LingoflyԳրում էի or գրեցի: two pasts and the question of finishing
English splits the past into 'wrote', 'was writing' and 'have written'. Armenian splits it the same way, and each shape has its own job. For example: “Կարդում (kardum) էի (ei), երբ (erb) հանկարծ (hankarts) լույսը (luysə) հանգավ” — I was reading when the lights suddenly went out. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English splits the past into 'wrote', 'was writing' and 'have written'. Armenian splits it the same way, and each shape has its own job.
The simple past is գրեցի (gretsi), գնացի (gnatsi): one action that happened and finished. That is 'wrote', 'went'.
The stretched past is գրում (grum) էի (ei) (grum ei), գնում (gnum) էի (ei) (gnum ei): it went on, repeated, or set the scene. Կարդում (kardum) էի (ei) (kardum ei), երբ (erb) զանգեցիր — I was reading when you called. The first stretched, the second cut in.
With արդեն (arden), դեռ (derr) and երբեք (yerbek') you need the third shape, գրել (grel) եմ (em) (grel em): Արդեն (arden) կարդացել (kardatsel) եմ (em) (arden kardatsel em), I have already read it.
Table
| Form | Shape | When it is taken | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| the simple past | գրեցի (gretsi) | one completed action | wrote |
| the continuous past | գրում (grum) էի (ei) | stretched, was the background | was writing |
| continuous + frequency | ամեն օր (amen or) գրում (grum) էի (ei) | a habit in the past | used to write |
| the perfect | գրել (grel) եմ (em) | the result stands now | have written |
| the perfect with երբեք (yerbek') | երբեք (yerbek') չեմ (chem) գրել (grel) | experience that never was | have never written |
| շարունակել (sharunakel) | շարունակում (sharunakum) եմ (em) գրել (grel) | the action isn't over | keep writing |
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
Two past tenses in Armenian?
English splits the past into 'wrote', 'was writing' and 'have written'. Armenian splits it the same way, and each shape has its own job.
Գրեցի (gretsi) vs գրում (grum) էի (ei)?
The stretched past is գրում (grum) էի (ei), գնում (gnum) էի (ei): it went on, repeated, or set the scene. Կարդում (kardum) էի (ei), երբ (erb) զանգեցիր — I was reading when you called. The first stretched, the second cut in.
How to say I have already read it in Armenian?
With արդեն (arden), դեռ (derr) and երբեք (yerbek') you need the third shape, գրել (grel) եմ (em): Արդեն (arden) կարդացել (kardatsel) եմ (em), I have already read it.
Armenian perfect on -ել եմ (em)?
With արդեն (arden), դեռ (derr) and երբեք (yerbek') you need the third shape, գրել (grel) եմ (em): Արդեն (arden) կարդացել (kardatsel) եմ (em), I have already read it.
How to say I was reading when in Armenian?
The stretched past is գրում (grum) էի (ei), գնում (gnum) էի (ei): it went on, repeated, or set the scene. Կարդում (kardum) էի (ei), երբ (erb) զանգեցիր — I was reading when you called. The first stretched, the second cut in.
What does it look like in a Armenian example sentence?
“Կարդում (kardum) էի (ei), երբ (erb) հանկարծ (hankarts) լույսը (luysə) հանգավ” (kardum ei, yerb hankarts luysə hangav) — I was reading when the lights suddenly went out. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.