LingoflyIt was cold yesterday: the past with one swap
To move a story into the past, leave the verb alone. The -ում form stays as it was; only the linker changes: եմ (em) → էի (ei), ես (yes) → էիր, է → էր (er). Աշխատում (ashkhatum) եմ (em) is I work, աշխատում (ashkhatum) էի (ei) is I was working. For example: “Երեկ (yerek) ես (yes) տանն (tann) էի” (ei) — Yesterday I was at home. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To move a story into the past, leave the verb alone. The -ում (-um) form stays as it was; only the linker changes: եմ (em) → էի (ei), ես (yes) → էիր, է (e) → էր (er). Աշխատում (ashkhatum) եմ (em) (ashkhatum em) is I work, աշխատում (ashkhatum) էի (ei) (ashkhatum ei) is I was working.
This past covers what went on for a while or happened again and again. It is the one you want for weather, memories and old routines: Ամռանը (amrranə) շոգ (shog) էր (er) (amrranə shog er), Անցած տարի (antsats tari) Երևանում (Yerevanum) էի (ei) աշխատում (ashkhatum) (antsats tari Yerevanum ei ashkhatum).
One caveat about the weather. 'It is raining' is անձրև (andzrev) է գալիս (galis) (andzrev e galis), where գալ (gal) takes the odd form գալիս (galis) rather than 'գալում'. In the past it behaves just as neatly: անձրև (andzrev) էր (er) գալիս (galis) (andzrev er galis), it was raining.
Table
| Person | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| ես (yes) (I) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) եմ (em) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էի (ei) |
| դու (du) (you) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) ես (yes) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էիր |
| նա (na) (he/she) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) է | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էր (er) |
| մենք (menk') (we) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) ենք (enk) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էինք (eink) |
| դուք (duk') (you pl.) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) եք (ek) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էիք |
| նրանք (nrank') (they) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) են (en) | աշխատում (ashkhatum) էին (ein) |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
It was cold yesterday: how does it work in Armenian?
To move a story into the past, leave the verb alone. The -ում form stays as it was; only the linker changes: եմ (em) → էի (ei), ես (yes) → էիր, է → էր (er). Աշխատում (ashkhatum) եմ (em) is I work, աշխատում (ashkhatum) էի (ei) is I was working.
What does it look like in a Armenian example sentence?
“Երեկ (yerek) ես (yes) տանն (tann) էի” (ei) (yerek yes tann ei) — Yesterday I was at home. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.