Basic words in Armenian
305 words Armenian words on the topic “basic words”: Այո — yes, Ոչ — no, Հա — yep, Լավ — good. 305 words can be played from recordings.
305 words on the topic
- Այոayoyesthe neutral yes that works everywhere; among your own people the short ha is heard more often
- Ոչvochnothe same particle works as 'neither': voch yes, voch du — neither me nor you
- Հաhayepthe chatty yes, closer to English yeah; in texts and among friends it beats ayo
- Լավlavgoodone word for 'good' and 'well': lav em — I am good, lav mard — a good person. It also serves as agreement, like English alright
- Վատvatbadthe partner of lav and behaves the same: vat em — I feel bad, vat yeghanak — bad weather
- Շատ լավshat lavvery goodshat means 'very' and sits right before the adjective
- Կեսkeshalfkes doubles as the prefix 'half-': kes zham — half an hour, kes kilo — half a kilo
- Պետք չէpetk' cheI don't need itthe literary form is petk' che, but lively speech almost always says petk' chi. Softer together with shnorhakalut'yun
- Մի հատ էլmi hat elone morehat — 'piece' — is the counting word. Yerevantsis slip it in almost everywhere: mi hat surch
- Բավական էbavakan eenoughwhen the seller keeps piling it on and it is time to stop — bavakan e. Among friends and blunter: herik' e
- Ընդամենըəndamenəjuststarts with the fleeting schwa ə. Əndamenə hazar dram — just a thousand drams
- Ավելի մեծaveli metsbiggercomparison is assembled with aveli: mets — big, aveli mets — bigger. About quantity they say aveli shat
- Ավելի փոքրaveli p'ok'rsmallerthe same scheme: aveli + p'ok'r. About quantity — aveli k'ich
- Ծանրtsanrheavyhence tsanrots — parcel — which you will meet in unit nine
- Թեթևt'et'evlightweighttwo aspirated t' in a row: t'et'ev. About weight and about an easy task alike
- Նորnornewnor also means 'just now': nor yeka — he has just come
- Հինhinoldhin is about things. About a person, 'old' is tser; calling a person hin means 'long-known, old-time'
- Կոտրվածkotrvatsbrokenfrom kotrel — to break. The -vats ending makes the participle: 'broken'
- Ամեն ինչ կարգին էamen inch kargin eeverything is finekarg — order. Closer to 'all normal, nothing happened' than to 'good'
- Ամեն ինչ լավ էamen inch lav eeverything is OKamen inch — everything. The answer to inchpes es when things really are good
- Մարդmardpersonthe plural breaks the rule: not marder but mardik. This word has to be learned on its own
- Տասնմեկtasnmekelevenevery teen number is assembled the same way: tasn (ten) plus the unit. Eleven is literally 'ten-one', so nothing needs memorizing piece by piece
- Տասներկուtasnerkutwelvetasn + yerku. A dozen has no word of its own: tasnerku hat and that is all
- Տասներեքtasnerek'thirteentasn + yerek'. The final k' is a k on a puff of air, just as in yerek' itself
- Տասնչորսtasnchorsfourteentasn + chors. No vowel between n and ch, so the word runs in two syllables: tasn-CHORS
- Տասնհինգtasnhingfifteentasn + hing. In speech the n before h almost vanishes: you hear tas-hing
- Տասնվեցtasnvetssixteentasn + vets. Vets itself ends in ts', a ts with a puff of air, and stays unchanged inside the compound
- Տասնյոթtasnyot'seventeentasn + yot'. The letter y reads like English y, so it comes out tasn-YOT', not tasn-OT'
- Տասնութtasnut'eighteentasn + ut'. The pair u always reads as one oo sound: a digraph, not two letters
- Տասնինըtasninənineteenthe only one in the row that keeps its -ə: nine on its own is inə, and that ending stays. The rest run together without it
- Քսանk'santwentyits own word, no relation to tas. From here numbers glue together: k'sanmek, k'sanerku — twenty-one, twenty-two
- Երեսունyeresunthirtyevery ten from thirty to ninety ends in -sun: an old shape of the word 'ten'. The front comes from the unit: yerek' → yeresun
- Քառասունk'arrasunfortyfrom chors you do not get chorsun but k'arrasun: four has a second, ancient stem k'arr-. It also lives in k'arrakusi — square
- Հիսունhisunfiftyfrom hing, but the n drops out: hi + sun. It only resembles hazar at the beginning, and they should not be confused
