Language/Central-kurdish/Grammar/Questions-and-Negations
Introduction
Welcome to the lesson "Questions and Negations" of our "Complete 0 to A1 Central Kurdish Course". In this lesson, you will learn how to form questions and negations in Central Kurdish. Questions and negations are essential elements of any language, as they enable communication flow and express nuance in conversation.
As we progress through this lesson, we will explore different question forms and negation structures, along with examples and cultural notes. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to ask for information, express doubt, and negate statements in the Kurdish language.
Forming Questions
Asking questions is a fundamental communication skill. In Central Kurdish, we can form questions in several ways. Here are some common question forms:
Question Words
Question words are words that are used to ask for specific information. They are placed at the beginning of the sentence to form a question. Here are some of the most common question words in Central Kurdish:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| که? (ka?) | [ka] | Who? |
| چی (chî?) | [t͡ʃiː] | What? |
| کام (kam?) | [kam] | How many? |
| کەم (kam?) | [kæm] | How? |
| کێفا (kefa?) | [keːfa] | How? |
| چەرا (çera?) | [t͡ʃɛra] | Why? |
| لە کوێیە? (le koye?) | [le koje] | Where? |
| کاتێک (katêk?) | [kaːteːk] | When? |
For example:
- کەم خوشبویەت هەیە؟ (kam xwêşebûyeta heye?) - How many colors are there?
- کەشی هاتووە؟ (keşî hatûwe?) - How did you come?
- چی دەکات؟ (chî dekat?) - What are you doing?
Using the Verb لەڵێ (lelê)
Another question form is to use the auxiliary verb "لەڵێ (lelê)" which means "Did?". To form a question using this method, simply add "لەڵێ (lelê)" before the verb.
For example:
- لەڵێ گۆشە هەڵگیرێت؟ (Lelê goşe helgiret?) - Did the paper tear?
- لەڵێ دەکەی؟ (Lelê dekey?) - Are you doing?
Negation
Negation refers to the statement of the opposite of an affirmative sentence. In Central Kurdish, we can use several methods to create negative sentences.
Using the Word نا (nā)
The word 'نا (nā)' can be added to the verb or the adjective to make it negative.
For example:
- ناوم لە دێڕێ ڕێزدراوە (nawm le dêre rêzdrewa) - I did not go to the village.
- فێری ناوت لە ئارەزووی بادەست (Fêrî nawait le arezowy badeşt) - Your friend did not come to the wedding party.
Using the Word بە (ba) or نە (ne)
The words "بە (ba)" meaning "without" or "نە (ne)" meaning "not" can also be added to the sentence to create negations.
For example:
- من بەشدار نەبووم (Min başdar nebuwem) - I did not participate.
- کەسێک بە کار نەکرد (Kesek ba kar nekird) - Somebody did not work.
Verb-form changes
In some cases, the negation of the sentence may require changes in the verb-form.
For example:
- من نەدۆزراوم (Min nedozrawem) - I did not sleep.
- ئەو بەردەست نییە (Ew berdest nîye) - He is not ready.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we've learned about forming questions and negations in Central Kurdish. By mastering these concepts, you will be able to communicate more effectively and express your thoughts and opinions with greater precision. Keep practicing, and don't forget to check out our other lessons in the "Complete 0 to A1 Central Kurdish Course!"