Food & Drinks

1. Ev xwarin çawa ye?

   Ev xwa-rin ça-wa ye?

   What is this dish like?

   Usage

   Used to ask about a dish before ordering at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   çawa is a question word meaning "how/what like". Kurdish uses SOV word order

2. Dolma dixwazim

   Dol-ma di-xwa-zim

   I would like dolma

   Usage

   Ordering dolma, a classic Kurdish stuffed vegetable dish

   Grammar Note

   dixwazim is the present tense first-person of xwestin (to want). Dolma is rice/meat wrapped in grape leaves

3. Ez goşt naxwim

   Ez goşt na-xwim

   I don't eat meat

   Usage

   Used when you have dietary restrictions or are vegetarian

   Grammar Note

   A habitual negation uses the present negative prefix "na-" on the verb (xwarin → naxwim). The old "Goştê min tune ye" negates possession ("I have no meat") and does not state a dietary restriction — a dangerous confusion in a phrase used to declare what one cannot eat

4. Çayek ji min re bîne

   Ça-yek ji min re bî-ne

   Please bring me a cup of tea

   Usage

   Tea (çay) is central to Kurdish hospitality culture; used in cafes and homes

   Grammar Note

   bîne is the imperative of anîn (to bring). ji...re forms the dative meaning "for"

5. Ji kerema xwe, hesab bînin

   Ji ke-re-ma xwe, he-sab bî-nin

   Please bring the bill

   Usage

   Asking for the bill at the end of a meal

   Grammar Note

   Ji kerema xwe is the standard polite "please". bînin is the polite plural imperative of anîn (to bring)

6. Kebab û nan dixwazim

   Ke-bab û nan di-xwa-zim

   I would like kebab and bread

   Usage

   Ordering kebab with bread, a classic Kurdish meal combination

   Grammar Note

   nan means "bread" in Kurdish, a staple of every meal. û is the conjunction "and"

7. Avê bide min

   A-vê bi-de min

   Please give me water

   Usage

   Asking for water at a restaurant or table

   Grammar Note

   av (water) is a core Kurdish vocabulary word. -ê marks the oblique case used as object

8. Ev xwarin gelek xweş e

   Ev xwa-rin ge-lek xweş e

   This food is very delicious

   Usage

   Praising the food; also a way to compliment the cook

   Grammar Note

   gelek is an adverb meaning "very/many", similar to pir. Common in Kurmanji dialect

9. Gluten têde heye?

   Glu-ten têd-e he-ye?

   Does it contain gluten?

   Usage

   Asking about ingredients for dietary restrictions or allergies

   Grammar Note

   têde means "in it/inside". heye is the existential verb used here as a question

10. Şîv kengê tê?

    Şîv ken-gê tê?

    When is dinner served?

    Usage

    Asking about dinner time at a hotel or guesthouse

    Grammar Note

    tê is the present 3rd-person singular of hatin (to come), meaning "is served" here

11. Birinc

    Rice

    Usage

    A staple to point at when ordering

12. Nan

    Bread

    Usage

    A staple to point at when ordering

13. Xav

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    For checking whether a dish is uncooked

14. Tûj

    Spicy hot

    Usage

    Point at it to ask whether a dish is hot

15. Şorbe

    Soup

    Usage

    Point at it when ordering

16. Penîr

    Cheese

    Usage

    Point at it to order or to check ingredients

17. Nivîşk

    Butter

    Usage

    Also useful when avoiding dairy

18. Mast

    Yogurt

    Usage

    Point at it at breakfast or in a shop

19. Fêkî

    Fruit

    Usage

    Point at it in a market or an eatery

20. Şîr

    Milk

    Usage

    Point at it to order or to check ingredients

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