Երևի, հավանաբար, իհարկե: how sure the speaker is
Half of what you mean in an argument rests on how sure you sound. These words never change shape, so you learn them as a list. For example: “Երևի լարերի հետ խնդիր կա” — There's probably a problem with the wires. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Half of what you mean in an argument rests on how sure you sound. These words never change shape, so you learn them as a list.
The commonest is երևի (yerevi), probably: Երևի պահեստամաս է պետք (yerevi pahestamas e petk'), a spare part is probably needed. More bookish and firmer is հավանաբար. Միգուցե (migutse) is 'maybe', with real hesitation in it.
At the other end stand իհարկե (iharke), of course, and անպայման (anpayman), without fail: անպայման կզանգեմ (anpayman kzangem). For a verdict there are ցավոք (tsavok'), unfortunately, and բարեբախտաբար (barebakhtabar), luckily.
The trap: none of them goes at the end of the phrase. Կգամ իհարկե (kgam iharke) sounds chopped off; Իհարկե, կգամ (kgam) is what you want.
Table
| Word | Meaning | How sure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| միգուցե | maybe | the least | միգուցե կգա |
| երևի | probably | medium, colloquial | երևի պահեստամաս է պետք |
| հավանաբար | presumably | medium, bookish | հավանաբար վաղը կլինի |
| իսկապես | truly | high | իսկապես լավ վարպետ է |
| իհարկե | of course | high | իհարկե կփոխենք |
| անպայման | definitely | a promise | անպայման կզանգեմ |
| ցավոք | unfortunately | a verdict | ցավոք, ուշացանք |
| բարեբախտաբար | fortunately | a verdict | բարեբախտաբար, երաշխիքով է |
By example
- Երևի լարերի հետ խնդիր կաyerevi lareri het khndir kaThere's probably a problem with the wires
- Ցավոք, էկրանը վերանորոգման ենթակա չէtsavok', ekranə veranorogman yent'aka cheUnfortunately the screen can't be repaired
- Անպայման կզանգենք, երբ պատրաստ լինիanpayman kzangenk', yerb patrast liniWe'll definitely call when it's ready
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 sure the speaker is: how does it work in Armenian?
Half of what you mean in an argument rests on how sure you sound. These words never change shape, so you learn them as a list.
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Երևի լարերի հետ խնդիր կա” (yerevi lareri het khndir ka) — There's probably a problem with the wires. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.