- Վաթսունvat'sunsixtyfrom vets, but with an aspirated t' inside: vat' + sun. Six on its own goes through ts', the ten through t'
- Յոթանասունyot'anasunseventythe longest ten of the row: yot' + ana + sun, five syllables. The inserted ana lives only here
- Ութսունut'suneightyut' + sun, no insertions at all — the most transparent ten in the series
- Իննսունinnsunninetyinn + sun, with a double n at the seam. Nine as a standalone word is written inə, inside the ten it is inn
- Հարյուրharyurhundredthe first word where the row of tens ends. Two hundred is yerku haryur, two words, not one
- Հազարhazarthousandthe key number of any Yerevan price tag: prices in drams are almost always in thousands. Hing hazar dram — five thousand drams
- Միլիոնmilionmilliona borrowing with the stress on the last syllable: mi-li-ON. Milliard, 'billion', is assembled the same way
- Զրոzrozeroa borrowing, short and with no vowel at the front: z-RO. A score in a game is zro-zro
- Առաջինarrajinfirstordinals behave like adjectives: unchanging, before the noun. The first three are irregular, after that everything is -erord: chorrord, hingerord
- Երկրորդyerkrordsecondfrom yerku, but the u drops out: yerk + rord. The same word in yerkrord hark — second floor
- Երրորդyerrordthirdfrom yerek', with a rolled rr at the seam. One letter apart from yerkrord, and to the ear that is the most common mix-up of all
- Վերջինverjinlastfrom verj — end. The partner of arrajin, and both end in -in, though they are built differently
- Քանի՞k'anihow manyasks about countables: k'ani hat, k'ani mard. About uncountable quantity and price the question is vork'an or inchk'an. The hook sits on the last vowel of the question word
- Զույգzuygpairabout two matching things: mi zuyg gulpa. A couple of people is zuyg too — it is also the married couple
- Հատhatpiecethe counting word no market can work without: yerek' hat — three pieces. It slips between the number and the thing and usually vanishes in translation
- Տոկոսtokospercentboth discounts and bank rates: tarekan tokos — annual interest. The percent sign is read as tokos
- Ամենameneverystands before the noun and does not change: amen or, amen mard. Bolore means 'everyone' and replaces a noun; amen cannot live without one
- Ո՞վovwhoword-initial o usually reads vo, as in vor and voch; ov is the famous exception: just ov
- Ինչո՞ւinchuwhyassembled from inch — what. The answer is vorovhetev — 'because'. The question hook sits inside the word, between the vowels
- Ինչի՞ համարinchi hamarwhat forArmenian has no word of its own for purpose: inch in the genitive plus hamar. Inchu asks about the cause, inchi hamar about the aim — but in speech inchu covers both
- Ինչպիսի՞inchpisiwhat kind ofthree syllables, stress on the last: inch-pi-SEE
- Ո՞ւմumwhoseone sound, the oo digraph with the question hook inside: um, with no v
- Ոչ ոքvoch ok'nobodytwo words: the familiar voch — not — and the old ok', which does not live alone. The verb is negative too: voch ok' chka, literally 'nobody is not'. The double negation is obligatory
- Ինչ-որ բանinch-vor bansomethingliterally 'some kind of thing': inch-vor — some, ban — thing. Inch-vor clings to other words too: inch-vor mekə — someone, inch-vor tegh — somewhere
- Երկուսն էլyerkusn elbothliterally 'and the two': yerkusə — 'the two' from the familiar yerku, plus the booster el. About things it works the same, but el moves to the noun: yerku tunn el — both houses
- ՉգիտեմchgitemI don't knowthe negation has grown onto the verb and is written solid: gitem — I know, chgitem — I don't. The same ch- as in chem haskanum. You have seen it in vork'an gitem — 'as far as I know'
- Տեսնելtesnelto seethe same root as in tstesut'yun — goodbye, literally 'until seeing'. The past is irregular: tesa, not tsetsi
- Լսելlselto hearno vowel between l and s: the word runs in one syllable, l-SEL
- Քնելk'nelto sleepthe k is a k on the exhale with a consonant right behind it: k'n-EL
- Տանելtanelto carrythe direction is built into the verb: tanel — carry it away from here, berel — carry it here. You have seen it in tanelu hamar — 'for takeout'
