10. The present tense
🟢 Destpêk · Dersa 10 ji 23
Ev rûpel niha bi îngilîzî ye.
Two stems
Every Sorani verb has two stems, and you must learn both:
| infinitive | meaning | past stem | present stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| کردن | to do | کرد | کە |
| خواردن | to eat | خوارد | خۆ |
| نووسین | to write | نووسی | نووس |
| چوون | to go | چوو | چ |
| ڕۆیشتن | to go, to leave | ڕۆیشت | ڕۆ |
| زانین | to know | زانی | زان |
The past stem is the infinitive minus its final ن. The present stem is often quite different and must be learned with each verb: it is listed in every dictionary, and on every verb page of the reference.
Building the present
دە + present stem + personal ending
The personal endings (called set 1) are almost the same as the copula of lesson 6:
| person | ending | after a vowel-final stem |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | -م | -م |
| 2sg | -یت | -یت |
| 3sg | -ێت | -ات after ە, -وات after ۆ, -ت after ا / ێ |
| 1pl | -ین | -ین |
| 2pl | -ن | -ن |
| 3pl | -ن | -ن |
Colloquially the final ت of the 3sg is often dropped: دەکا, دەڵێ.
Six verbs in the present
نووسین (nûsîn) "to write": present stem نووس, past stem نووسی, transitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەنووسم denûsim | نانووسم nanûsim |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەنووسیت denûsît | نانووسیت nanûsît |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەنووسێت denûsêt | نانووسێت nanûsêt |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەنووسین denûsîn | نانووسین nanûsîn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەنووسن denûsin | نانووسن nanûsin |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەنووسن denûsin | نانووسن nanûsin |
کردن (kirdin) "to do, to make": present stem کە, past stem کرد, transitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەکەم dekem | ناکەم nakem |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەکەیت dekeyt | ناکەیت nakeyt |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەکات dekat | ناکات nakat |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەکەین dekeyn | ناکەین nakeyn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەکەن deken | ناکەن naken |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەکەن deken | ناکەن naken |
خواردن (xwardin) "to eat": present stem خۆ, past stem خوارد, transitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەخۆم dexom | ناخۆم naxom |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەخۆیت dexoyt | ناخۆیت naxoyt |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەخوات dexwat | ناخوات naxwat |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەخۆین dexoyn | ناخۆین naxoyn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەخۆن dexon | ناخۆن naxon |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەخۆن dexon | ناخۆن naxon |
چوون (çûn) "to go": present stem چ, past stem چوو, intransitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەچم deçim | ناچم naçim |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەچیت deçît | ناچیت naçît |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەچێت deçêt | ناچێت naçêt |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەچین deçîn | ناچین naçîn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەچن deçin | ناچن naçin |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەچن deçin | ناچن naçin |
زانین (zanîn) "to know": present stem زان, past stem زانی, transitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەزانم dezanim | نازانم nazanim |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەزانیت dezanît | نازانیت nazanît |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەزانێت dezanêt | نازانێت nazanêt |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەزانین dezanîn | نازانین nazanîn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەزانن dezanin | نازانن nazanin |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەزانن dezanin | نازانن nazanin |
هاتن (hatin) "to come": present stem ێ, past stem هات, intransitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دێم dêm | نایەم nayem |
| 2sg | تۆ | دێیت dêyt | نایەیت nayeyt |
| 3sg | ئەو | دێت dêt | نایەت nayet |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دێین dêyn | نایەین nayeyn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دێن dên | نایەن nayen |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دێن dên | نایەن nayen |
هاتن to come is irregular: present دێ-, negative نایە-.
The negative
Replace دە with نا: دەچم I go → ناچم I don’t go.
Meaning of the present
The دە- present covers English I do, I am doing and the near future I will do:
| # | Kurdish | Latin | IPA | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | من نان دەخۆم. | min nan dexom. | /m(ɯ)n naːn dæxoːm/ | I eat / am eating bread. |
| 2 | ئەو نامە دەنووسێت. | ew name denûsêt. | /ʔæw naːmæ dænuːseːt/ | She writes / is writing a letter. |
| 3 | ئێمە سبەی دەچین بۆ هەولێر. | ême sbey deçîn bo hewlêr. | /ʔeːmæ sbæj dætʃiːn boː hæwleːɾ/ | We are going to Erbil tomorrow. |
| 4 | ئەوان کوردی نازانن. | ewan kurdî nazanin. | /ʔæwaːn kuɾdiː naːzaːn(ɯ)n/ | They don't know Kurdish. |
| 5 | تۆ چی دەکەیت؟ | to çî dekeyt? | /toː tʃiː dækæjt/ | What are you doing? |
Word order: verb last
Sorani is SOV: Subject, Object, then the Verb at the end. Time and place expressions usually come right after the subject:
من (S), ئەمڕۆ (when), لە ماڵ (where), کتێب (O), دەخوێنم (V) I am reading a book at home today.
Practice
Conjugate خوێندن to read (present stem خوێن) in the present, then make the 3sg negative.
Answers
خوێندن (xwêndin) "to read, to study": present stem خوێن, past stem خوێند, transitive
| person | pronoun | Present | Present negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | من | دەخوێنم dexwênim | ناخوێنم naxwênim |
| 2sg | تۆ | دەخوێنیت dexwênît | ناخوێنیت naxwênît |
| 3sg | ئەو | دەخوێنێت dexwênêt | ناخوێنێت naxwênêt |
| 1pl | ئێمە | دەخوێنین dexwênîn | ناخوێنین naxwênîn |
| 2pl | ئێوە | دەخوێنن dexwênin | ناخوێنن naxwênin |
| 3pl | ئەوان | دەخوێنن dexwênin | ناخوێنن naxwênin |
Summary
- Present = دە + present stem + م یت ێت ین ن ن; negative with نا.
- Learn the present stem with every verb.
- The verb comes last.