Twenty years later in Armenian
Two classmates meet by chance: life stories, changes and agreeing to meet in Armenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Մի՞թե դու ես: Քսան տարի չենք հանդիպել:» — Is it really you? We haven't seen each other for twenty years.; «Այ քեզ բան: Դու գրեթե չես փոխվել:» — Wow. You've hardly changed. 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 classmates meet by chance: life stories, changes and agreeing to meet. 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.
- Մի՞թե դու ես: Քսան տարի չենք հանդիպել:mit'e du es? k'san tari chenk' handipelIs it really you? We haven't seen each other for twenty years.
- Այ քեզ բան: Դու գրեթե չես փոխվել:ay k'ez ban. du gret'e ches p'okhvelWow. You've hardly changed.
- Դպրոցն ավարտեցի և արտերկիր տեղափոխվեցի:dprotsn avartetsi yev arterkir teghap'okhvetsiI finished school and moved abroad.
- Լո՞ւրջ: Այնտեղ քանի՞ տարի ես ապրել:lurj? ayntegh k'ani tari es aprel?Seriously? How many years did you live there?
- Այդ երկրում հինգ տարի եմ ապրել: Հետո ամեն ինչ փոխվեց:ayd yerkrum hing tari em aprel. heto amen inch p'okhvetsI lived in that country for five years. Then everything changed.
- Դեպի լավը, հուսով եմ: Ընտանիք կազմեցի՞ր:depi lavə, husov em. əntanik' kazmetsir?For the better, I hope. Did you start a family?
- Այո, երկու երեխա: Հիմա հայրենի քաղաքում ենք, ժամանակավորապես:ayo, yerku yerekha. hima hayreni k'aghak'um enk', zhamanakavorapesYes, two children. We're in my hometown now, temporarily.
- Հանդիպենք հանգիստ: Ցանկացած ժամի զանգիր, ես ազատ եմ օրվա երկրորդ կեսին:handipenk' hangist. tsankatsats zhami zangir, yes azat em orva yerkrord kesinLet's meet without hurry. Call anytime, I'm free in the afternoon.
Lines one by one
| Armenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Մի՞թե դու ես: Քսան տարի չենք հանդիպել: | mit'e du es? k'san tari chenk' handipel | Is it really you? We haven't seen each other for twenty years. |
| Այ քեզ բան: Դու գրեթե չես փոխվել: | ay k'ez ban. du gret'e ches p'okhvel | Wow. You've hardly changed. |
| Դպրոցն ավարտեցի և արտերկիր տեղափոխվեցի: | dprotsn avartetsi yev arterkir teghap'okhvetsi | I finished school and moved abroad. |
| Լո՞ւրջ: Այնտեղ քանի՞ տարի ես ապրել: | lurj? ayntegh k'ani tari es aprel? | Seriously? How many years did you live there? |
| Այդ երկրում հինգ տարի եմ ապրել: Հետո ամեն ինչ փոխվեց: | ayd yerkrum hing tari em aprel. heto amen inch p'okhvets | I lived in that country for five years. Then everything changed. |
| Դեպի լավը, հուսով եմ: Ընտանիք կազմեցի՞ր: | depi lavə, husov em. əntanik' kazmetsir? | For the better, I hope. Did you start a family? |
| Այո, երկու երեխա: Հիմա հայրենի քաղաքում ենք, ժամանակավորապես: | ayo, yerku yerekha. hima hayreni k'aghak'um enk', zhamanakavorapes | Yes, two children. We're in my hometown now, temporarily. |
| Հանդիպենք հանգիստ: Ցանկացած ժամի զանգիր, ես ազատ եմ օրվա երկրորդ կեսին: | handipenk' hangist. tsankatsats zhami zangir, yes azat em orva yerkrord kesin | Let's meet without hurry. Call anytime, I'm free in the afternoon. |
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?
“Մի՞թե դու ես: Քսան տարի չենք հանդիպել:” (mit'e du es? k'san tari chenk' handipel) — Is it really you? We haven't seen each other for twenty years.. 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.