Language/Central-kurdish/Grammar/Pronouns

Central Kurdish Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Central Kurdish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we'll dive into one of the most important topics in Central Kurdish grammar: pronouns. Pronouns are essential in any language, as they replace nouns to make our conversations more efficient and less repetitive. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to recognize and use pronouns in various situations, and communicate more effectively in Central Kurdish.

What are Pronouns?

Before we get into the specifics of Central Kurdish pronouns, let's first define what pronouns are. Simply put, pronouns are words that replace nouns or noun phrases in a sentence. Instead of saying the same noun or noun phrase repeatedly, pronouns allow us to use shorter phrases that convey the same idea, making our speech smoother and more efficient.

For example, let's consider the following two sentences:

"Ali likes to play soccer. Ali practices soccer every day."

These two sentences are repetitive and redundant, since we hear "Ali" twice. Instead, we can replace the second instance of "Ali" with a pronoun, like this:

"Ali likes to play soccer. He practices it every day."

Here, the pronoun "he" replaces "Ali," and "it" replaces "soccer," making the sentence shorter and easier to follow.

Pronouns in Central Kurdish

As in many languages, pronouns in Central Kurdish are often used to replace nouns, and are generally quite versatile. In Central Kurdish, pronouns change depending on their role in the sentence, as well as the gender and number of the person being referred to.

Below, you'll find some common Central Kurdish pronouns, organized by their position in a sentence.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence, doing the action. Here are some examples of subject pronouns in Central Kurdish:

Central Kurdish	Pronunciation	English
ێنە (ew)	(IPA: [ɛw])	He
ۆنە (ewa)	(IPA: [awa])	She
ئەگەر (eger)	(IPA: [ɛɡɛr])	If
ئەگەرم (egerm)	(IPA: [ɛɡɛrm])	If I

Here is an example dialogue, using subject pronouns in Central Kurdish:

• Person 1: ئەو کتێبی تۆ دروست كردبێن؟ (Ew kitêbî tu dorûst kiridibe? - "Did you write that book?")
• Person 2: نە، هیچ کاتێك نەدۆزراوە. (Nê, hîç katêk nedozrawe - "No, I haven't had time.")

Here, we see the subject pronouns "ew" and "tu" in action, as well as the negation "nê".

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns are used when the pronoun is the object of the sentence, receiving the action. Here are some examples of object pronouns in Central Kurdish:

Central Kurdish	Pronunciation	English
من (min)	(IPA: [mɪn])	Me
تۆ (tu)	(IPA: [tʊ])	You
یانە (yanê)	(IPA: [jɑnɛ])	Him
وانە (wanê)	(IPA: [wɑnɛ])	Her

Here is an example dialogue, using object pronouns in Central Kurdish:

• Person 1: ئەو کتێبی ئەو دەسەنسیا دەکەی؟ (Ew kitêbî ew desensyayî dakêy? - "Are you reading that science book?")
• Person 2: ئەو تۆ دەسەنس کرد. (Ew tu desenaskird - "Yes, I'm reading it.")

Here, we see the object pronouns "tu" and "ew" in action.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession of a noun. Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in Central Kurdish:

Central Kurdish	Pronunciation	English
مال من (mal min)	(IPA: [mɑl mɪn])	My property
مالت (malat)	(IPA: [mɑlɑt])	Your property
مالە وێ (male we)	(IPA: [mɑlɛ jɛ])	His property
مالانە وەی (malanê we)	(IPA: [mɑlɑnɛ wɛj])	Her property

Here is an example dialogue, using possessive pronouns in Central Kurdish:

• Person 1: ئەو ماوەی مالتەکە لە کوێی لەتۆلی؟ (Ew mawe-y malta-k li kuwi lêtûlî? - "Where is your cat located?")
• Person 2: ماوەی من دەنگدارە. (Mawe-y min dengdar-e. "My cat is noisy.")

Here, we see the possessive pronouns "malat" and "min" in action.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used to refer to the subject itself, or back to another noun or pronoun. Here are some examples of reflexive pronouns in Central Kurdish:

Central Kurdish	Pronunciation	English
خۆم (xwem)	(IPA: [xwɛm])	Myself
خۆت (xwet)	(IPA: [xwɛt])	Yourself
خۆی (xwi)	(IPA: [xwi])	Himself
خۆەکان (xwêkan)	(IPA: [xwɛːkan])	Themselves

Here is an example dialogue, using reflexive pronouns in Central Kurdish:

• Person 1: ئەو زیندووخانەی دەسەنس دەکەین؟ (Ew zinduxane-y desenask dîkîn? - "Are they studying at the library?")
• Person 2: ئەو زانکۆ خۆی خۆشبەختە. (Ew zankô xwi xoshbakht-e. "They are happy themselves at the university.")

Here, we see the reflexive pronouns "xwi" and "xwêkan" in action.

Tips for Learning Central Kurdish Pronouns

Now that you've seen some examples of different types of Central Kurdish pronouns, you might be wondering how you can learn them more easily. Here are some tips that can help:

-Practice, practice, practice! The more you use pronouns in Central Kurdish, the more natural they'll start to feel. -Learn some simple Central Kurdish sentences that use different types of pronouns, and practice repeating them. -Watch Central Kurdish videos or listen to podcasts that use a lot of pronouns, and try to identify which types of pronouns are being used in each sentence. -Find a Central Kurdish conversation partner on Polyglot Club, and ask them to help you practice using pronouns. You can also use the website's "Find native speakers" feature to connect with other Central Kurdish learners and ask them any questions you might have.

Sources

• Kurdish Language - Wikipedia
• Sorani - Wikipedia

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