- Դնելdnelto putone word for 'stand' and 'lay': Armenian does not care whether the thing stands or lies. You have seen it in hashvin gumarr dnel — 'put money on the account'
- Կոտրելkotrelto breakthe familiar kotrvel e — 'it broke' — is this verb with a -v- insert: it broke by itself, nobody to blame. Kotrel — somebody broke it
- Կառուցելkarrutselto buildthe rr is rolled, longer than a plain r: ka-ru-TSEL
- Շատshata lotone word for 'a lot' and for 'very': before a noun it counts, shat mard, and before an adjective it boosts, the familiar shat lav. What is counted stays singular: shat girk'
- Քիչk'ichlittlethe k is aspirated, a k on the exhale: k'ich
- Փափուկp'ap'uksoftboth p sounds are aspirated, puffs of air: pha-PHUK
- Կարծրkartsrhardit ends in two consonants with no vowel between them: KAR-TSR
- Թացt'atswetan aspirated t plus ts: t'ats sounds like tahts on a puff
- Չորchordrythe partner of tats. Hence choranal — to dry — and chir — dried fruit. Do not mix with chors — four: one letter apart
- Բարակbarakthinabout things: thin fabric, thin ice. The opposite is hast. Of people it is not said — for thinness there is nihar
- Խորըkhorədeepthe dictionary khor in speech almost always sounds with a growing -ə, just like the familiar sarrə. Hence khorut'yun — depth. Of water and of talk alike: khorə zruyts — a serious conversation
- Կլորklorroundabout shape: a round table, a round face. Klor tari — all year round. Like all Armenian adjectives it does not change before the noun
- Ո՞ւրurwhere tothe oo digraph with the question hook inside: it reads simply oor
- Ամենուրamenureverywherethe familiar amen — every — plus ur — where: 'in every place'. The same is said in two words — amen tegh
- Ոչ մի տեղvoch mi teghnowhere at allnever one word: voch mi — not one, tegh — place. The verb is negative too. The phrase answers both 'where' and 'where to': voch mi tegh chem gnum — I am not going anywhere
- Ռիսկrriskriskthe initial rr rolls, like Spanish rr: R-RISK
- Պահեստային պլանpahestayin planbackup planThe same pahestayin as the spare tire: the language does not tell a spare part from a spare idea; in speech people often say yerrord tarberak, the second option
- Անախորժությունanakhorzhut'yunmisfortuneAkhorzh is appetite, pleasantness — as in bari akhorzhak, bon appétit — plus an-, not: 'unpleasantness'; more often plural: anakhorzhut'yunner unetsank'
- ՊատճառpatcharrcauseLives in three ready turns, and it is the turns to memorize, not the word: patcharrə inchne — what is the cause, arrants patcharri — without a reason, patcharrov — because of, standing after the word: andrevi patcharrov, because of the rain
- Արդյունքardyunk'resultThe result of work, the score of a match and a doctor's test results alike; the ready turn ardyunkum means 'as a result' and opens the sentence
- Դրա համարdra hamarthereforeStands at the start of the second half of the sentence, after the comma, and then the usual word order: Andrev er, dra hamar t'aksi vertsrink'; literally 'for this'; the bookish synonym usti lives in the newspaper
- ՈրովհետևvorovhetevbecauseNever opens the sentence: first the main clause, then the comma, then vorovhetev; if you want the cause first, take k'ani vor: K'ani vor hivand ei, cheka
- Դրա պատճառովdra patcharrovbecause of thatDiffers from dra hamar in shade: hamar is neutral, patcharrov always carries vexation — because of that it turned out badly; the place is the same: after the comma, before the verb
- Կախված լինելkakhvats linelto depend onKakhel, to hang: to depend is literally 'to be hanging'; what you depend on stands in the dative before the turn: yeganakits e kakhvats; the ready answer to any question is kakhvats e — it depends
- Պատճառը բացատրելpatcharrə batsatrelto explain the reasonBatsatrel, to explain, literally 'to open up', from bats, open; who you explain to takes the dative: indz batsatrir; the article -ə on patcharr is required — the reason is always a particular one
