At the bank: about a loan in Armenian
At a bank branch: a loan, the payment, the due date in Armenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Բարև ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եմ եկել:» — Hello. I've come about a loan.; «Բարև ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պետք:» — Hello. How much do you need? Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: at a bank branch: a loan, the payment, the due date. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Բարև ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եմ եկել:barev dzez. varki masin em yekelHello. I've come about a loan.
- Բարև ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պետք:barev dzez. inch gumar e dzez petk'?Hello. How much do you need?
- Մոտ երկու միլիոն դրամ, մեքենայի համար:mot yerku milion dram, mek'enayi hamarAbout two million drams, for a car.
- Տոկոսները տարեկան տասներկու տոկոս են: Եկամուտի տեղեկանք ունե՞ք:tokosnerə tarekan tasnerku tokos en. yekamuti teghekank' unek'?The interest is twelve percent a year. Do you have an income certificate?
- Այո, աշխատավայրից բերել եմ: Ամսական վճարումը որքա՞ն կլինի:ayo, ashkhatavayrits berel em. amsakan vcharumə vork'an klini?Yes, I brought it from my workplace. What will the monthly payment be?
- Մոտավորապես հարյուր հազար դրամ: Վճարման ժամկետը ամսվա հինգն է:motavorapes haryur hazar dram. vcharman zhamketə amsva hingn eAbout a hundred thousand drams. The payment due date is the fifth of the month.
- Իսկ եթե ուշանամ, տուգա՞նք կլինի:isk yet'e ushanam, tugank' klini?And if I'm late, will there be a fine?
- Այո, վճարման ուշացման համար տուգանք կա: Ավելի լավ է առցանց վճարեք:ayo, vcharman ushatsman hamar tugank' ka. aveli lav e arrtsants vcharek'Yes, there's a fine for late payment. It's better to pay online.
Lines one by one
| Armenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Բարև ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եմ եկել: | barev dzez. varki masin em yekel | Hello. I've come about a loan. |
| Բարև ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պետք: | barev dzez. inch gumar e dzez petk'? | Hello. How much do you need? |
| Մոտ երկու միլիոն դրամ, մեքենայի համար: | mot yerku milion dram, mek'enayi hamar | About two million drams, for a car. |
| Տոկոսները տարեկան տասներկու տոկոս են: Եկամուտի տեղեկանք ունե՞ք: | tokosnerə tarekan tasnerku tokos en. yekamuti teghekank' unek'? | The interest is twelve percent a year. Do you have an income certificate? |
| Այո, աշխատավայրից բերել եմ: Ամսական վճարումը որքա՞ն կլինի: | ayo, ashkhatavayrits berel em. amsakan vcharumə vork'an klini? | Yes, I brought it from my workplace. What will the monthly payment be? |
| Մոտավորապես հարյուր հազար դրամ: Վճարման ժամկետը ամսվա հինգն է: | motavorapes haryur hazar dram. vcharman zhamketə amsva hingn e | About a hundred thousand drams. The payment due date is the fifth of the month. |
| Իսկ եթե ուշանամ, տուգա՞նք կլինի: | isk yet'e ushanam, tugank' klini? | And if I'm late, will there be a fine? |
| Այո, վճարման ուշացման համար տուգանք կա: Ավելի լավ է առցանց վճարեք: | ayo, vcharman ushatsman hamar tugank' ka. aveli lav e arrtsants vcharek' | Yes, there's a fine for late payment. It's better to pay online. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Armenian in this situation?
“Բարև ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եմ եկել:” (barev dzez. varki masin em yekel) — Hello. I've come about a loan.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.