Ways to say it
| Kurdish | IPA |
|---|---|
| evîn | /ɛˈviːn/ /ɘˈviːn/ |
| hijkirin | |
| evînî | |
| dildarî | |
| eşq | /ɛʃq/ |
| mihebet |
The primary way to express the concept of strong affection is using evîn. To express the action of having a strong affection for someone, you can use the verbs hebandin, evandin or خۆشویستن.
Which one should you use?
The terms in Kurdish vary significantly in nuance. evîn is the standard, neutral term used for the general concept of love. eşq is used to denote intense, passionate or romantic love, often carrying a more poetic or heavy weight. dildarî specifically refers to the state of being a lover or the state of infatuation or devotion. Other forms include hijkirin, evînî, mihebet and dildarî.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form evînî is the oblique or construct state of evîn, which is used to express the meaning 'of love' or to link the noun to another word in a phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛˈviːn/
Did you know?
- The word evîn shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'win', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *wenH- which means 'to love' or 'to desire'.
- In Central Kurdish, the word for 'love' is often expressed through the phrase xoş wîstin, which literally translates to 'to want good' or 'to will nice'.
- The word eşq is a loanword from Arabic, used in Kurdish to add a layer of intensity and religious or philosophical weight to the concept of love.
Examples in context
- Îtalî zimanê evînîyê ye.Italian is the language of love.This sentence is useful for seeing how evînî functions as 'of love'.Tatoeba #9619291 by HusseinHasso, translation #2705181 by WestofEden
- "Eşq" bi fransî çi ye?How do you say "love" in French?This sentence shows how to ask for the translation of eşq.Tatoeba #8350734 by Adelpa, translation #2451458 by CK
- Eşq çi ye?What is love?This sentence shows the use of eşq in a philosophical question.Tatoeba #8325466 by Adelpa, translation #515085 by tamsanh
Example conversation
Layla and Dijwar are talking about their relationship.
- LaylaTu bi rastî evîn di dilê xwe de hejandî?Do you really cherish love in your heart?
- DijwarBelê, evîn her tiştî bedew dike.Yes, love makes everything beautiful.
- LaylaEz jî weha difikirim, Dijwar.I think so too, Dijwar.
- DijwarEvîn hêza me ya herî mezin e.Love is our greatest strength.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries evîn, eşq, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries evîn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