- ՆպատակnpatakaimAn aim as an intention, not a target — at the range you shoot at t'irakh; ready turns: npatak unem, I intend, npatakov, with the aim of, ayd npatakov, for that purpose
- ԻմաստimastmeaningTwo turns are the reason to learn it: imast chuni, it is pointless, and ays imastov, in this sense; a wise man is imastun, from the same nest
- Եզրակացությունyezrakatsut'yunconclusionthe initial ե sounds ye, seven syllables: ye-zra-ka-tsu-T'UN
- Հնարավորությունhnaravorut'yunopportunityeight syllables, stress on the last: hna-ra-vo-ru-T'UN
- Հնարավոր էhnaravor epossiblyTwo words that work as one parenthetical: it stands at the start and no comma follows — Hnaravor e vaghə ga; the ՝ mark here replaces 'that'; as an answer, hnaravor e alone means 'maybe'
- Անհնար էanhnar eit's impossibleAn- plus hnar, a trick, a way: 'there is no way'; what exactly is impossible follows in the infinitive: anhnar e haskanel; the softer dzhvar e means 'it is hard'
- Անհրաժեշտությունanhrazheshtut'yunnecessitynine syllables — the longest word of the unit: an-hra-zhesh-tu-T'UN
- ԱնպայմանanpaymandefinitelyAn- plus payman, a condition: 'unconditionally'; it stands before the verb: anpayman kzangem, I will call for sure; careful with negation: anpayman che means 'not necessarily', not 'definitely not'
- Ստիպված կլինեմstipvats klinemI'll have toStipel, to force, stipvats, forced: 'I will be forced'; the person sits in klinem, so you will have to is stipvats klines; about the past: stipvats yeghav, I had to
- Թույլատրվածt'uylatrvatspermittedFrom t'uyl tal, to allow, with the -v- that makes the passive participle; on signs it stands with e: Lusankarelə t'uylatrvats e; in speech kareli e, it is allowed, is commoner
- ԱրգելվածargelvatsforbiddenFrom argel, forbid; signs also carry the verbal form argelvum e, "is forbidden" — the difference is like forbidden and prohibited; the colloquial no-go is chi kareli
- Ընտրությունəntrut'yunchoiceSingular is a choice, plural untrutyunner is the elections from the state unit; turns: untrut'yun chunem, I have no choice, untrut'yun katarel, to make a choice
- ՏարբերակtarberakoptionFrom tarber, different: an option is 'a differentness'; it is also an answer option in a test and a software version; ready turns: yerrord tarberakə, the second option, lavaguyn tarberakə, the best one
- ԿասկածkaskatsdoubtThe turns matter more than the word: k'askats chka, no doubt, k'askatsi tak e, in doubt, arrants k'askatsi, beyond doubt; hence also k'askatsyal, the suspect from the police unit
- Կասկածելkaskatselto doubtWhat you doubt takes -um: dramum k'askatsum em; when you suspect someone it is the same verb but with vrra: nra vrra k'askatsum en — they suspect him; one verb, two different governments
- ՎստահvstahsureIt demands the linker: vstah em, I am sure; what you are sure about takes -um: dramum vstah em; the same root as vstahel, to trust, from the media unit
- Դժվար թեdzhvar t'ehardlyLiterally 'difficult that'; it opens the sentence and the verb after it drops the k-, in the same form as after petk e: Dzhvar t'e ga — he will hardly come, not kga; that is the main trap of the turn
- ԵրևիyereviprobablyThe commonest parenthetical in the language; it stands anywhere — at the start, in the middle, at the end — with no commas: Yerevi ushana, Ushana yerevi; the verb often drops the k-, because there is no certainty
- Հաստատhastatfor sureThe direct opposite of yerevi and stands in the same places: Hastat kga — he will definitely come; careful: exactly in the sense of precisely is chisht — chisht zhamə hingin, at exactly five
- Ինձ թվում էindz t'vum eit seems to meThe order is rigid: first to whom, then t'vum e; after the turn an Armenian puts the ՝ mark, a but, and it replaces 'that': Indz t'vum e skhal es; without indz it becomes the impersonal 'it seems'
- Իրականումirakanumin factOne word from irakan, real, in the locative: 'in reality'; it opens the sentence and almost always contradicts what was said: Asum en t'ank e, irakanum ezhan e
