Պետք է, կարող եմ: have to, can, worth it
'I have to go', 'may I have a look?', 'it's worth trying' — three turns without which you cannot try on a shirt or order lunch. All three are built around one verb form: the one from the future note, minus the կ-. գնամ, գնաս, գնա… is called the subjunctive; on its own it means 'that I go'. For example: “Պետք է շուտ գնամ” — I need to leave early. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized…
How it works
'I have to go', 'may I have a look?', 'it's worth trying' — three turns without which you cannot try on a shirt or order lunch. All three are built around one verb form: the one from the future note, minus the կ-. գնամ (gnam), գնաս, գնա (gna)… is called the subjunctive; on its own it means 'that I go'.
Պետք է (petk' e) — 'have to / need to'. The words themselves never change; the person lives in the verb: պետք է գնամ (petk' e gnam) — I have to go, պետք է գնաս — you have to go. English has to choose between 'must', 'have to' and 'should'; Armenian has one frame for all of them. The negative is պետք չէ (petk' che) — 'no need'. There is a second use, with a noun: ինձ բժիշկ է պետք (indz bzhishk e petk') — I need a doctor; here the 'to whom' appears — ինձ (indz), քեզ (k'ez), նրան (nran).
Կարող եմ (karogh em) — 'I can'. Here, the other way around, the frame itself conjugates (կարող եմ, կարող ես (karogh yes), կարող է (karogh e)) and the verb behind it stands in the dictionary form: կարող եմ օգնել (karogh em ognel). Permission is asked with the same frame: Կարո՞ղ եմ փորձել (karogh em p'ordzel?) — may I try it on? Impersonally the same idea sounds like կարելի՞ է (kareli e) — 'is it allowed?', and the ban is չի կարելի (chi kareli) — 'not allowed'. That is the word on the signs.
Արժե (arzhe) — 'it's worth'. The same root as in որքա՞ն է արժե (vork'an e arzhe?) — how much does it cost; as advice it means 'it makes sense': արժե փորձել (arzhe p'ordzel) — worth trying. The negative is չարժե (charzhe), and it doubles as the polite answer to 'thank you': 'don't mention it'.
Table
| Frame | What follows | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| պետք է | the -մ/-ս/-… form | պետք է գնամ | I have to go |
| պետք չէ | the same | պետք չէ շտապել | no need to hurry |
| ինձ … է պետք | a noun | ինձ բժիշկ է պետք | I need a doctor |
| կարող եմ | the dictionary form | կարող եմ օգնել | I can help |
| կարելի՞ է | the dictionary form | կարելի՞ է ներս մտնել | may I come in? |
| արժե | the dictionary form | արժե փորձել | worth trying |
By example
- Պետք է շուտ գնամpetk' e shut gnamI need to leave early
- Կարո՞ղ եմ փորձել այս կոշիկըkarogh em p'ordzel ays koshikə?May I try these shoes on?
- Արժե համտեսել, շատ համեղ էarzhe hamtesel, shat hamegh eWorth trying — it's very tasty
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
have to, can, worth it: how does it work in Armenian?
'I have to go', 'may I have a look?', 'it's worth trying' — three turns without which you cannot try on a shirt or order lunch. All three are built around one verb form: the one from the future note, minus the կ-. գնամ, գնաս, գնա… is called the subjunctive; on its own it means 'that I go'.
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Պետք է շուտ գնամ” (petk' e shut gnam) — I need to leave early. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.