Martial Arts

1. Ez dikarim tenê ji bo rojekê beşdarî temrînê bibim?

   Ez di-ka-rim te-nê ji bo ro-je-kê beş-da-rî tem-rî-nê bi-bim?

   Can I join the training for just one day?

   Usage

   Every phrase in this category is Kurmanji Kurdish written in the Latin (Hawar) alphabet, matching the dialect and script used in the other files under src/data/ku/. Clubs across the Kurdistan Region — Hewlêr (Erbil), Silêmanî and elsewhere — teach taekwondo, kickboxing and MMA. Monthly dues are standard, but many will take a visitor for a single session

   Grammar Note

   Kurmanji dialect. After "dikarim" (I can) the second verb goes into the subjunctive with the prefix "bi-", giving "bibim". The oblique ending -ê on "rojekê" and "temrînê" marks them as governed by a preposition or verb

2. Ez dikarim berê temrînê temaşe bikim?

   Ez di-ka-rim be-rê tem-rî-nê te-ma-şe bi-kim?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use this when you want to judge the atmosphere and the coach before committing. Kurdish hospitality means you will almost certainly be handed a glass of tea, which can make leaving feel awkward — but you are under no obligation to sign up on the spot. Always ask separately before filming

   Grammar Note

   "Temaşe kirin" is a compound verb of the "noun + kirin (to do)" type, and only "kirin" conjugates ("bikim" = that I do). Kurmanji relies heavily on this pattern

3. Hûn lepikan bi kirê didin?

   Hûn le-pi-kan bi ki-rê di-din?

   Do you rent out gloves?

   Usage

   Formal rental schemes are uncommon; in practice the club simply lends you its shared gear. For "gulaş" (wrestling) no protective equipment is needed at all — loose clothing and a strong sash cover it. Bring your own mouthguard for hygiene

   Grammar Note

   The oblique plural ending is -an ("lepik" → "lepikan"). "Bi kirê dan" is to rent out (their side) and "bi kirê girtin" to rent from (your side); asking the club, use the former. "Hûn" is plural but also serves as the polite singular

4. Ez destpêker im, min berê qet nekiriye.

   Ez dest-pê-ker im, min be-rê qet ne-ki-ri-ye.

   I am a beginner — I have never done this before.

   Usage

   Say this first. Kurdish clubs are full of people who have trained since childhood, so the gap between novice and regular is wide and silence may get you paired as an equal. Declaring yourself a beginner earns you a safer session. The word "destpêker" does not change for a female speaker

   Grammar Note

   "Dest" (hand) plus "pê" plus the agentive "-ker" gives "beginner". A defining feature of Kurmanji is that with transitive verbs in past tenses the agent takes the oblique case — hence "min" rather than "ez" — in an ergative-style construction

5. Ji kerema xwe hinekî sivik bike.

   Ji ke-re-ma xwe hi-ne-kî si-vik bi-ke.

   Please, take it a bit lighter.

   Usage

   Use this to bring the intensity down in grappling or drilling. Sessions tend to ramp up, so speak the moment it is too much. To ask for the opposite, say "hêztir bike" (make it harder)

   Grammar Note

   "Ji kerema xwe" literally means "out of your kindness" and is the standard polite request formula. The imperative is "bi-" plus the stem ("kirin" → "bike"); the plural or polite form is "bikin"

6. Çokê min êş dike, ez nikarim bi lingan lê bidim.

   Ço-kê min êş di-ke, ez ni-ka-rim bi lin-gan lê bi-dim.

   My knee hurts, so I cannot do the kicking drills.

   Usage

   Always say this before you start. Swap "çok" (knee) for "mil" (shoulder), "pişt" (back) or "gûzek" (ankle). There is no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag anything, and mats are often thin

   Grammar Note

   Possession is expressed as "noun + oblique pronoun": "çokê min" = my knee. The possessed noun carries the ezafe -ê / -a linking it to the possessor. The negative of ability is "nikarim"

7. Heqê mehê çiqas e, heqê temrîneke tenê çiqas e?

   He-qê me-hê çi-qas e, he-qê tem-rî-ne-ke te-nê çi-qas e?

   How much is the monthly fee, and how much for a single session?

   Usage

   Kurdish-speaking areas span Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, so the currency depends on where you are. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq you will be paying in Iraqi dinars, with US dollars also widely accepted. Cash is the norm and smaller clubs rarely take cards

   Grammar Note

   The ezafe -ê links two nouns to mean "of": "heqê mehê" = the fee of the month. Indefiniteness is marked by -ek on the noun, becoming -eke before an oblique: "temrîn" → "temrîneke"

8. Dersên tenê ji bo jinan hene?

   Der-sên te-nê ji bo ji-nan he-ne?

   Are there women-only classes?

   Usage

   Cities in the Kurdistan Region have women's taekwondo and kickboxing classes taught by female coaches. Traditional "gulaş" wrestling is a men's practice. Some mixed classes avoid pairing men and women for grappling, so it is worth checking in advance

   Grammar Note

   The existential verb is "heye" with a singular subject and "hene" with a plural one. The preposition "ji bo" (for) puts the following noun in the oblique: "jin" → "jinan"

9. Ez bernameya dersan li ku dikarim bibînim?

   Ez ber-na-me-ya der-san li ku di-ka-rim bi-bî-nim?

   Where can I see the class timetable?

