Ի՞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 — what did you say? The full stop is :. For example: “Ներողություն, ի՞նչ ասացիք, չլսեցի” — 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 գնում asks 'is it you who is going?'; Դու գնո՞ւմ ես 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 ունե՞ք (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 ինչ է նշանակում (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 |
| whether | only the ՞ mark | Ճի՞շտ եմ հասկացել |
| ask about another word | the mark moves | Դու գնո՞ւմ ես |
| an indirect question | թե, the mark comes off | չգիտեմ, թե ինչ է |
| an indirect where | թե որտեղ | հիշեցի, թե որտեղ ենք հանդիպել |
| a choice of two | the mark on both halves + թե՞ | Տաքսի կանչե՞մ, թե՞ ոտքով գնանք |
| a plain or | կամ, no mark | թեյ կամ սուրճ |
| the end of the sentence | the mark :, not a period | Չլսեցի: |
By example
- Ներողություն, ի՞նչ ասացիք, չլսեցիneroghut'yun, inch asatsik', chlsetsi?I'm sorry, what did you say — I didn't catch it
- Չգիտեմ, թե այս բառը ինչ է նշանակումchgitem, t'e ays barrə inch e nshanakumI don't know what this word means
- Հիմա գա՞նք, թե՞ երեկոյանhima gank', t'e yerekoyan?Shall we go now, or in the evening?
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 ՞ mark goes not at the end of the sentence but over the stressed vowel of the word you ask about. Ի՞նչ ասացիք — what did you say? The full stop is :.
Why the Armenian question mark sits inside a word?
So its position changes the meaning. Դո՞ւ ես գնում asks 'is it you who is going?'; Դու գնո՞ւմ ես asks 'are you going or staying?'.
What թե does before a question in Armenian?
There is no word for 'whether' either — the same mark covers it. Ճի՞շտ եմ հասկացել is 'did I understand right', Ժամանակ ունե՞ք is 'do you have time'.
Ի՞նչ ասացիք vs թե ինչ ասացիք?
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե. Չգիտեմ, թե ինչ է նշանակում — I don't know what it means.
How to say whether in Armenian?
The trap: inside a report the question loses the mark and takes թե. Չգիտեմ, թե ինչ է նշանակում — I don't know what it means.
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Ներողություն, ի՞նչ ասացիք, չլսեցի” (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.