Present tense: -ում + the linker
The present is built from two parts: the verb stem + -ում, then the 'to be' linker from the first unit. For example: “Ես կարդում եմ” — I read. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The present is built from two parts: the verb stem + -ում (-um), then the 'to be' linker from the first unit.
գնա|լ (to go) → գնում եմ (gnum em) — 'I go'. խոս|ել (to talk) → խոսում եմ (khosum em). Only the linker changes — the -ում form is identical for every person. Where English has to conjugate (I go, she goes), Armenian keeps one invariable form and lets the little linker do all the work.
Table
| Verb | Stem + ում | I … |
|---|---|---|
| գնալ — to go | գնում | գնում եմ |
| ուտել — to eat | ուտում | ուտում եմ |
| խմել — to drink | խմում | խմում եմ |
| աշխատել — to work | աշխատում | աշխատում եմ |
By example
- Ես կարդում եմyes kardum emI read
- Դու կարդում եսdu kardum esYou read
- Մենք կարդում ենքmenk' kardum enk'We read
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
Present tense: how does it work in Armenian?
The present is built from two parts: the verb stem + -ում, then the 'to be' linker from the first unit.
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Ես կարդում եմ” (yes kardum em) — I read. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.