The plan for the week in Armenian
Two people comparing plans: first, then, though, and at the last moment in Armenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Շաբաթ օրը ի՞նչ պլան ունես:» — What are your plans for Saturday?; «Սկզբում շուկա, հետո՝ ծնողների մոտ:» — First to the market, then to my parents. 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: two people comparing plans: first, then, though, and at the last moment. 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.
- Շաբաթ օրը ի՞նչ պլան ունես:shabat' orə inch plan unes?What are your plans for Saturday?
- Սկզբում շուկա, հետո՝ ծնողների մոտ:skzbum shuka, heto — tsnoghneri motFirst to the market, then to my parents.
- Երեկոյան ազա՞տ ես: Համերգի տոմս ունեմ:yerekoyan azat es? hamergi toms unemAre you free in the evening? I have a ticket to a concert.
- Հեռու է, փոխարենը վաղուց չեմ եղել այնտեղ:herru e, p'okharenə vaghuts chem yeghel aynteghIt's far, but I haven't been there in a long time.
- Տոմսերը նախապես եմ վերցրել, որպեսզի հերթ չկանգնենք:tomserə nakhapes em vertsrel, vorpeszi hert' chkangnenk'I bought the tickets in advance so we wouldn't have to stand in line.
- Ճիշտ արեցիր: Անցյալ անգամ վերջին պահին չեղարկեցինք:chisht aretsir. antsyal angam verjin pahin chegharketsink'You did the right thing. Last time we canceled at the last moment.
- Հենց որ դուրս գաս, զանգիր, ու միասին կգնանք:hents vor durs gas, zangir, u miasin kgnank'As soon as you get out, call, and we'll go together.
- Լավ: Ընդհանուր առմամբ, շաբաթը լավ է անցնում:lav. əndhanur arrmamb, shabat'ə lav e antsnumGood. All in all, the week is going well.
Lines one by one
| Armenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Շաբաթ օրը ի՞նչ պլան ունես: | shabat' orə inch plan unes? | What are your plans for Saturday? |
| Սկզբում շուկա, հետո՝ ծնողների մոտ: | skzbum shuka, heto — tsnoghneri mot | First to the market, then to my parents. |
| Երեկոյան ազա՞տ ես: Համերգի տոմս ունեմ: | yerekoyan azat es? hamergi toms unem | Are you free in the evening? I have a ticket to a concert. |
| Հեռու է, փոխարենը վաղուց չեմ եղել այնտեղ: | herru e, p'okharenə vaghuts chem yeghel ayntegh | It's far, but I haven't been there in a long time. |
| Տոմսերը նախապես եմ վերցրել, որպեսզի հերթ չկանգնենք: | tomserə nakhapes em vertsrel, vorpeszi hert' chkangnenk' | I bought the tickets in advance so we wouldn't have to stand in line. |
| Ճիշտ արեցիր: Անցյալ անգամ վերջին պահին չեղարկեցինք: | chisht aretsir. antsyal angam verjin pahin chegharketsink' | You did the right thing. Last time we canceled at the last moment. |
| Հենց որ դուրս գաս, զանգիր, ու միասին կգնանք: | hents vor durs gas, zangir, u miasin kgnank' | As soon as you get out, call, and we'll go together. |
| Լավ: Ընդհանուր առմամբ, շաբաթը լավ է անցնում: | lav. əndhanur arrmamb, shabat'ə lav e antsnum | Good. All in all, the week is going well. |
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?
“Շաբաթ օրը ի՞նչ պլան ունես:” (shabat' orə inch plan unes?) — What are your plans for Saturday?. 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.