Numbers

1. Yek, du, sê, çar, pênc

   One, two, three, four, five

   Usage

   Kurdish numbers one through five, used for counting and quantities

   Grammar Note

   Kurdish numerals are Indo-European, showing similarities to Persian

2. Şeş, heft, heşt, neh, deh

   Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Kurdish numbers six through ten

   Grammar Note

   heft (seven) shares roots with Persian haft, reflecting Indo-European heritage

3. Bîst, sî, çil, pêncî, sed

   Bîst, sî, çil, pên-cî, sed

   Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred

   Usage

   Larger numbers essential for prices and quantities at the market

   Grammar Note

   sed (100) is cognate with Persian sad. Compound numbers join with û (and): bîst û yek = 21

4. Du kilo ji kerema xwe

   Du ki-lo ji ke-re-ma xwe

   Two kilos please

   Usage

   Ordering a specific quantity at a market or grocery

   Grammar Note

   ji kerema xwe is the polite "please". Numbers precede the noun in Kurdish

5. Saet çend e?

   Sa-et çend e?

   What time is it?

   Usage

   Asking the time, which requires knowledge of numbers

   Grammar Note

   çend is used for "how many", similar to çiqas. saet is borrowed from Arabic

6. Yazde, dazde, sêzde

   Yaz-de, da-zde, sê-zde

   Eleven, twelve, thirteen

   Usage

   Kurdish numbers eleven through thirteen, used for time and quantities

   Grammar Note

   11–19 are formed by adding -de to the unit. yazde comes from yek (1) + de (10)

7. Hezar, du hezar, sed hezar

   He-zar, du he-zar, sed he-zar

   One thousand, two thousand, one hundred thousand

   Usage

   Large numbers essential for prices in Kurdish markets and currency

   Grammar Note

   hezar is cognate with Persian hezâr. Large numbers compound as sed (100) + hezar (1000). "Two" is du, not doh — doh is a spelling of duh, "yesterday"

8. Sêyemîn

   Sê-ye-mîn

   Third

   Usage

   Ordinal number used for order or sequence, e.g. third exit

   Grammar Note

   -yemîn/-emîn forms ordinals: yekem (first), duyem (second), sêyemîn (third)

9. Nîv

   Half

   Usage

   Expressing half a quantity or half past the hour

   Grammar Note

   Used in time expressions: saet du û nîv (half past two). nîv saet means 30 minutes

10. Çend kes in?

    How many people are there?

    Usage

    Used at a restaurant or hotel to ask how many people are in the group

    Grammar Note

    kes means "person". in is the plural copula. Answer: du kes in (there are two people)

11. Ez bîst û heft salî me

    Ez bîst û heft sa-lî me

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    How to answer "Tu çend salî yî?" (how old are you?). Swap the number for any other age

    Grammar Note

    21-99 are joined with "û". The copula alternates with the preceding sound: salî ends in the vowel î, so the first person is me rather than im (and the third person is ye rather than e, as in "şeş salî ye")

12. Ez îsal bîst û heşt salî dibim

    Ez î-sal bîst û heşt sa-lî di-bim

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Used in the year your age changes. îsal is an adverb meaning "this year"

    Grammar Note

    îsal is î- (this) + sal (year). dibim is the first-person singular present of bûn (to be / to become), here in the "become" sense. The verb stands at the end of the clause

Browse all TravelPhrases languages