- Ենթադրելyent'adrelto assumeYenta-, under, plus dnel, to put: 'to put under', the same build as Latin suppositio; a bookish word; in speech indz t'vum e carries the same thought; an assumption is yentadrut'yun
- Վստահ չեմvstah chemI'm not sureThe negation sits not on vstah but on the linker: chem instead of em; the same in other persons — vstah che, vstah chenk'; the polite refusal is built on this very phrase: Vstah chem, stugem u kasem
- Փորձp'ordzexperienceOne word for three: experience — ashkhatankayin p'ordz, a try — mi p'ordz el ara, and an experiment — kimiakan p'ordz; only the neighbor word tells them apart; the verb p'ordzel is to try, to try on
- Դեպքdepk'caseA neutral word: a case, an episode; it lives in turns: ayd depkum, in that case, amen depkum, in any case, depkì vayrum, at the scene; the newspaper-flavored one is patahar
- ՕրինակorinakexampleAn example in the notebook and a model to follow alike: lav orinak tsuyts tal, to set a good example; to give one is orinak berel, literally 'to bring an example'
- Օրինակի համարorinaki hamarfor exampleA parenthetical standing before what it names and set off by a comma: Orinaki hamar, Gyumrin; in fast speech it shrinks to bare orinak — and then it sounds like the noun 'example'; only the comma and the place tell them apart
- Տարբերությունtarberut'yundifferenceTurns: inch tarberut'yun, what difference does it make, tarberut'yun chka, there is no difference, tarberut'yunə ayne, vor… — the difference is that…; between what and what takes mijev: nranq mijev
- Համեմատությունhamematut'yuncomparisonFrom hamematel, to compare, as in comparing prices; the ready form is hamemats, compared, set after what you compare with: antsyal tarvay het hamemats
- Տարբերվելtarbervelto differWhat you differ from takes the -its ending: dranits tarbervum e; don't mix with tarberel without -v-, which means to tell one thing from another — there a person acts, not a thing
- ՆմանnmansimilarWho you resemble takes the dative with no preposition: horə nman e, like the father; a second use is 'such': nman ban chem asel, I said no such thing; one word, two senses, and the case of the neighbor tells them apart
- Նմանությունnmanut'yunsimilarityThe partner of difference: similarities and differences — nmanutyunner yev tarberut'yunner; between whom takes mijev; a written word — in speech they simply say nman en, they are alike
- Փոփոխությունp'op'okhut'yunchange (alteration)two p' in a row, both on a strong puff: p'o-p'o-khu-T'UN
- Առաջին հերթինarrajin hert'infirst of allHert, a turn in line: 'in the first turn'; it opens the sentence, a comma follows, and the word order after is ordinary: Arrajin herti, ginə t'ank e — and e, as always, goes to the end; its pair is yerrord herti
- Երկրորդ հերթինyerkrord hert'insecondlyThe second step of the same list and the same place — sentence start, comma after; then come errord herti, chorrd herti; in living speech after the second point people usually switch to batsi ayd, besides
- Նախ և առաջnakh yev arrajfirst and foremostLiterally 'first and forward'; it opens the sentence, with a comma; the difference from arrajin herti is weight: herti opens a list, while nakh yev arraj singles out the main thing and needs no list
- Բացի այդbatsi aydbesidesBatsi, except, demands the demonstrative ayd after it; it opens the sentence, set off by a comma; careful: batsi k'eznits, except for you, is the preposition with the ablative and takes no comma
- Ի դեպi depby the wayWritten as two words, i separately; it opens the utterance, comma after — an Armenian does not drop it into the middle of a sentence; the same turn changes the subject in conversation
- Ընդհանուր առմամբəndhanur arrmambon the wholeUndhanur, common, plus arrnel, to take: 'taking it in general'; it opens the sentence, with a comma, and sums up what was said; as a filler in mid-speech it is not used — there people say eli or nothing
- Կարճ ասածkarch asatsin shortKarch, short, plus asats, said — a participle, so the word order is inverted: first 'short', then 'having said'; it opens the sentence, comma after