   Usage

   The timetable is usually posted at the entrance or on the club's Facebook or Instagram page. Newroz on 21 March is the biggest holiday of the year and can close a club for about a week. In summer, classes often shift to early morning and evening to escape the heat

   Grammar Note

   "Bername" is feminine, so its ezafe is -ya: "bernameya dersan". Kurmanji nouns carry grammatical gender, distinguished by the shape of the ezafe: -ê for masculine, -a for feminine

10. Tu dikarî vê teknîkê careke din hêdî nîşanî min bidî?

    Tu di-ka-rî vê tek-nî-kê ca-re-ke din hê-dî nî-şa-nî min bi-dî?

    Could you show me this technique once more, slowly?

    Usage

    The most useful line when words run out. Coaches in the Kurdistan Region often also speak Arabic or Turkish, and sometimes English. Even so, asking in Kurdish alongside a gesture always warms the room

    Grammar Note

    "Nîşan dan" (to show) is a compound verb; the recipient is marked with "nîşanî" plus an oblique pronoun ("nîşanî min" = to me). The demonstrative "ev" becomes "vê" (feminine) or "vî" (masculine) in the oblique

11. Ez kengî dikarim beşdarî sparringê bibim?

    Ez ken-gî di-ka-rim beş-da-rî spar-rin-gê bi-bim?

    When will I be able to join sparring?

    Usage

    Whether you go live is the coach's call; beginners start with breakfalls and basic defence. Let them decide rather than pushing to join. The English word "sparring" is borrowed directly, though some coaches say "şer bi şer" instead

    Grammar Note

    "Beşdar bûn" literally means "to become a participant"; its subjunctive first person is "bibim". Loanwords take oblique endings like any other noun: "sparring" → "sparringê"

12. Li vir dûş û odeya guhertina cilan hene?

    Li vir dûş û o-de-ya gu-her-ti-na ci-lan he-ne?

    Are there showers and a changing room here?

    Usage

    Newer gyms have showers, but older halls often provide nothing more than a corner to change in. Summer temperatures can approach 45 degrees and power cuts can stop the water pumps, so always bring a change of clothes, a towel and water

    Grammar Note

    "Guhertin" (to change) takes -a to form a verbal noun linked by ezafe to what follows: "guhertina cilan" = the changing of clothes. "Û" is the conjunction "and"

13. Ez li ku dikarim pêşbaziya gulaşê temaşe bikim?

    Ez li ku di-ka-rim pêş-ba-zi-ya gu-la-şê te-ma-şe bi-kim?

    Where can I watch a wrestling competition?

    Usage

    "Gulaş" is the Kurdish word for wrestling. Impromptu bouts turn up at village festivals and weddings, fought inside a ring of onlookers. Around Newroz on 21 March celebrations multiply across the region and often include wrestling among the events

    Grammar Note

    "Pêşbazî" is feminine, so it takes the ezafe -ya, and the following "gulaş" goes into the oblique: "pêşbaziya gulaşê" = the wrestling competition

14. Li vir kîjan werzişên şer têne fêrkirin?

    Li vir kî-jan wer-zi-şên şer tê-ne fêr-ki-rin?

    Which martial arts are taught here?

    Usage

    A single club often covers several disciplines, so asking up front helps you choose. Taekwondo, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling ("gulaş") are the strongest in the Kurdistan Region, and MMA gyms have been multiplying in Hewlêr (Erbil) and Silêmanî in recent years

    Grammar Note

    The passive uses "hatin" (to come) plus an infinitive, and with a plural subject becomes "têne fêrkirin". "Werzişên şer" uses the plural ezafe -ên to build "sports of fighting"

15. Destên xwe bilind bike, li çavên hemberê xwe binêre.

    Des-tên xwe bi-lind bi-ke, li ça-vên hem-be-rê xwe bi-nê-re.

    Get your hands up, look into your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Instructions come in the familiar "tu" imperative with no politeness attached — not rudeness, but a sign you have been taken in. Addressed to the whole class the forms become plural: "bikin", "binêrin"

    Grammar Note

    "Xwe" is the reflexive pronoun used for possession referring back to the subject: "destên xwe" = your own hands. The verb "nêrin" (to look) takes the preposition "li" for "look at"

16. Bi hemû hêza xwe lê bide, xwe negire.

    Bi he-mû hê-za xwe lê bi-de, xwe ne-gi-re.

    Strike with all your strength, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach while holding the pads — both a demand for commitment and permission to give it. The thinking behind it is that a half-hearted effort is what puts you off balance and gets you hurt

    Grammar Note

    A negative imperative takes the prefix "ne-" on the stem: "bigire" → "negire". "Hêz" is feminine, so its ezafe is -a, giving "hêza xwe" (your own strength)

17. Pênc deqîqe bêhna xwe vede û av vexwe.

    Pênc de-qî-qe bêh-na xwe ve-de û av ve-xwe.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Summers pass 40 degrees and halls are frequently unairconditioned, so drinking matters; bring your own bottle. If you are offered tea ("çay") afterwards, accepting is the courteous move and often where the conversation really starts

    Grammar Note

    "Bêhna xwe vedan" literally releases your breath and means to rest. Verbs with the prefix "ve-" (vedan, vexwarin) keep that prefix in the imperative and do not take "bi-"

18. Îro bes e. Te pir baş kir!

    Î-ro bes e. Te pir baş kir!

    That's enough for today. You did very well!

    Usage

    Said by the coach to close the session. Answer with "spas" (thank you) or "gelek spas" (thank you very much). You will often be invited for tea afterwards, and accepting is how relationships get built. Tipping is not a custom

    Grammar Note

    With transitive verbs in the past, the agent goes into the oblique case, so it is "te" and not "tu": "te ... kir" = you did. This ergative-style construction is a hallmark of Kurmanji and differs from Sorani

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