Gregorian Formatting

Guide to formatting Gregorian dates with Kurdish month names.

Overview

The Kurdish Calendar library supports formatting Gregorian calendar dates with Kurdish month names in both Sorani and Kurmanji dialects. This is commonly used in Kurdistan Region of Iraq and other Kurdish-speaking areas that use the Gregorian calendar with localised month names.

Use Cases

When to Use Gregorian Formatting

✅ Official Documents — Government forms and certificates in KRG ✅ Business Communication — Invoices, contracts, letters ✅ International Coordination — When working with Gregorian-using systems ✅ Modern Applications — Apps that need both Kurdish names and Gregorian dates ✅ Mixed Calendars — Documents showing both calendar systems

When to Use Kurdish Calendar

✅ Cultural Events — Nowruz and traditional celebrations ✅ Historical Records — Genealogy and historical documentation ✅ Traditional Context — When Kurdish calendar is the primary system

Sorani Gregorian Formatting

Month Names (Sorani)

Source: Kurdistan Regional Government (gov.krd)

Month Latin Arabic
January Kanûnî Duhem کانونی دووەم
February Şubat شوبات
March Adar ئادار
April Nîsan نیسان
May Ayar ئایار
June Hûzeyran حوزەیران
July Temmûz تەمووز
August Ab ئاب
September Eylûl ئەیلول
October Tişrînî Yekem تشرینی یەکەم
November Tişrînî Duhem تشرینی دووەم
December Kanûnî Yekem کانونی یەکەم

Basic Usage

using KurdishCalendar.Core;

DateTime gregorian = new DateTime(2025, 1, 28);

// Default (Latin script, long format)
string formatted = gregorian.ToSoraniGregorian();
Console.WriteLine(formatted);
// Output: "28 Kanûnî Duhem 2025"

// Arabic script
string arabicFormatted = gregorian.ToSoraniGregorian(
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
Console.WriteLine(arabicFormatted);
// Output: "٢٨ کانونی دووەم ٢٠٢٥"

Format Methods

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);

// Long format (default)
string longFormat = date.ToSoraniGregorianLong();
// Output: "15 Ayar 2025"

// Short format (abbreviated month)
string shortFormat = date.ToSoraniGregorianShort();
// Output: "15 Aya 2025"

// Custom format
string customFormat = date.ToSoraniGregorian(
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "dd MMMM yyyy"
);
// Output: "15 Ayar 2025"

Getting Month Names

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 12, 2);

// Full month name
string monthName = date.GetSoraniMonthName();
// Output: "Kanûnî Yekem"

// Abbreviated month name
string monthAbbr = date.GetSoraniMonthName(abbreviated: true);
// Output: "Kan1"

// Arabic script
string monthArabic = date.GetSoraniMonthName(
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
// Output: "کانونی یەکەم"

Kurmanji Gregorian Formatting

Month Names (Kurmanji)

Source: Kurdistan Regional Government (gov.krd)

Month Latin Arabic
January Kanûna Duyê کانوونا دویێ
February Şubat شوبات
March Adar ئادار
April Nîsan نیسان
May Gulan گولان
June Hezîran حەزیران
July Tîrmeh تیرمەه
August Tebax تەباخ
September Eylûl ئەیلووڵ
October Çiriya Êkê چریا ێکێ
November Çiriya Duyê چریا دویێ
December Kanûna Êkê کانوونا ێکێ

Basic Usage

DateTime gregorian = new DateTime(2025, 1, 28);

// Default (Latin script, long format)
string formatted = gregorian.ToKurmanjiGregorian();
Console.WriteLine(formatted);
// Output: "28 Kanûna Duyê 2025"

// Arabic script
string arabicFormatted = gregorian.ToKurmanjiGregorian(
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
Console.WriteLine(arabicFormatted);
// Output: "٢٨ کانوونا دویێ ٢٠٢٥"

Format Methods

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);

// Long format (default)
string longFormat = date.ToKurmanjiGregorianLong();
// Output: "15 Gulan 2025"

// Short format (abbreviated month)
string shortFormat = date.ToKurmanjiGregorianShort();
// Output: "15 Gul 2025"

// Custom format
string customFormat = date.ToKurmanjiGregorian(
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "dd MMMM yyyy"
);
// Output: "15 Gulan 2025"

Getting Month Names

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 12, 2);

