Nightlife

1. Li vir barekî xweş heye?

   Li vir ba-re-kî xweş he-ye?

   Is there a nice bar around here?

   Usage

   Asking a local or hotel staff about a good place to go out at night

   Grammar Note

   -ekî is the indefinite suffix used with adjectives. heye is the existential verb

2. Sax bin!

   Sax bin!

   Cheers!

   Usage

   A toast when drinking; Kurdish gatherings also feature traditional music and dance

   Grammar Note

   "Sax bin!" = "be well" = the Kurdish toast. Do not use serxweş, which means "drunk"

3. Ev cih kengê tê girtin?

   Ev cih ken-gê tê gir-tin?

   What time does this place close?

   Usage

   Asking about closing time at a bar or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   tê girtin is a passive construction. girtin is a versatile verb meaning "to close/hold/take"

4. Yekî din bîne

   Ye-kî din bî-ne

   One more please

   Usage

   Ordering another round of drinks

   Grammar Note

   "Another one" is yekî din (the oblique of yek plus din "other"). The form birêtir does not exist in Kurmanji — "more" is bêtir. bîne is the imperative of anîn (to bring)

5. Muzîka dengbêjiyê baş e

   Mu-zî-ka deng-bê-ji-yê baş e

   The dengbêj music is wonderful

   Usage

   Appreciating dengbêj, the traditional Kurdish troubadour music tradition

   Grammar Note

   dengbêj combines deng (voice) and bêj (one who says). A dengbêj is a traditional oral poet-singer

6. Ev şev Newroz tê pîroz kirin

   Ev şev New-roz tê pî-roz ki-rin

   Tonight Nowruz is being celebrated

   Usage

   Used during Nowruz celebrations, the most important Kurdish festival on March 21

   Grammar Note

   tê pîroz kirin is a passive construction. pîroz kirin means "to celebrate/bless"

7. Kafe û çayxane xweş in

   Ka-fe û çay-xa-ne xweş in

   The cafes and tea houses are nice

   Usage

   Tea houses and cafes are social hubs in Kurdish evenings; also a conversation opener

   Grammar Note

   çayxane combines çay (tea) and xane (place). Eating and drinking are central social activities in Kurdish culture

8. Şev baş! Şeveke xweş!

   Şev baş! Şe-ve-ke xweş!

   Good night! Have a good evening!

   Usage

   A farewell greeting used at the end of an evening out

   Grammar Note

   The parting "good night" is Şev baş. şevbêrk is a different noun meaning an evening gathering and is not a greeting

9. Û çi dixwazî vexwî?

   Û çi di-xwa-zî ve-xwî?

   What would you like to drink?

   Usage

   Asking someone what they would like to drink at a bar or cafe

   Grammar Note

   vexwî is the subjunctive of vexwarin (to drink). dixwazî + subjunctive asks about desire

10. Spas ji bo şeva xweş

    Spas ji bo şe-va xweş

    Thank you for the wonderful evening

    Usage

    Thanking a host or friend for a wonderful evening out

    Grammar Note

    ji bo is a purposive preposition. şev (night) takes the linking vowel to become şeva before adjectives

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