Dialect comparison

Bahdini vs Kurmanji

Compare two dialects of Kurdish side by side — where they're spoken, what they're called, and how they relate.

Bahdini

Behdini · Badini · Behdînî · Bahdînî

A southern Kurmanji subdialect spoken in Duhok province of Iraqi Kurdistan and adjacent areas of southeastern Turkey. Mutually intelligible with northern Kurmanji but with distinct phonology and vocabulary, and traditionally written in Arabic script alongside Sorani rather than the Latin script used for Kurmanji further north.

Spoken in
Speakers (approx.)
3,000,000
Approximate centre
36.87°, 42.99°
Kurmanji

The most widely spoken Kurdish variety, used across southeast Turkey, northern Syria, and parts of Iraq and Iran.

Speakers (approx.)
15,000,000
Approximate centre
37.50°, 41.50°

Keep exploring

Read the full picture of Kurdish and the dialects within it.