LingoflyԻ՞նչ ասացիք and թե ինչ ասացիք: the ՞ mark and the question inside a sentence
The ՞ mark goes not at the end of the sentence but over the stressed vowel of the word you ask about. Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik') — what did you say? The full stop is :. For example: “Ներողություն, ի՞նչ ասացիք (neroghut'yun, inch asatsik'), չլսեցի” (chlsetsi) — I'm sorry, what did you say — I didn't catch it. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The ՞ mark goes not at the end of the sentence but over the stressed vowel of the word you ask about. Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik'?) — what did you say? The full stop is :.
So its position changes the meaning. Դո՞ւ ես (yes) գնում (gnum) asks 'is it you who is going?'; Դու (du) գնո՞ւմ ես (yes) asks 'are you going or staying?'.
There is no word for 'whether' either — the same mark covers it. Ճի՞շտ եմ հասկացել (chisht em haskatsel?) is 'did I understand right', Ժամանակ (zhamanak) ունե՞ք (unek') (zhamanak unek') is 'do you have time'.
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե (t'e). Չգիտեմ (chgitem), թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) է նշանակում (nshanakum) (t'e inch e nshanakum) — I don't know what it means.
Table
| What you need | How | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a direct question | the ՞ mark inside the word | Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik') |
| whether | only the ՞ mark | Ճի՞շտ եմ հասկացել (chisht em haskatsel) |
| ask about another word | the mark moves | Դու (du) գնո՞ւմ ես (yes) |
| an indirect question | թե (t'e), the mark comes off | չգիտեմ (chgitem), թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) է |
| an indirect where | թե (t'e) որտեղ (vortegh) | հիշեցի, թե որտեղ ենք հանդիպել (hishetsi, t'e vortegh enk' handipel) |
| a choice of two | the mark on both halves + թե (t'e)՞ | Տաքսի (tak'si) կանչե՞մ, թե (t'e)՞ ոտքով (votk'ov) գնանք (gnank) |
| a plain or | կամ (kam), no mark | թեյ կամ սուրճ (t'ey kam surch) |
| the end of the sentence | the mark :, not a period | Չլսեցի (chlsetsi)։ |
By example
- neroghut'yun, inch asatsik', chlsetsi?I'm sorry, what did you say — I didn't catch it
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
Armenian question mark ՞ inside the word?
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե (t'e). Չգիտեմ (chgitem), թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) է նշանակում (nshanakum) — I don't know what it means.
Why the Armenian question mark sits inside a word?
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե (t'e). Չգիտեմ (chgitem), թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) է նշանակում (nshanakum) — I don't know what it means.
What թե (t'e) does before a question in Armenian?
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե (t'e). Չգիտեմ (chgitem), թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) է նշանակում (nshanakum) — I don't know what it means.
Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik') vs թե (t'e) ինչ (inch) ասացիք (asatsik)?
The ՞ mark goes not at the end of the sentence but over the stressed vowel of the word you ask about. Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik') — what did you say? The full stop is :.
How to say whether in Armenian?
The ՞ mark goes not at the end of the sentence but over the stressed vowel of the word you ask about. Ի՞նչ ասացիք (inch asatsik') — what did you say? The full stop is :.
What does it look like in a Armenian example sentence?
“Ներողություն, ի՞նչ ասացիք (neroghut'yun, inch asatsik'), չլսեցի” (chlsetsi) (neroghut'yun, inch asatsik', chlsetsi?) — I'm sorry, what did you say — I didn't catch it. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.