dibistan
/dɪbɪsˈtɑːn/feminine
The English word school is translated into Kurdish as dibistan. Wiktionary also lists مهکتهب (mekteb) and قوتابخانه (qutabxane).
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| Kurdish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| dibistan | /dɪbɪsˈtɑːn/ | feminine | |
| مهکتهب | mekteb | ||
| قوتابخانه | qutabxane | ||
| fêrgeh | feminine | ||
| xwendingeh | /xʷɛndɪnˈɡɛh/ | feminine | |
| qutabxane | /qʊtɑːbxɑːˈnɛ/ | feminine | |
| medrese | feminine | ||
| mekteb | /mɛkˈtɛb/ | feminine | |
| perwerdegeh | feminine |
The term refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning.
Which one should you use?
While dibistan is the general term for any school, medrese refers specifically to a religious school or madrasa.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form mekteb is often used in more colloquial or traditional contexts compared to the standard dibistan.
How does it change in a sentence?
When dibistan is the object of a preposition such as bi (with/by) or di (in), it takes the oblique suffix -ê to become dibistanê.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɪbɪsˈtɑːn/
Did you know?
- The suffix -istan in dibistan is a common Persianate element found in many words to denote a location, such as in 'Kurdistan'.
- In some Kurdish communities, the transition from using mekteb to dibistan reflects a historical shift toward secularized and modernized national education systems.
- Kurdish has a high number of synonyms for 'school' because the language has absorbed educational terminology from Arabic, Persian and Turkish over centuries.
Examples in context
- Ez bi serwîsê diçim dibistanê.I go to school by school bus.This sentence is useful for describing transportation to dibistan.Tatoeba #9155910 by Gavbigav, translation #9155907 by Gavbigav
- Ma tu bi rastî nedizaniyî Tom mektebê berda?Did you really not know that Tom dropped out of school?This sentence is useful for discussing someone dropping out of mekteb.Tatoeba #10019955 by canistrophedon, translation #7505386 by CK
- Ez naxwazim biçim dibistanê.I don't want to go to school.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire regarding dibistan.Tatoeba #3557681 by turkishlearner, translation #1860 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dijwar and Rojda are talking about their morning schedule.
- DijwarKîjan dibistanê tu dixwînî?Which school do you attend?
- RojdaEz li dibistaneke mezin dixwînim.I study at a large school.
- DijwarMa dibistana te nêzîk e?Is your school nearby?
- RojdaErê, dibistana min li vir e.Yes, my school is here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries dibistan, xwendingeh, qutabxane, medrese, mekteb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
