16. In, from, with: prepositions and circumpositions
🟡 Intermediate · Lesson 16 of 23
Simple prepositions
| preposition | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| لە | in, at, from | لە هەولێر in Erbil |
| بە | with, by, by means of | بە ئۆتۆمبێل by car |
| بۆ | for, to (a place) | بۆ ماڵەوە (to) home |
| لەگەڵ | (together) with | لەگەڵ هاوڕێکەم with my friend |
| بێ | without | بێ پارە without money |
| وەک | like, as | وەک باوکی like his father |
| تا / هەتا | until, up to | تا بەیانی until morning |
| پێ، تێ، لێ | the forms of بە, into and لە before a clitic or verb | پێم وت I told him; لێی دا he hit him |
Compound prepositions
Many place words are formed with لە + a noun + ezafe -ی:
| form | meaning |
|---|---|
| لەسەر(ی) | on (top of) |
| لەژێر(ی) | under |
| لەناو(ی) | inside |
| لەبەردەم(ی) | in front of |
| لەپشت(ی) | behind |
| لەتەنیشت(ی) | next to |
These are written as one word.
کتێبەکە لەسەر مێزەکەیە. The book is on the table.
Circumpositions: the second half after the noun
Sorani often frames a noun between a preposition and an ending that completes its meaning. These are called پێشبەند (before), پاشبەند (after) and دەوربەند or لابەند (around):
| frame | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| لە … دا | in, at (location) | لە ماڵدا in the house |
| لە … ەوە | from (source) | لە هەولێرەوە from Erbil |
| بە … دا | along, through | بە شەقامدا along the street |
| بە … ەوە | with, attached to | بە دیوارەوە on the wall |
| لە … ێ | in, at (colloquial) | لە تارانێ in Tehran |
| لە … ڕا | from | لە کوێڕا from where |
بە before a noun is a separate word (بە ئۆتۆمبێل by car). In adverbs of manner it joins the word: بەخێرایی quickly, بەجوانی nicely.
The second half is written attached to the noun (after a vowel ەوە becomes وە: لە دەرگاکەوە), and so is a copula after it: من لە ماڵدام I am at home, لە ماڵدایە he is at home. The preposition stays a separate word.
A frame can close around a whole phrase: لەو شارەدا, بەدوای ئەو وشەیەدا. Do not confuse -دا with دا gave, a separate word that cannot be dropped: نامەکەم دا بە سۆران. Some regions omit -دا: لە ماڵ سۆرانم بینی.
| # | Kurdish | Latin | IPA | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لە ماڵەوە کار دەکەم. | le mallewe kar dekem. | /læ maːɫæwæ kaːɾ dækæm/ | I work from home. |
| 2 | لە شاردا دەژین. | le şarda dejîn. | /læ ʃaːɾdaː dæʒiːn/ | We live in the city. |
| 3 | لە سلێمانییەوە هاتم. | le silêmanîyewe hatim. | /læ s(ɯ)leːmaːniːjæwæ haːt(ɯ)m/ | I came from Sulaymaniyah. |
| 4 | لەگەڵ براکەم دەچم بۆ بازاڕ. | legell birakem deçim bo bazarr. | /læɡæɫ b(ɯ)ɾaːkæm dætʃ(ɯ)m boː baːzaːr/ | I go to the market with my brother. |
| 5 | کتێبەکە لەسەر مێزەکەیە. | kitêbeke leser mêzekeye. | /k(ɯ)teːbækæ læsæɾ meːzækæjæ/ | The book is on the table. |
A whole phrase in one word
Because endings stack, one written word can carry a lot. The preposition stays a separate word (لە ماڵەکانمانیشدا). Older or careless writing may attach it, and zimankit’s analyzer takes that apart too:
| word | segmentation | morpheme tags | lemma | features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| لەماڵەکانمانیشدا | لە+ماڵ+ەکان+مان+یش+دا | PREP.LE+STEM+DEF.PL+1PL+ADD+POSTP.DA | ماڵ | definite=def, number=pl, enclitic=1pl, additive=yes, postposition=da |
| ماڵەکەمانەوە | ماڵ+ەکە+مان+ەوە | STEM+DEF.SG+1PL+POSTP.EWE | ماڵ | definite=def, number=sg, enclitic=1pl, postposition=ewe |
| کتێبەکانیشم | کتێب+ەکان+یش+م | STEM+DEF.PL+ADD+1SG | کتێب | definite=def, number=pl, additive=yes, enclitic=1sg |
لە ماڵەکانمانیشدا = لە + ماڵ + ەکان + مان + یش + دا = in our houses too. The order of the slots is fixed:
preposition (separate) · stem [derivation] [comparative] [number/definite] [clitic] [also] [postposition] [copula]
Practice
- in the mountain (چیا).
- from the city.
- with my father.
Answers
- لە چیاکەدا
- لە شارەکەوە
- لەگەڵ باوکم
Summary
- لە in/from, بە with/by, بۆ for/to, لەگەڵ with, بێ without.
- Circumpositions: لە…دا in, لە…ەوە from, بە…دا through.
- Endings stack in a fixed order, so a whole phrase can be one written word.