Rengdêr · Describe people and things
Vocabulary, ezafe and complete descriptive sentences.
By the end of this lessonUse common adjectives in noun phrases and predicates, with the correct ezafe and copula.
The idea
An adjective describes a quality: mezin (big), biçûk (small), dirêj (long), kurt (short), nû (new), kevin (old), germ (warm), sar (cold), xweş (pleasant), girîng (important), hêsan (easy), dijwar (difficult). In a noun phrase it usually follows an ezafe link: kitêba nû, pirtûkên nû. Use -a for feminine singular, -ê for masculine singular and -ên for plural. The adjective itself does not change for gender or number. In a complete sentence, add a copula: Kitêb nû ye.
See it in a sentence
Kitêba nû means “the new book”; Kitêb nû ye means “the book is new”. After a vowel, singular “is” is ye and plural “are” is ne; after a consonant they are e and in. To negate a description, put ne before the adjective: Kitêb ne nû ye. For an indefinite noun phrase use kitêbeke nû (a new book) or mirovekî dirêj (a tall man).
Build it step by step
- Decide whether you need a noun phrase or a complete statement.
- For an attributive adjective, choose the noun’s ezafe by gender and number.
- For a predicate, check the adjective’s last sound and the subject’s number before choosing the copula.
| Use | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Feminine phrase | kitêba nû | the new book |
| Masculine phrase | mirovê dirêj | the tall man |
| Plural phrase | kitêbên nû | the new books |
| Indefinite feminine | kitêbeke nû | a new book |
| Predicate | Kitêb nû ye. | The book is new. |
| Opposites | mezin / biçûk; dirêj / kurt | big/small; long/short |
| Opposites | germ / sar; hêsan / dijwar | warm/cold; easy/difficult |
Take a sentence apart
book + feminine ezafe
new: the adjective stays unchanged
English normally puts attributive adjectives before nouns; these Kurmanji phrases put them after an ezafe link.
A common trap
Incorrect: kitêb nû
Correct: kitêba nû
For the intended noun phrase “the new book”, add the feminine ezafe.
Grammar reference: Thackston, §§ 4.1 and 11 · Adjectival ezafe and predicates