Sports & Activities

1. Ez li ku dikarim maçê temaşe bikim?

   Ez li ku di-ka-rim ma-çê te-ma-şe bi-kim?

   Where can I watch the match?

   Usage

   Asking where to watch a sports match

   Grammar Note

   In Kurmanji Kurdish, verbs conjugate for person and tense. "Dikarim" is the first-person present ability form.

2. Ez dixwazim tenis / badminton bilîzim.

   Ez di-xwa-zim te-nis / bad-min-ton bi-lî-zim.

   I'd like to play tennis / badminton.

   Usage

   Expressing desire to play a sport

   Grammar Note

   In Kurdish, desire is expressed with a subjunctive verb. "Bilîzim" is the subjunctive of "lîstin" (to play).

3. Salonê werzişê yê herî nêzîk li ku ye?

   Sa-lo-nê wer-zi-şê yê he-rî nê-zîk li ku ye?

   Where is the nearest gym / sports center?

   Usage

   Asking for the nearest sports facility

   Grammar Note

   Kurdish uses oblique case forms for genitives. "Werzişê" is the oblique of "werzîş" (sports).

4. Ez dikarim li vir amûrên werzişê bi kirê bigirim?

   Ez di-ka-rim li vir a-mû-rên wer-zi-şê bi ki-rê bi-gi-rim?

   Can I rent sports equipment here?

   Usage

   Asking about renting sports equipment

   Grammar Note

   "bi kirê girtin" = "to take on rent"; kirê is "rent". Do not use kirêt, which means "ugly". The verb agrees with ez, so it is dikarim, not the 3sg dikare.

5. Li vir çi werzişên populer hene?

   Li vir çi wer-zi-şên po-pu-ler he-ne?

   What sports are popular here?

   Usage

   Asking about locally popular sports

   Grammar Note

   "Hene" is the plural existential verb in Kurdish ("there are"), contrasting with singular "heye."

6. Ez dixwazim biçim gerîn / bisiklêtê siwarî bibim.

   Ez di-xwa-zim bi-çim ge-rîn / bi-sik-lê-tê si-wa-rî bi-bim.

   I'd like to go hiking / cycling.

   Usage

   Expressing interest in outdoor activities

   Grammar Note

   "Siwarî bûn" is the Kurdish idiom for riding a vehicle, derived from "siwar" (rider/horseman).

7. Ez li ku dikarim avjeniyê bikim / pelsiwariyê bikim?

   Ez li ku di-ka-rim av-je-ni-yê bi-kim / pel-si-wa-ri-yê bi-kim?

   Where can I go swimming / surfing?

   Usage

   Asking where to swim or surf

   Grammar Note

   Kurdish forms most sports verbs as noun plus kirin ("to do"). Swimming is avjenî. mele can also mean swimming but is spelled identically to "mullah/imam" and is ambiguous. Surfing is pelsiwarî; there is no Kurmanji word "serfiyan".

8. Îro maçê futbolê heye?

   Î-ro ma-çê fut-bo-lê he-ye?

   Is there a football / soccer game today?

   Usage

   Asking about a football match today

   Grammar Note

   "Maçê futbolê" uses oblique case endings to form a genitive phrase in Kurdish.

9. Ez dikarim tevlî lîstikê bibim?

   Ez di-ka-rim tev-lî lîs-ti-kê bi-bim?

   Can I join the game?

   Usage

   Asking to join a game

   Grammar Note

   "Tevlî bûn" is the Kurdish idiom for participation. "Tevlî" means "together/included."

10. Ew maç ecêb bû!

    Ew maç e-cêb bû!

    That was an amazing match / game!

    Usage

    Expressing admiration after a great match

    Grammar Note

    "Ecêb" is an Arabic loanword meaning "amazing." Kurdish has absorbed many Arabic vocabulary items.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages