Silav
everyday, Kurmanji
In Kurmanji Kurdish, hello is Silav. You can also say Roj baş, "good day", or Merheba.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Kurdish | Note |
|---|---|
| Silav | everyday, Kurmanji |
| Roj baş | good day |
| Merheba | friendly |
Silav works with anyone at any time of day, and the reply is usually Silav again. After it people often ask Tu çawa yî?, "how are you?"
Which one should you use?
Roj baş is a bit more formal and follows the pattern of "good day" greetings. Merheba is borrowed from Arabic and is friendly and common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Kurmanji is the northern Kurdish variety, spoken in Turkey, Syria and parts of Iraq and Iran. It is written in the Latin alphabet, while Sorani Kurdish uses an Arabic based script and says سڵاو (silaw).
Did you know?
- The Latin alphabet used for Kurmanji was introduced by Celadet Bedirxan in the 1930s and is called the Hawar alphabet.
Examples in context
- Silav, tu çawa yî?Hello, how are you?
- Roj baş, mamoste.Good day, teacher.
- Merheba, hevalê min.Hello, my friend.
Example conversation
Dilan meets her friend Rojda in front of a shop in Diyarbakir.
- DilanSilav, Rojda! Tu çawa yî?Hello, Rojda! How are you?
- RojdaSilav, Dilan. Ez baş im, spas. Tu çawa yî?Hello, Dilan. I am fine, thanks. How are you?
- DilanEz jî baş im.I am fine too.