// Full month name
string monthName = date.GetKurmanjiMonthName();
// Output: "Kanûna Êkê"

// Abbreviated month name
string monthAbbr = date.GetKurmanjiMonthName(abbreviated: true);
// Output: "Kan Êk"

// Arabic script
string monthArabic = date.GetKurmanjiMonthName(
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
// Output: "کانوونا ێکێ"

Custom Format Strings

Supported Format Tokens

Token Description Example
d Day (1-31) “5”, “15”
dd Day (01-31) “05”, “15”
M Month (1-12) “1”, “12”
MM Month (01-12) “01”, “12”
MMM Abbreviated month name “Kan2”, “Gul”
MMMM Full month name “Kanûnî Duhem”, “Gulan”
yy Two-digit year “25”
yyyy Four-digit year “2025”

Format Examples

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);

// ISO 8601-style
string iso = GregorianSoraniFormatter.Format(
  date, 
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "yyyy-MM-dd"
);
// Output: "2025-05-15"

// Full month and year
string monthYear = GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.Format(
  date,
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "MMMM yyyy"
);
// Output: "Gulan 2025"

// Day and abbreviated month
string dayMonth = GregorianSoraniFormatter.Format(
  date,
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "d MMM"
);
// Output: "15 Aya"

// Short year format
string shortYear = GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.Format(
  date,
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "dd/MM/yy"
);
// Output: "15/05/25"

Text Direction

Default Text Direction

Text direction is determined by script:

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);

// Latin (LTR): day month year
string latin = date.ToSoraniGregorianLong();
// Output: "15 Ayar 2025"

// Arabic (RTL): year month day
string arabic = date.ToSoraniGregorianLong(
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
// Output: "٢٠٢٥ ئایار ١٥"

Overriding Text Direction

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);

// Force LTR for Arabic script
string ltrArabic = GregorianSoraniFormatter.FormatLong(
  date,
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic,
  KurdishTextDirection.LeftToRight
);
// Output: "١٥ ئایار ٢٠٢٥"

// Force RTL for Latin script
string rtlLatin = GregorianSoraniFormatter.FormatLong(
  date,
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  KurdishTextDirection.RightToLeft
);
// Output: "2025 Ayar 15"

Arabic Script Numerals

Arabic script formatting uses Eastern Arabic-Indic numerals (٠-٩):

DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 12, 28);

string formatted = date.ToKurmanjiGregorian(
  GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
);
// Output: "٢٨ کانوونا ێکێ ٢٠٢٥"

Numeral Mapping:

Practical Examples

Document Header

public string GenerateDocumentHeader(DateTime issueDate, bool useSorani)
{
  string dateFormatted;
  
  if (useSorani)
  {
    dateFormatted = issueDate.ToSoraniGregorianLong();
  }
  else
  {
    dateFormatted = issueDate.ToKurmanjiGregorianLong();
  }
  
  return $"Document issued on: {dateFormatted}";
}

// Usage
DateTime today = DateTime.Today;
string header = GenerateDocumentHeader(today, useSorani: true);
// Output: "Document issued on: 30 Kanûnî Yekem 2024"

Invoice Formatting

public class Invoice
{
  public DateTime InvoiceDate { get; set; }
  public DateTime DueDate { get; set; }
  
  public string FormatInvoiceDates(bool useArabicScript)
  {
    var script = useArabicScript 
      ? GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic 
      : GregorianKurmanjiFormatter.ScriptType.Latin;
    
    string invoiceDateStr = InvoiceDate.ToKurmanjiGregorian(script, "dd MMMM yyyy");
    string dueDateStr = DueDate.ToKurmanjiGregorian(script, "dd MMMM yyyy");
    
    return $"Invoice Date: {invoiceDateStr}\nDue Date: {dueDateStr}";
  }
}

// Usage
var invoice = new Invoice
{
  InvoiceDate = new DateTime(2025, 1, 15),
  DueDate = new DateTime(2025, 2, 15)
};

Console.WriteLine(invoice.FormatInvoiceDates(useArabicScript: false));
// Output:
// Invoice Date: 15 Kanûna Duyê 2025
// Due Date: 15 Şubat 2025

Calendar Display

public void DisplayMonthCalendar(int year, int month, bool useSorani)
{
  DateTime firstDay = new DateTime(year, month, 1);
  
  string monthName = useSorani
    ? firstDay.GetSoraniMonthName()
    : firstDay.GetKurmanjiMonthName();
  
  Console.WriteLine($"{monthName} {year}");
  Console.WriteLine("Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa");
  
  // Display calendar grid...
}

// Usage
DisplayMonthCalendar(2025, 5, useSorani: true);
// Output:
// Ayar 2025
// Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
// ...

