3. Vowels: long and short
🟢 Beginner · Lesson 3 of 23
Eight vowels
Kurmanji has eight vowels: five long and three short. Each has its own letter:
| letter | IPA | sounds like | length | example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | aː | a in father | long | av water |
| ê | eː | ay in say, without the glide | long | rê road |
| î | iː | ee in see | long | şîr milk |
| o | oː | o in more | long | roj day |
| û | uː | oo in food | long | çûn to go |
| e | ɛ | e in bed | short | dest hand |
| i | ɪ | i in bit, often weaker | short | jin woman |
| u | ʊ | u in put | short | kurd Kurd |
| Kurdish | Arabic script | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| av | ئاڤ | /aːv/ | aːv | water |
| êvar | ئێڤار | /eːvaːɾ/ | eː.vaːɾ | evening |
| şîr | شیر | /ʃiːɾ/ | ʃiːɾ | milk |
| roj | ڕۆژ | /roːʒ/ | roːʒ | day; sun |
| çûn | چوون | /tʃuːn/ | tʃuːn | to go |
| dest | دەست | /dɛst/ | dɛst | hand |
| jin | ژن | /ʒɪn/ | ʒɪn | woman; wife |
| kurd | کورد | /kʊɾd/ | kʊɾd | Kurd |
Pairs to practise
The marked vowels are long; the unmarked e i u are short. Getting this right changes the word:
| short | long |
|---|---|
| e · şer /ʃɛɾ/ war | ê · şêr /ʃeːɾ/ lion |
| i · dil /dɪl/ heart | î · dîl /diːl/ captive |
| u · kur /kʊɾ/ boy, son | û · kûr /kuːɾ/ deep |
The weak i
Short i is often reduced to a quick central vowel, especially in the last syllable of a word, as in the infinitive ending -in. zimankit writes it as [ɯ] in that position, which makes the Kurmanji transcription parallel to Sorani, where the same vowel is not even written:
| Kurdish | Arabic script | IPA | syllables | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dîtin | دیتن | /diːtɯn/ | diː.tɯn | to see, to find |
| xwarin | خوارن | /xʷaːɾɯn/ | xʷaː.ɾɯn | to eat |
| kirin | کرن | /kɪɾɯn/ | kɪ.ɾɯn | to do, to make |
| nivîsîn | نڤیسین | /nɪviːsiːn/ | nɪ.viː.siːn | to write |
xw: a rounded x
The combination xw is pronounced as one sound, an x with rounded lips: xwe /xʷɛ/ “self”, xwarin /xʷaːɾɯn/ “to eat”, xwendin /xʷɛndɯn/ “to read”. In many dialects the w colours the following vowel, so xwarin can sound like xorin.
Vowels next to vowels
Two vowels rarely touch in Kurmanji. When an ending starting with a vowel is added to a word ending in a vowel, a y is inserted, and a final î becomes short i before it:
| word | + -ek a | + -ê (ezafe) |
|---|---|---|
| çiya mountain | çiyayek | çiyayê |
| xanî house | xaniyek | xaniyê |
| mamoste teacher | mamosteyek | mamosteyê |
You will meet these endings in lessons 7 to 9; zimankit applies the rule automatically.
Practice
- Which vowels are long: a, e, ê, i, î, o, u, û?
- Pronounce kur and kûr. What do they mean?
Answers
- a, ê, î, o, û.
- /kʊɾ/ boy, son, /kuːɾ/ deep.
Summary
- Long: a ê î o û; short: e i u.
- Short i is often reduced, especially in -in.
- xw is one rounded sound.
- Between two vowels a y appears: çiyayek, xaniyê.