Counting in Kurmanji: Numbers from 0 to 1000

Knowing how to count is one of the first useful skills when you learn Kurmanji, the main variety of Kurdish spoken in Turkey, Syria, northern Iraq and northwestern Iran. Numbers come up everywhere: bargaining at the bazaar, giving your age, telling the time or noting a phone number. The good news is that the Kurmanji number system is regular and quick to remember once you have learned the basic building blocks. Here is a complete tour, from zero to a thousand, with pronunciation and the pitfalls to watch out for.

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A little cultural context

Kurmanji is written with the Latin Hawar alphabet, created by Celadet Alî Bedirxan in 1932 in the journal Hawar. This alphabet has 31 letters, including five with diacritics (ç, ş, î, û, ê) and letters such as x, q and w. This matters for numbers, because correct reading depends on these marks: "ş" sounds like the "sh" in "shoe", "ê" is a closed "ay" sound, and "û" is like a long "oo".

Numbers accompany a rich culture where calculation was traditionally done in the head, whether at the market or in exchanges between shepherds and traders. Even today, knowing numbers by ear is essential: in many Kurdish-speaking regions, everyday transactions happen in speech before writing. Counting correctly is also a way to show respect and consideration to the person you are talking to.

Be careful not to confuse Kurmanji with Sorani, the other major Kurdish variety, written in a modified Arabic-Persian script and spoken mainly in the Kurdistan regions of Iraq and Iran. The numbers sound similar aloud, but the writing and some forms differ. This article deals only with standard Kurmanji in the Latin alphabet.

The vocabulary of basic numbers

Here are the core building blocks. Once you have memorized these words, most other numbers are built by combination. The key linking word is û, which means "and" and connects tens to units.

These fourteen words form the base of the whole system. Notice that "two" has two forms: du in compounds (for example, in twenty-two) and didu when counting on its own.

Building numbers from 11 to 99

Numbers from 11 to 19 are formed on the base of "deh" (ten), often with a contraction. Here are the most common ones:

• 11: yanzdeh
• 12: donzdeh (also diwanzdeh)
• 13: sêzdeh
• 14: çardeh
• 15: pazdeh (also panzdeh)
• 16: şanzdeh
• 17: hivdeh (also hevdeh)
• 18: hijdeh
• 19: nozdeh

Each round ten has its own word:

• 20: bîst
• 30: sî
• 40: çil
• 50: pêncî
• 60: şêst
• 70: heftê
• 80: heştê
• 90: nod (also not)

For anything between the tens, you assemble with û. You say the ten, then "û", then the unit:

• 21: bîst û yek (twenty-one)
• 35: sî û pênc (thirty-five)
• 48: çil û heşt (forty-eight)
• 67: şêst û heft (sixty-seven)
• 99: nod û neh (ninety-nine)

The system is completely regular beyond twenty: just attach the ten, "û", then the unit. It is simpler than English in some ways, since there are no irregular teen words to trip over once you know the pattern.

Hundreds, thousands and a bazaar dialogue

Beyond a hundred, the logic stays additive. You place the hundred (sed multiplied) then the rest with û:

• 100: sed
• 200: du sed
• 300: sê sed
• 500: pênc sed
• 1000: hezar
• 2000: du hezar

A number like 365 is said sê sed û şêst û pênc: "three hundred and sixty and five". Each block is linked by "û".

Here is a short dialogue at the bazaar to see numbers in action:

• Firoşkar (the seller): Silav! Tu çi dixwazî? (Hello! What would you like?)
• Kiryar (the customer): Silav! Ev sêv çend e? (Hello! How much are these apples?)
• Firoşkar: Kîloyek pêncî lîre ye. (One kilo is fifty lira.)
• Kiryar: Ez du kîloyan dixwazim. (I want two kilos.)
• Firoşkar: Bibe sed lîre. (That comes to one hundred lira.)
• Kiryar: Fermo. Gelek spas! (Here you are. Thank you very much!)

This kind of exchange shows how essential numbers are in everyday life. You will often hear çend ("how much / how many") to ask about quantity or price.

Summary and common mistakes

To lock in the essentials, remember these points:

• Units from 1 to 10 are the building blocks of the whole system.
• The round tens (bîst, sî, çil, pêncî, şêst, heftê, heştê, nod) must be memorized separately.
• The word û consistently links tens and units, hundreds and tens.
• Hundreds are formed with a multiplier before sed.

Here are the mistakes beginners make most often:

1. Confusing "du" and "didu": use du in compounds (du sed = 200) and didu when counting alone.
2. Ignoring the diacritics: "se" and "sê" are not the same sound. The "ê" changes pronunciation and sometimes meaning.
3. Pronouncing "ş" like an "s": it is a "sh". "şeş" (six) is said "shesh", not "sess".
4. Dropping the linking "û": saying "bîst yek" instead of "bîst û yek" for 21 sounds incomplete.
5. Mixing Kurmanji and Sorani: the two varieties have similar but distinct forms. Stay within one system at a time.

By practicing counting aloud regularly, these reflexes settle in within just a few days.

Going further

Once you have the cardinals, you can explore ordinal numbers (first, second and so on), which are often formed with the suffix -em or -emîn: yekem (first), duyem (second), sêyem (third). They are used to indicate rank, a date or a floor.

The most effective way to progress is to listen to native speakers and repeat aloud. On Targumi, the Kurmanji courses include audio recorded by native speakers, which helps you fix the correct pronunciation of tricky sounds such as "ş", "ê" or "x". You can also check the Kurmanji vocabulary page to build your core lexicon, and the cultural resources to better understand the context of the language.

Practice giving your age, your phone number or the time: these are concrete chances to use numbers every day. Numeracy is a foundation that will serve you in almost every conversation you have.

Conclusion

Counting in Kurmanji is simpler than it looks: ten basic units, eight tens to memorize, and a linking system with û that is perfectly regular beyond twenty. With a little spoken practice, you will soon be able to announce a price, give a date or bargain at the market. Take the time to pronounce the diacritics well, because they make all the difference. Numbers are an excellent starting point for building useful sentences from your very first lessons, and an ideal springboard toward the rest of your learning.