Language/Central-kurdish/Grammar/Negation
Hi Central Kurdish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will cover the topic of negation in Central Kurdish. You will learn how to properly negate a sentence in the present, past and future tense. We will also look at common negative words and contractions.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Future Tense, Descriptive Adjectives & Forming Simple Sentences.
Negating Present Tense Sentences[edit | edit source]
To negate a present tense sentence in Central Kurdish, we add the word "نا" at the beginning of the verb. "نا" translates to "not" in English.
Let's look at some examples:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| من پسوچت ناخوشم. | Min pisoxtet nakhoşim. | I don't like your idea. |
| تۆ لەسەر بەشێکی ناخۆش هاتی. | To leser bexekî nakhoş hatî. | You didn't come to a nice party. |
| وان کەس ناچاکر. | Wan kes nachaçir. | There's nobody here. |
As you can see, "نا" comes directly before the verb in the sentence. It is important to note that "نا" is not used with the verb "بوون" (to be) in the present tense. Instead, we use a different negative word, "نی" (nî).
Here's an example:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| تو پووی هەستانی نی. | To pûy hestanî nî. | You are not sad. |
Negating Past Tense Sentences[edit | edit source]
To negate a past tense sentence in Central Kurdish, we add the word "مە" before the verb. "مە" translates to "not" in English.
Let's look at some examples:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| کاتژمێردا دوو کەس چاوەروانم نەکردن. | Katijmerdâ dû kes çawerawanim nekirdin. | Yesterday, two people didn't greet me. |
| بۆ پێویستە ناچایبوونەوە. | Bê pêwîstî nachaîbûnêwe. | They didn't have to come. |
In these examples, "مە" comes before the verb in the sentence. As with the present tense, "مە" is not used with the verb "بوون" (to be) in the past tense. Instead, we use a different negative word, "نەبوو" (nebû).
Here's an example:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| من فەرغی نەکەم. | Min fergî nebûm. | I wasn't late. |
Negating Future Tense Sentences[edit | edit source]
To negate a future tense sentence in Central Kurdish, we add the word "نالە" before the verb. "نالە" translates to "not" in English.
Let's look at some examples:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| من بەلام بەخێر نالێبم. | Min belam bexir nalebm. | I will not sleep well tonight. |
| تۆ کەس بووندە چی نژەژیت نالێ؟ | To kes bûnde çî nexşejet nale? | What won't you regret being? |
In these examples, "نالە" comes before the verb in the sentence. Just like with the present and past tense, "نالە" is not used with the verb "بوون" (to be) in the future tense. Instead, we use a different negative word, "نەبێ" (nebê).
Here's an example:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| تۆ پشتی ئەم کاتە خراپ نەبێی. | To piştî êm katê xorap nebêy. | You won't be tired after this. |
Common Negative Words[edit | edit source]
Below are some common negative words you can use to negate a sentence:
| Word | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| نا | na | not |
| نی | nî | not (used with "to be" in present tense) |
| مە | me | not (used with past tense) |
| نەبوو | nebû / nebûyî | not (used with "to be" in past tense) |
| نالە | nale | not (used with future tense) |
| نەبێ | nebê | not (used with "to be" in future tense) |
| هەرگیز | hêrgîz | never |
| هیچ | hîç | none / not any |
Contractions[edit | edit source]
In Central Kurdish, we often use contractions to make negative sentences shorter and easier to say. Below are some common contractions:
| Expanded Form | Contracted Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| نا+بە | نابە | nabe | not (present tense) |
| نی+بوو | نیبوو | nibû | not (past tense) |
| نالە+بە | نالەبە | nalebe | not (future tense) |
| هیچ+کات | هیکات | hîkat | never |
| هیچ+کەس | هیکەس | hîkes | nobody |
Here's an example of a dialogue using contractions:
- Person 1: تو بلۆفەرجە نابە. (To bêlofercê nabe.) (You don't have to worry.)
- Person 2: بۆ چی نابە؟ (Bê çî nabe?) (Why not?)
- Person 1: هەموو بەو پەرەسای دەران. (Hemû bêw peresayê deran.) (They are all over the place.)
To improve your Central Kurdish Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!