The person who…
Describe a noun with a whole clause.
By the end of this lessonBuild simple subject relative clauses with an ezafe link and ku.
The idea
In these definite noun phrases, add the ezafe to the noun, then ku and a clause describing it. Use -ê for masculine singular, -a for feminine singular, and -ên for plural. In “the women who read”, the women are the subject inside the relative clause, so its verb is plural: jinên ku dixwînin.
See it in a sentence
This lesson focuses on definite, unmodified nouns and relative clauses whose subject is that noun. Possessive modifiers, indefinite nouns and other clause roles introduce extra patterns; do not generalize this template to all relative clauses.
Build it step by step
- Choose the noun you want to describe. In this lesson’s definite phrases, mark its gender and number with the appropriate ezafe before ku.
- After ku, add what that person or group does. In these subject-relative examples, do not insert a second subject pronoun: jina ku dixwîne.
- To make a full sentence, finish the main statement after the noun plus relative clause: Jina ku dixwîne li malê ye. The relative verb and main copula each need agreement.
| Noun phrase | Relative verb | Main predicate |
|---|---|---|
| jina ku | dixwîne | li malê ye |
| mirovê ku | dixwîne | li malê ye |
| jinên ku | dixwînin | li malê ne |
Take a sentence apart
the woman + feminine ezafe
who reads: describes the woman
is at home: main statement
The relative clause follows its noun, much like English “the woman who reads”. Turkish usually places this information before the noun; Kurmanji uses noun + ku + clause.
A common trap
Incorrect: jinên ku dixwîne
Correct: jinên ku dixwînin
The women are the subject of reading. A plural head noun requires a plural verb in this subject-relative construction.
Grammar reference: Thackston, §§ 4 and 30 · Ezafe and relative clauses