- Այլ կերպ ասածayl kerp asatsin other wordsAyl, other, kerp, a way: 'having said it otherwise'; built like karch asats and standing in the same place — at the start, with a comma; it retells the previous phrase, so the same thought in other words always follows
- Գլխավորըglkhavorəthe main thingfour consonants in a row at the start, no vowel between them: glkha-vo-RE
- Ի վերջոi verjoin the endWritten as two words; it opens the sentence but is usually not set off by a comma — the turn has grown into the phrase: I verjo hamadzavets; it means both 'ultimately' and a vexed 'in the end' — only the intonation tells them apart
- Թեևt'eevalthoughthe initial t' is a t on a puff, ev reads 'ev': T'-EV
- Փոխարենըp'okharenəbut thenFrom p'okharen, instead of, plus the article -ə; it opens the second clause after the comma and introduces compensation: the minus was there, but then there is a plus — T'ank er, p'okharenə lavn e
- Ընդհակառակըəndhakarrakəon the contrarysix syllables, the rr rolls: und-ha-ka-rra-KƏ
- ՉնայածchnayatsdespiteLiterally 'not looking'; with a noun it takes the dative: chnayats andrevin, despite the rain; with a whole clause add vor: chnayats vor ush er; it opens its own clause, comma between
- ՍակայնsakaynhoweverThe bookish brother of the colloquial bayts; the difference is placement: bayts only stands between clauses, while sakayn can open a sentence or wedge into the middle with commas — Na, sakayn, chekav
- Մի կողմիցmi koghmitson the one handKoghm, a side, plus -its, the from-case; it opens the first half of the pair and demands the second — myus koghmits; it opens the sentence, comma after; an Armenian feels a half without its pair as a broken phrase
- Մյուս կողմիցmyus koghmitson the other handThe second half of the pair; it begins a new sentence or a new clause after the comma: Mi koghmits, t'ank e, myus koghmits, vorakyali e; myus is 'the other of two', not 'other in general' — that would be urish
- Այնուամենայնիվaynuamenaynivneverthelessseven syllables, stress on the last: ay-nu-a-me-nay-NIV
- Դրա փոխարենdra p'okhareninsteadThe same p'okharen as in p'okharenə, but without the article and with the demonstrative in front — and the sense is different: not compensation but replacement; it opens the second clause after the comma; 'instead of you' is k'o p'okharen, the possessive first
- Միևնույն էmievnuyn eall the sameLiterally 'it is one and the same', and the linker e is part of the turn — it cannot be dropped; two uses: indifference, Indz mievnuyn e, I don't care, and stubbornness at the start of a clause, Mievnuyn e, kgnam, all the same I will go
- Պատահաբարpatahabarby accidentFrom patahel, to happen — the root of patahar, the incident; before the verb: patahabar handipetsink'; the polite 'you wouldn't happen to know?' is built differently — patahabar chi gitek
- ՀատուկhatukspecificallyAs an adverb it stands before the verb: hatuk k'ez hamar beretsi, he brought it specially for you; the same word unchanged means 'special': hatuk depk', a special case; only the place tells them — before the verb or before the noun
- Անհաջողությունanhajoghut'yunsetbackThe an- prefix on the hajoghut'yun you know, success; half of the negative nouns are built this way: anarmar, anvchar, antarber
- Քայլ առ քայլk'ayl arr k'aylstep by stepArr, the old preposition 'at, by', preserved in such chains: mek arr mek, one by one, tarr arr tarr, letter by letter; a step is k'ayl, with an aspirated k'
- Գործողությունների հերթականությունgortsoghut'yunneri hert'akanut'yunthe order of operationseleven syllables over two words, stress on the last of each: gor-tso-ghu-t'yun-ne-RI, kher-t'a-ka-nu-T'UN
- Մանրամասնmanramasnin detailManr, small, plus mas, a part: "in small parts"; the word works as an adverb, an adjective and a noun alike: manramasnerə, the details
- Քո բառերովk'o barrerovin your own wordsEnglish says 'own', Armenian says 'your' outright: k'o barrerov; about yourself im barrerov, about him ir barrerov; there is no reflexive 'own' for all persons here
- Պարզ ասածparz asatssimply putParz, simple, clear, plus asats, said: "simply having said"; the same build gives chishtn asats, truth be told, and karch asats, in short
