← Vegerîn bo Rêziman
Derbirin Cih û Dem
Expressions of Place & Time
📌 What are Place & Time Expressions?
Place and time expressions are phrases and words that tell us where and when something happens. They are essential for describing locations, directions, and timing in Kurdish.
1. Basic Place Expressions
Common locations and positions
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| li vir | here | Ez li vir im. (I am here.) |
| li wir | there | Ew li wir e. (He/She is there.) |
| li malê | at home | Ez li malê me. (I am at home.) |
| li dibistanê | at school | Ez li dibistanê me. (I am at school.) |
| li kar | at work | Ew li kar e. (He/She is at work.) |
| li derve | outside | Ez li derve me. (I am outside.) |
| li hundir | inside | Ew li hundir e. (He/She is inside.) |
| li jor | up, upstairs | Ez li jor im. (I am upstairs.) |
| li jêr | down, downstairs | Ew li jêr e. (He/She is downstairs.) |
📌 Examples in Sentences:
Were li vir!
Come here!
Biçe li wir!
Go there!
Ez li malê namêm, ez li kar im.
I'm not at home, I'm at work.
2. Directional Expressions
Movement and direction
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bo malê | to home, homeward | Ez diçim bo malê. (I go home.) |
| ji malê | from home | Ez ji malê têm. (I come from home.) |
| ber bi...ve | towards | Ez ber bi malê ve diçim. (I go towards home.) |
| li pêş | ahead, forward | Biçe li pêş! (Go forward!) |
| li paş | back, backward | Vegere li paş! (Go back!) |
| li rastê | to the right | Biçe li rastê! (Go right!) |
| li çepê | to the left | Biçe li çepê! (Go left!) |
| rasterast | straight ahead | Biçe rasterast! (Go straight!) |
📌 Giving Directions:
Biçe rasterast, paşê biçe li rastê.
Go straight, then go right.
Ez ber bi bazarê ve diçim.
I'm going towards the market.
Vegere li paş û biçe li çepê.
Go back and go left.
3. Parts of the Day
Times of day
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sibeh / sibehê | morning | Ez sibehê diçim. (I go in the morning.) |
| nîvro | noon, midday | Di nîvro de ez dixwînim. (At noon I read.) |
| piştî nîvro | afternoon | Piştî nîvro ez kar dikim. (In the afternoon I work.) |
| êvar | evening | Êvarê ez vedigerim malê. (In the evening I return home.) |
| şev | night | Di şevê de ez radizim. (At night I sleep.) |
| nîvşev | midnight | Di nîvşevê de ez radizim. (At midnight I sleep.) |
📌 Examples:
Ez her sibehê diçim dibistanê.
I go to school every morning.
Êvarê em li malê ne.
In the evening we are at home.
Di şevê de ez pirtûkan dixwînim.
At night I read books.
4. Telling Time (Saet)
Clock hours and minutes
In Kurdish, telling time uses the word saet (hour/o'clock) and follows specific patterns.
Basic Hours (O'clock):
| Time | Kurdish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | Saet yek e | It's one o'clock |
| 2:00 | Saet du ye | It's two o'clock |
| 3:00 | Saet sê ye | It's three o'clock |
| 4:00 | Saet çar e | It's four o'clock |
| 5:00 | Saet pênc e | It's five o'clock |
| 6:00 | Saet şeş e | It's six o'clock |
| 7:00 | Saet heft e | It's seven o'clock |
| 8:00 | Saet heşt e | It's eight o'clock |
| 9:00 | Saet neh e | It's nine o'clock |
| 10:00 | Saet deh e | It's ten o'clock |
| 11:00 | Saet yanzdeh e | It's eleven o'clock |
| 12:00 | Saet diwanzdeh e | It's twelve o'clock |
With Minutes:
| Time | Kurdish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2:15 | Saet du û çarek | Two fifteen / Quarter past two |
| 2:30 | Saet du û nîv | Two thirty / Half past two |
| 2:45 | Saet sê kêm çarek | Quarter to three |
| 3:10 | Saet sê û deh deqe | Three ten / Ten past three |
| 3:20 | Saet sê û bîst deqe | Three twenty / Twenty past three |
| 4:50 | Saet pênc kêm deh deqe | Ten to five |
💡 Pattern!
Past the hour: Saet + number + û + minutes
Example: Saet du û pênc deqe (2:05 - five past two)
To the hour: Saet + next hour + kêm + minutes
Example: Saet sê kêm deh deqe (2:50 - ten to three)
Asking About Time:
📌 Questions & Answers:
Q: Saet çend e? → A: Saet sê ye.
Q: What time is it? → A: It's three o'clock.
Q: Saet çend e? → A: Saet du û nîv e.
Q: What time is it? → A: It's two thirty.
Tu saet çend diçî?
What time do you go? / At what time do you go?
Ez saet heşt diçim dibistanê.
I go to school at eight o'clock.
Time Vocabulary:
| Kurdish | English |
|---|---|
| saet | hour, o'clock |
| deqe | minute |
| çirke | second |
| çarek | quarter (15 minutes) |
| nîv | half (30 minutes) |
| kêm | minus, to (for time) |
5. Days, Weeks, Months, Years
Time periods
Days:
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| îro | today | Îro ez diçim. (Today I go.) |
| duh | yesterday | Duh ez çûm. (Yesterday I went.) |
| sibe | tomorrow | Sibe ez dê biçim. (Tomorrow I will go.) |
| pêr duh | day before yesterday | Pêr duh ez çûm. (I went the day before yesterday.) |
| pêr sibe | day after tomorrow | Pêr sibe ez dê biçim. (I will go the day after tomorrow.) |
Time Periods:
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| roj | day | her roj (every day) |
| hefte | week | her hefte (every week) |
| meh | month | her mehê (every month) |
| sal | year | her salê (every year) |
| ev hefte | this week | Ev hefte ez diçim. (This week I go.) |
| hefteya borî | last week | Hefteya borî ez çûm. (Last week I went.) |
| hefteya pêş | next week | Hefteya pêş ez dê biçim. (Next week I will go.) |
📌 Examples:
Îro ez li malê me.
