Ուրբաթին, աշնանը, օրերս: Armenian speaks of time with case endings
The fifty-fifth unit looks like a list of adverbs, but there are almost no adverbs in it. English's 'on Friday', 'in autumn', 'the other day' are conveyed by Armenian not with a preposition but with an ending on the word itself. Once you have seen that, you stop looking for the preposition that is not there. For example: “Գրադարանը բաց է աշխատանքային օրերին” — The library is open on weekdays. A rule from the…
How it works
The fifty-fifth unit looks like a list of adverbs, but there are almost no adverbs in it. English's 'on Friday', 'in autumn', 'the other day' are conveyed by Armenian not with a preposition but with an ending on the word itself. Once you have seen that, you stop looking for the preposition that is not there.
The dative -ին (-in) answers 'when'. Ուրբաթ (urbat') → ուրբաթին (on Friday), երեկո (yereko) → երեկոյան (in the evening), տարիներ → տարիներին (in those years), պահ (pah) → պահին (at the moment). The plural takes the same -ին: աշխատանքային օրերին (ashkhatank'ayin orerin) — on weekdays.
The locative -ում (-um) answers 'within how long'. Մեկ ժամում (mek zhamum) — within an hour, մի քանի րոպեում (mi k'ani ropeum) — within a few minutes, երկու տարում (yerku tarum) — in two years. The same -ում as 'inside something': այդ ընթացքում (ayd ənt'atsk'um) — meanwhile, հետագայում (hetagayum) — later on.
The ablative -ից answers 'since when'. Հին ժամանակներից (hin zhamanaknerits) — since time immemorial, երեկվաից — since yesterday.
The possessive -ս in the meaning 'the recent'. Օրերս (the other day), այսօրվա — of today. The form looks like 'my days' but means 'these days' — one of the spots where the 'my' ending stretches beyond ownership.
The seasons stand apart. Աշուն (ashun) → աշնանը (in autumn), գարուն (garun) → գարնանը (garnanə), ձմեռ (dzmerr) → ձմռանը (dzmrranə), ամառ (amarr) → ամռանը (amrranə). Inside the word a vowel drops out — the same thing as in միտք → մտքի (mtk'i). These four forms are worth learning as they are.
Table
| Question | Case | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| when | -ին | ուրբաթին | on Friday |
| when | -ը (a season) | աշնանը | in autumn |
| within how long | -ում | մեկ ժամում | within an hour |
| since when | -ից | հին ժամանակներից | since time immemorial |
| these days | -ս | օրերս | the other day |
By example
- Գրադարանը բաց է աշխատանքային օրերինgradaranə bats e ashkhatank'ayin orerinThe library is open on weekdays
- Կրակը տարածվեց մի քանի րոպեումkrakə taratsvets mi k'ani ropeumThe fire spread within a few minutes
- Օրերս կզանգեմ և կպայմանավորվենքorers kzangem yev kpaymanavorvenk'I'll call in the next few days and we'll arrange 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 speaks of time with case endings: how does it work in Armenian?
The fifty-fifth unit looks like a list of adverbs, but there are almost no adverbs in it. English's 'on Friday', 'in autumn', 'the other day' are conveyed by Armenian not with a preposition but with an ending on the word itself. Once you have seen that, you stop looking for the preposition that is…
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Գրադարանը բաց է աշխատանքային օրերին” (gradaranə bats e ashkhatank'ayin orerin) — The library is open on weekdays. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.