Sightseeing

1. Kela Diyarbekirê li ku ye?

   Ke-la Di-yar-be-ki-rê li ku ye?

   Where is the Diyarbakir Citadel?

   Usage

   Asking directions to the UNESCO-listed ancient citadel of Diyarbakir

   Grammar Note

   kela means "castle/fortress" and appears in many Kurdish place names. -ê is the genitive ending

2. Bileteke bide min

   Bi-le-te-ke bi-de min

   Give me one ticket please

   Usage

   Buying a ticket at a tourist site or museum

   Grammar Note

   -eke is an indefinite article-like suffix. bide is the imperative of dan (to give)

3. Ev çiqas dûr e?

   Ev çi-qas dûr e?

   How far is it?

   Usage

   Asking about the distance to a destination

   Grammar Note

   dûr is the adjective "far". Its antonym is nêzîk (near/close)

4. Ma destûr heye ku ez wêneyan bikişînim?

   Ma des-tûr he-ye ku ez wê-ne-yan bi-ki-şî-nim?

   Is it okay to take photos?

   Usage

   Asking permission to take photographs at a tourist or cultural site

   Grammar Note

   Permission is asked with "destûr heye ku" plus a subjunctive. rê means "road" and cannot mean "permitted" — permission is destûr. "To take a photo" is wêne kişandin

5. Mesrefa têketinê çiqas e?

   Mes-re-fa tê-ke-ti-nê çi-qas e?

   How much is the entrance fee?

   Usage

   Asking about the admission fee at a museum or attraction

   Grammar Note

   têketin is the verbal noun of "to enter". -ê is the genitive suffix

6. Muzexaneya kurdan heye?

   Mu-ze-xa-ne-ya kur-dan he-ye?

   Is there a Kurdish museum?

   Usage

   Looking for a museum about Kurdish culture and history

   Grammar Note

   muze (museum; a loanword of Greek origin) + xane (place) compound. kurdan is the plural oblique of kurd

7. Dîwarê Diyarbekirê dîtin dixwazim

   Dî-wa-rê Di-yar-be-ki-rê dî-tin di-xwa-zim

   I want to see the Diyarbakir walls

   Usage

   Expressing intent to visit the UNESCO-listed basalt city walls of Diyarbakir

   Grammar Note

   dîtin is the verbal noun/infinitive of "to see". dixwazim + verbal noun expresses desire

8. Rêbereke dixwazim

   Rê-be-re-ke di-xwa-zim

   I would like a tour guide

   Usage

   Requesting a tour guide at a cultural site or Kurdish heritage location

   Grammar Note

   rêber combines rê (road) and ber (front), meaning "one who leads the way"

9. Ev cih kengê vekiriye?

   Ev cih ken-gê ve-ki-ri-ye?

   What time does this place open?

   Usage

   Asking about opening hours for a museum or attraction

   Grammar Note

   vekiriye is the perfect 3rd-person of vekirin (to open). ve- is a prefix meaning "to open/release"

10. Wêneyekî xweş bigire

    Wê-ne-ye-kî xweş bi-gi-re

    Please take a nice photo

    Usage

    Asking someone to take your photo at a tourist attraction

    Grammar Note

    bigire is the imperative of girtin (to take/capture). wêneyekî is the indefinite oblique of wêne

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