Beach & Activities

1. Ev behr pir bedew e

   Ev behr pir be-dew e

   This sea is very beautiful

   Usage

   Used when visiting the coast near Kurdish regions — Mediterranean or Black Sea

   Grammar Note

   bedew is a poetic "beautiful". behr is borrowed from Arabic meaning "sea/ocean"

2. Ma mirov dikare di vê behrê de avjeniyê bike?

   Ma mi-rov di-ka-re di vê beh-rê de av-je-ni-yê bi-ke?

   Can one swim in this sea?

   Usage

   Asking if swimming is safe or permitted at this beach or lake

   Grammar Note

   avjenî is av (water) plus jenîn (to strike), i.e. swimming. Location uses the circumposition di … de and the closing de cannot be dropped. A generic subject is expressed with mirov ("one")

3. Ez li ku dikarim kincê avjeniyê bi kirê bigirim?

   Ez li ku di-ka-rim kin-cê av-je-ni-yê bi ki-rê bi-gi-rim?

   Where can I rent swimwear?

   Usage

   Asking where to rent swimwear or beach equipment

   Grammar Note

   "To rent" (as the hirer) is bi kirê girtin. "kirayî didin" describes the party letting something out, not the traveller renting it

4. Ji pêlên mezin bihişyar be

   Ji pê-lên me-zin bi-hiş-yar be

   Be careful of the big waves

   Usage

   Warning someone about dangerous waves in the sea

   Grammar Note

   bihişyar bûn is a compound meaning "to be careful/aware". be is the imperative auxiliary

5. Li vir siya xweş heye

   Li vir si-ya xweş he-ye

   There is nice shade here

   Usage

   Pointing out a shaded spot at the beach or outdoors

   Grammar Note

   siya means "shadow/shade". Kurdish summers can be hot, making shade precious

6. Av germ e an sar e?

   Is the water warm or cold?

   Usage

   Checking the water temperature before swimming

   Grammar Note

   an means "or". germ (warm) and sar (cold) are antonyms in Kurmanji Kurdish

7. Keştiya gerê kengê derdikeve?

   Keş-ti-ya ge-rê ken-gê der-di-ke-ve?

   When does the tour boat depart?

   Usage

   Asking about the departure time of a boat tour

   Grammar Note

   keştî means "ship/boat". derdikeve is the present tense of derketin (to depart/go out)

8. Ez dixwazim li ber tavê rûnim

   Ez di-xwa-zim li ber ta-vê rû-nim

   I want to sunbathe

   Usage

   Expressing the wish to sunbathe at the beach or riverside

   Grammar Note

   "sun" is tav; xwê means "salt" and cannot be used here. li ber tavê rûniştin = "to sit in the sun", i.e. to sunbathe

9. Masiyên xerîb li vir tên dîtin?

   Ma-si-yên xe-rîb li vir tên dî-tin?

   Can you see exotic fish here?

   Usage

   Asking about exotic fish or aquatic life in a lake or river

   Grammar Note

   xerîb means "exotic/strange". Borrowed from Arabic gharīb (strange/foreigner)

10. Ez dixwazim avjeniyê fêr bibim

    Ez di-xwa-zim av-je-ni-yê fêr bi-bim

    I want to learn swimming

    Usage

    Expressing interest in learning to swim or finding swimming lessons

    Grammar Note

    fêr bûn means "to learn/acquire a skill". bibim is the subjunctive 1st-person of bûn (to become)

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