A request, not an order: -եք, -իր, and the sneaky մի
Everything from 'fill in' to 'wait' to 'explain' works the same way: cut -ել/-ալ off the verb and add -եք for polite 'you' or -իր for informal 'you'. սպասել → սպասեք / սպասիր, գրել → գրեք / գրիր. The -եք form is the normal register with strangers and does not sound like an order — closer to a courteous 'please wait' than a barked 'Wait!'. For example: “Լրացրեք ձևը, խնդրեմ” — Fill in the form, please. A rule from the…
How it works
Everything from 'fill in' to 'wait' to 'explain' works the same way: cut -ել/-ալ off the verb and add -եք (-ek') for polite 'you' or -իր (-ir) for informal 'you'. սպասել (spasel) → սպասեք (spasek') / սպասիր (spasir), գրել (grel) → գրեք (grek') / գրիր (grir). The -եք form is the normal register with strangers and does not sound like an order — closer to a courteous 'please wait' than a barked 'Wait!'.
To soften it further, add խնդրեմ (khndrem) at the end or խնդրում եմ (khndrum em) at the start: Խնդրում եմ, վարպետ կանչեք (varpet kanchek'). It is exactly the gap between 'call the mechanic' and 'please call the mechanic'.
The prohibition is built with the particle մի (mi) before the same form: մի գրեք (mi grek') — don't write, Ձեռք մի տվեք (dzerrk' mi tvek') — don't touch. And an ear-trap hides here: մի also means 'one' — մի րոպե (mi rope) is 'one minute', not a ban. Position tells them apart: in front of a verb it is 'don't', in front of a noun it is 'one'.
Table
| Verb | You (informal) | You (polite) | Don't … |
|---|---|---|---|
| սպասել — to wait | սպասիր | սպասեք | մի սպասեք |
| կանչել — to call | կանչիր | կանչեք | մի կանչեք |
| բացել — to open | բացիր | բացեք | մի բացեք |
| գրել — to write | գրիր | գրեք | մի գրեք |
By example
- Լրացրեք ձևը, խնդրեմlratsrek' dzevə, khndremFill in the form, please
- Խնդրում եմ, նորից բացատրեքkhndrum em, norits batsatrek'Please explain it once more
- Այս դուռը մի բացեքays durrə mi batsek'Don't open this door
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
A request, not an order: how does it work in Armenian?
Everything from 'fill in' to 'wait' to 'explain' works the same way: cut -ել/-ալ off the verb and add -եք for polite 'you' or -իր for informal 'you'. սպասել → սպասեք / սպասիր, գրել → գրեք / գրիր. The -եք form is the normal register with strangers and does not sound like an order — closer to a…
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Լրացրեք ձևը, խնդրեմ” (lratsrek' dzevə, khndrem) — Fill in the form, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.