Kurdish (Kurmanji) Alphabet explained in English.
The Kurdish Latin Alphabet
(Shahin B. Sorekli)
A / a: always as "a" in the English "are" : Bav = father
B / b: as in Bonn, Berlin: Brader = brother
C / c: As “j” in English: Cemal = Jamal
Ç / ç (can be written as “ch” as well: as “ch” in English: Çav/ Chav = eye
D / d : as in Doris: Dar = tree
E / e: Pronounced as "a" in apple: Ez = I
Ê / ê: Pronounced as “a” in facebook/ Or as “a” in dare. Zêr = gold. Êzing = fire wood
F / f: As in English: Fransa = France
G / g: Always as "g" in "go." As “g” in German alphabet): Gor = grave
H / h: As in English: Hat = came
I / i: As "i" in Kurdistan/ As “ı” in the Turkish alphabet: Mir = died
Î / î: As “i” and “y” in “Italy” (Îtalî = Italian). Pîr = old
J / j: As “the middle sound in measure, television, closure. The English “measure” would be written like this in Kurdish: Mêjer
K / k: As in English: Kar = work
L / l: As in English: Law = boy
M / m: As in English: Mar = snake.
N / n: As in English: Nan = bread
O / o: Pronounced as "o" in orange: Zor: force
P / p: As in English: Por = hair
Q / q: This sound is mostly associated with words of Arabic origin. It
has no equal sound in the European languages. Pronounced as the Arabic “Qaf” in “Quran.” Notice the pronunciation of the following words: Qaz = duck/ beqal = grocer/ beq = frog
R / r: As in English. Roma = Rome/ Mêr = man
S / s: As in English. Sar = cold/ Oso
Ş / ş = (Nowadays can also be wriiten as “sh”) As "Sh/sh" in English.
T / t: As in English: Traktor = tractor/ Met = aunty
U / u: Pronounced as "u" in Kuwait and Kurd. Not many words in Kurdish start with “u.”
Û /û: Pronounced as “u” in “sure” and “oo” in “poor” : dûr = far
V / v: As in English: Volvo
W / w: Pronounced as "w" in Washington, down, how. Were = come/ bedew = pretty
X / x: No equal sound in English. As in “ch” in the German word “dach.” English often uses “kh” instead as in “Khomeini” but the sound in Kurdish is different: Ax = dirt, soil. Xanim = lady
Y / y: As "y" in yard, beyond, yello: Yek = one/ day = mother
Z: As in English. Zo = pair/ beza = fast
23 сен 2024
