LingoflyԱսաց, որ… ասաց, թե…: how to pass on other people's words
Reported speech turns on the choice of conjunction. Որ (vor) introduces a statement: Նա բացատրեց, որ գնացքը հետաձգվել է (na batsatrets, vor gnatsk'ə hetadzgvel e), he explained that the train was delayed. For example: “Նա հարցրեց, թե որտեղ է կանգառը” (na hartsrets, t'e vortegh e kangarrə) — She asked where the stop is. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Reported speech turns on the choice of conjunction. Որ (vor) introduces a statement: Նա բացատրեց (na batsatrets), որ (vor) գնացքը (gnatsk'ə) հետաձգվել (hetadzgvel) է (vor gnatsk'ə hetadzgvel e), he explained that the train was delayed.
The tense does not shift. Whatever the person said stays exactly as said.
Թե (t'e) introduces a question: Նա (na) հարցրեց (hartsrets) (na hartsrets), թե (t'e) որտեղ (vortegh) է կանգառը (kangarrə) (t'e vortegh e kangarrə), she asked where the stop was. The ՞ mark drops out.
The trap: a request takes the form without կ-. Նա խնդրեց (na khndrets), որ (vor) սպասենք (spasenk) (vor spasenk') — he asked us to wait; not սպասում (spasum) ենք (enk) (spasum enk') but սպասենք (spasenk) (spasenk').
Table
| What is reported | Conjunction | Verb form |
|---|---|---|
| a statement | որ (vor) | the plain form: կգա (kga), հետաձգվել (hetadzgvel) է |
| a question | թե (t'e) | the plain form, without the ՞ mark |
| doubt | թե (t'e) իբր (ibr) | the plain form |
| a request | որ (vor) | the form without կ-: սպասենք (spasenk), գա (ga) |
By example
- Լսել եմ, թե իբր գործարանը վաճառվել էlsel em, t'e ibr gortsaranə vacharrvel eI heard that the factory was supposedly sold
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
how to pass on other people's words: how does it work in Armenian?
Reported speech turns on the choice of conjunction. Որ (vor) introduces a statement: Նա բացատրեց, որ գնացքը հետաձգվել է (na batsatrets, vor gnatsk'ə hetadzgvel e), he explained that the train was delayed.
What does it look like in a Armenian example sentence?
“Նա հարցրեց, թե որտեղ է կանգառը” (na hartsrets, t'e vortegh e kangarrə) — She asked where the stop is. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.