ji kerema xwe, hûn dikarin hêdî biaxivin ? corresponds to “Please, could you speak slowly?” in our recordings.
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