Today I am at home.
Duh ez çûm dibistanê.
Yesterday I went to school.
Sibe ez dê biçim bazarê.
Tomorrow I will go to the market.
Ez her roj dixwînim.
I read every day.
Months of the Year (Mehên Salê):
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rêbendan | January | Di Rêbendanê de sar e. (In January it's cold.) |
| Reşemî | February | Di Reşemiyê de berf dibe. (In February it snows.) |
| Adar | March | Di Adarê de bihar dest pê dike. (In March spring begins.) |
| Avrêl | April | Di Avrêlê de baran dibe. (In April it rains.) |
| Gulan | May | Di Gulanê de gul vedibe. (In May flowers bloom.) |
| Hezîran | June | Di Hezîranê de havîn dest pê dike. (In June summer begins.) |
| Tîrmeh | July | Di Tîrmehê de hewa germ e. (In July the weather is hot.) |
| Tebax | August | Di Tebaxê de em diçin deriyê. (In August we go to the sea.) |
| Îlon | September | Di Îlonê de dibistan dest pê dike. (In September school starts.) |
| Cotmeh | October | Di Cotmehê de pelên daran dikevin. (In October tree leaves fall.) |
| Mijdar | November | Di Mijdarê de sar dibe. (In November it gets cold.) |
| Berfanbar | December | Di Berfanbarê de berf dibe. (In December it snows.) |
📌 Examples with Months:
Ez di Gulanê de ji dayîk bûm.
I was born in May.
Di Tîrmehê de em dê biçin betlanê.
In July we will go on vacation.
Di Rêbendanê de sala nû dest pê dike.
In January the new year begins.
💡 Usage Note!
To say "in [month]", use di...ê de pattern:
• Di Gulanê de (In May)
• Di Tîrmehê de (In July)
• Di Berfanbarê de (In December)
5. Seasons (Demsalên Salê)
Four seasons
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bihar | spring | Di biharê de hewa xweş e. (In spring the weather is nice.) |
| havîn | summer | Di havînê de ez diçim deriyê. (In summer I go to the sea.) |
| payîz | autumn, fall | Di payîzê de pelên daran dikevin. (In autumn tree leaves fall.) |
| zivistan | winter | Di zivistanê de berf dibe. (In winter it snows.) |
📌 Examples:
Ez ji biharê hez dikim.
I love spring.
Di havînê de hewa germ e.
In summer the weather is hot.
Di zivistanê de ez li malê dimêm.
In winter I stay at home.
6. Frequency Expressions
How often something happens
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| her dem / her gav | always | Ez her dem li vir im. (I am always here.) |
| pir caran | often | Ez pir caran diçim. (I go often.) |
| carinan | sometimes | Ez carinan dixwînim. (I read sometimes.) |
| kêm caran | rarely, seldom | Ez kêm caran diçim. (I rarely go.) |
| qet / tu car | never | Ez qet naçim. (I never go.) |
| her roj | every day | Ez her roj dixwînim. (I read every day.) |
| carekê | once | Ez carekê çûm. (I went once.) |
| du caran | twice | Ez du caran çûm. (I went twice.) |
📌 Examples:
Ez her roj diçim dibistanê.
I go to school every day.
Ez carinan pirtûkan dixwînim.
I sometimes read books.
Ez qet li wir naçim.
I never go there.
7. Temporal Expressions
Before, after, during, while
| Kurdish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| berî | before | Berî xwarinê ez dixwînim. (Before eating I read.) |
| piştî | after | Piştî xwarinê ez diçim. (After eating I go.) |
| di...de | during, in | Di havînê de ez diçim. (During summer I go.) |
| dema ku | when, while | Dema ku ez dixwînim... (When I read...) |
| heta | until | Ez heta êvarê li vir im. (I'm here until evening.) |
| ji...ve | since, from | Ji sibehê ve ez li vir im. (I've been here since morning.) |
| niha / îsta | now | Ez niha diçim. (I'm going now.) |
| paşê | then, later | Paşê ez dê biçim. (Then I will go.) |
📌 Examples:
Berî ku ez biçim, ez dixwînim.
Before I go, I read.
Piştî xebatê ez vedigerim malê.
After work I return home.
Dema ku ez dixwînim, ez hêdî hêdî dixwînim.
When I read, I read slowly.
Ez niha diçim, paşê ez dê vegerim.
I'm going now, then I will return.
Quick Reference: Essential Expressions
| Category | Kurdish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Place | li vir / li wir | here / there |
| Place | li malê / li kar | at home / at work |
| Direction | li rastê / li çepê | right / left |
| Time | îro / duh / sibe | today / yesterday / tomorrow |
| Time | sibeh / êvar / şev | morning / evening / night |
| Frequency | her dem / carinan / qet | always / sometimes / never |
| Temporal | berî / piştî / niha | before / after / now |
📚 Summary:
- Basic place: li vir (here), li wir (there), li malê (at home)
- Direction: li rastê (right), li çepê (left), rasterast (straight)
- Parts of day: sibeh (morning), nîvro (noon), êvar (evening), şev (night)
- Days: îro (today), duh (yesterday), sibe (tomorrow)
- Seasons: bihar (spring), havîn (summer), payîz (autumn), zivistan (winter)
- Frequency: her dem (always), carinan (sometimes), qet (never)
- Temporal: berî (before), piştî (after), dema ku (when), niha (now)