Որպեսզի, չնայած որ, ուստի: complex sentences in full
The four conjunctions of wave 3 — որ, որովհետև, եթե, երբ — cover everyday life. Talk about opinions requires the rest of the set: purpose, concession, consequence and boundaries in time. There are few words, and only two rules — worth learning before the conjunctions themselves. For example: “Շուտ դուրս եկա, որպեսզի ուշ չմնամ” — I left early so as not to be delayed. A rule from the Armenian course: worked out on…
How it works
The four conjunctions of wave 3 — որ (vor), որովհետև (vorovhetev), եթե (yet'e), երբ (yerb) — cover everyday life. Talk about opinions requires the rest of the set: purpose, concession, consequence and boundaries in time. There are few words, and only two rules — worth learning before the conjunctions themselves.
Rule one: the prefix կ- almost never appears in the subordinate part. After եթե, երբ, հենց որ (hents vor), նախքան (nakhk'an), մինչև (minchev), որպեսզի (vorpeszi) the verb goes bare: Հենց որ հասնեմ (hents vor hasnem), կզանգեմ (kzangem) — as soon as I arrive, I'll call. Կ- lives in the main part, and only there. There is one exception — չնայած որ (chnayats vor) and թեև (t'eev): a concession states a fact, not a condition, so կ- is possible there: Թեև կուշանա, կգա (kga).
Rule two: the linker է (e) goes to the end of its clause, not right after the conjunction. Կարծում եմ (kartsum em), որ սա լավագույն տարբերակն է (vor sa lavaguyn tarberakn e) — not 'որ է լավագույն (vor e lavaguyn)'. For an English speaker this is actually familiar ground: English also parks the verb at the end of a that-clause — Armenian does the same, and that is the main source of crooked learner phrases only for those who fight it. If the clause has a negation, չէ (che) takes the same spot: …որ սա ճիշտ չէ (vor sa chisht che).
Now the conjunctions themselves. Purpose — որպեսզի, 'so that': Շուտ դուրս եկա (shut durs yeka), որպեսզի չուշանամ — I left early so as not to be late. In speech it is shortened to plain որ, and only the verb's form then separates purpose from message. Concession — չնայած որ and թեև: Չնայած որ ուշ էր (chnayats vor ush er), զանգեց (zangets). Consequence — ուստի (usti) and այնպես որ (aynpes vor): Անձրև էր (andzrev er), ուստի տաքսի վերցրինք (usti tak'si vertsrink'); in speech the familiar դրա համար (dra hamar) is taken instead.
And the boundary in time where English and Armenian diverge the most. Մինչև means both 'until' and 'by the time', and NO negation is put with it: Սպասիր (spasir), մինչև գամ — wait until I come. An English 'not' would be superfluous here, and inserting it is the most common mistake. Նախքան — 'before', more bookish and precise. And քանի դեռ (k'ani derr) — 'as long as': Քանի դեռ ժամանակ կա (k'ani derr zhamanak ka), մտածիր (mtatsir). Three words, three different 'until / as long as', and mixing them up is expensive.
Table
| Meaning | Conjunction | Example | What to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| purpose | որպեսզի | որպեսզի չուշանամ | the verb without կ- |
| purpose (colloquial) | որ | որ չուշանամ | the same, but shorter |
| concession | չնայած որ, թեև | թեև ուշ էր | կ- is allowed here |
| consequence | ուստի, այնպես որ | ուստի տաքսի վերցրինք | bookish; in speech դրա համար |
| reason first | քանի որ | քանի որ ուշ է | placed first in the sentence |
| until (by then) | մինչև | մինչև գամ | without not — it would be superfluous |
| before (in time) | նախքան | նախքան գնաս | more bookish than մինչև |
| as long as | քանի դեռ | քանի դեռ ժամանակ կա | about a lasting state |
By example
- Շուտ դուրս եկա, որպեսզի ուշ չմնամshut durs yeka, vorpeszi ush chmnamI left early so as not to be delayed
- Չնայած որ համաձայն չեմ, կաջակցեմchnayats vor hamadzayn chem, kajaktsemAlthough I do not agree, I will support it
- Սպասիր, մինչև որոշումը հայտնի դառնաspasir, minchev voroshumə haytni darrnaWait until the decision becomes known
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
complex sentences in full: how does it work in Armenian?
The four conjunctions of wave 3 — որ, որովհետև, եթե, երբ — cover everyday life. Talk about opinions requires the rest of the set: purpose, concession, consequence and boundaries in time. There are few words, and only two rules — worth learning before the conjunctions themselves.
What does it look like in an example sentence Armenian?
“Շուտ դուրս եկա, որպեսզի ուշ չմնամ” (shut durs yeka, vorpeszi ush chmnam) — I left early so as not to be delayed. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.