Bilingual Date Display

public string FormatBilingualDate(DateTime date)
{
  string sorani = date.ToSoraniGregorianLong();
  string kurmanji = date.ToKurmanjiGregorianLong();
  string gregorian = date.ToString("dd MMMM yyyy"); // English
  
  return $"{sorani} / {kurmanji}\n{gregorian}";
}

// Usage
DateTime date = new DateTime(2025, 5, 15);
Console.WriteLine(FormatBilingualDate(date));
// Output:
// 15 Ayar 2025 / 15 Gulan 2025
// 15 May 2025

Comparison with Kurdish Calendar

Same Date, Different Calendars

DateTime gregorian = new DateTime(2025, 3, 21);

// Gregorian with Kurdish month names
string gregorianSorani = gregorian.ToSoraniGregorian();
Console.WriteLine($"Gregorian: {gregorianSorani}");
// Output: "Gregorian: 21 Adar 2025"

// Kurdish calendar
KurdishDate kurdish = KurdishDate.FromDateTime(gregorian);
string kurdishFormatted = kurdish.ToString("D", KurdishDialect.SoraniLatin);
Console.WriteLine($"Kurdish:   {kurdishFormatted}");
// Output: "Kurdish:   1 Xakelêwe 2725"

When to Use Which

Context Use
KRG official documents Gregorian with Kurdish names
International business Gregorian with Kurdish names
Cultural events Kurdish calendar
Historical records Kurdish calendar
Modern applications Both (bilingual)

Parsing Gregorian Dates with Kurdish Names

// Parse Gregorian date with Sorani month names
KurdishDate date1 = KurdishDate.Parse(
  "15 Kanûnî Duhem 2025",
  KurdishDialect.SoraniGregorianLatin
);

// This creates a KurdishDate from the Gregorian input
DateTime gregorian1 = date1.ToDateTime();
Console.WriteLine(gregorian1.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd"));
// Output: "2025-01-15"

// Parse with Kurmanji month names
KurdishDate date2 = KurdishDate.Parse(
  "15 Kanûna Duyê 2025",
  KurdishDialect.KurmanjiGregorianLatin
);

DateTime gregorian2 = date2.ToDateTime();
Console.WriteLine(gregorian2.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd"));
// Output: "2025-01-15"

Best Practices

1. Be Consistent with Dialect

// Good - consistent dialect throughout application
public class ApplicationSettings
{
  public bool UseSoraniDialect { get; set; } = true;
  
  public string FormatGregorianDate(DateTime date)
  {
    return UseSoraniDialect 
      ? date.ToSoraniGregorian()
      : date.ToKurmanjiGregorian();
  }
}

2. Provide Script Selection

// Good - let users choose script preference
public enum ScriptPreference
{
  Latin,
  Arabic
}

public string FormatDate(DateTime date, ScriptPreference script)
{
  var scriptType = script == ScriptPreference.Arabic
    ? GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Arabic
    : GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin;
  
  return date.ToSoraniGregorian(scriptType);
}

3. Match Format to Purpose

// Short format for space-constrained UIs
string uiDate = date.ToSoraniGregorianShort();

// Long format for documents and formal communication
string documentDate = date.ToSoraniGregorianLong();

// ISO format for data storage and APIs
string storageDate = GregorianSoraniFormatter.Format(
  date,
  GregorianSoraniFormatter.ScriptType.Latin,
  "yyyy-MM-dd"
);

4. Document Which Calendar You’re Using

/// <summary>
/// Stores the contract signing date using Gregorian calendar
/// with Sorani Kurdish month names for official KRG documents.
/// </summary>
public DateTime ContractDate { get; set; }

/// <summary>
/// Stores cultural event date using Kurdish calendar
/// for traditional celebrations like Nowruz.
/// </summary>
public KurdishDate CulturalEventDate { get; set; }

Month Name Etymology

Syriac/Aramaic Origin

Both Sorani and Kurmanji Gregorian month names derive from Syriac/Aramaic:

These names are shared across the Levant and Mesopotamia in various forms.

See Also

بەختێکی باش! (Good luck!)