- Օրինակ բերorinak bergive an exampleAn example is not 'led' but 'brought': berel, to carry; politely orinak berek'; the orinak itself also means 'for example'
- Ցույց տուր, թե ինչպես է արվումtsuyts tur, t'e inchpes e arvumshow me how it is doneAn indirect question is introduced by the particle t'e: not inchpes but t'e inchpes; arvum e is 'it is being done', a -v- form with no doer
- Հասկանալի՞ էhaskanali e?is it clearFrom haskanal with the -eli/-ali tail, 'such that it can be understood'; the question mark ՞ stands inside the word, over the stressed vowel, not at the end of the phrase
- Հիմա հասկանալի էhima haskanali enow it is clearThe same word without the question mark — and it is already an answer; hima is now; shorter and livelier they simply say haskatsa
- Շփոթվեցիshp'ot'vetsiI got confusedthree syllables, p' and t' both on a puff: shp'ot'-ve-TSI
- Հիշելhishelto recallOne word for 'remember' and 'recall': hishum em, I remember, hishetsi, I recalled — the difference is in the form, not the root; strengthen it with a prefix: verhishel, to recollect
- Մոռանալmorranalto forgetA rolling rr in the middle; forgetful is morratskot, a forget-me-not anmorruk, literally "un-forgettable"; the past is morratsa
- Մտադրությունmtadrut'yunintentionfive syllables, the first with no vowel: mta-dru-T'UN
- Մտափոխվելmtap'okhvelto change one's mindMitk' gives mt- plus p'okhvel, to change: 'to change thought'; they also say it descriptively: mt's p'okhetsi, I changed my thought
- Ամեն ինչ ըստ ծրագրիamen inch əst tsragrieverything is on scheduleEst, according to — one of the few true prepositions of Armenian, standing before the word, not after; the word after it is in the genitive: est tsragri
- Եթե ստացվիyet'e statsviif it works outYete, if, and the verb after it stands in the subjunctive without k-: statsvi, not kstatsvi; this is the difference everyone stumbles on
- Դեռ չեմ որոշելderr chem voroshelI haven't decided yetDerr, still; with a negation it gives the English 'not yet'; voroshel, to decide — hence voroshum, a decision
- Ամեն ինչ փոխվեցamen inch p'okhvetseverything has changedP'okhel, to change, and p'okhvel with -v-, to change oneself; amen inch, everything; the verb with it is singular, as everywhere
- Դեպի լավըdepi lavəfor the betterDepi, toward — a true preposition before the word; lavə is 'the good' with the definite -ə: the adjective became a noun
- Դեպի վատըdepi vatəfor the worseThe partner of the previous one, built exactly the same; no comparative is needed here: lavə and vatə are already opposed
- Պատկանելpatkanelto belongThe owner goes in the dative: ինձ է պատկանում, 'it belongs to me'. The word is bookish; in life people usually say իմն է — 'it is mine'
- Ուրիշիurishisomeone else'sLiterally 'of another': the genitive of ուրիշ. Օտար also comes out as 'someone else's' in dictionaries, but it is about the foreign and unfamiliar, not about what belongs to another person
- ԸնդհանուրəndhanursharedOne word for two English ones: a shared yard and a common total. The phrase ընդհանուր առմամբ, 'in general', is already in the course
- Հրելhrelto pushOn doors you read հրե՛լ, push, and քաշել, pull. The two verbs of this lesson meet you every day
- Քաշելk'ashelto pullThe word reaches further than English pull: քաշել is also to weigh, քանի՞ կիլո ես քաշում, and to smoke, ծխախոտ քաշել
- Հարվածելharvatselto hitWhat you hit takes the dative: գնդակին հարվածել, 'to hit the ball'. The blow itself is հարված
- Մետրmetrmeter (unit)On price tags it is shortened to մ. Do not confuse with մետրո: the metro in Yerevan is one word, stressed on the last syllable
- ՍանտիմետրsantimetrcentimeterA hundredth of a meter, the same prefix as in santim, the coin. Clothing stores measure in centimeters, not in sizes
- ԿիլոմետրkilometrkilometerRoad signs say կմ. Speed is կիլոմետր ժամում — literally a kilometer in an hour
- ԼիտրlitrliterHalf a liter is կես լիտր, one and a half is մեկուկես լիտր. The word does not change after a number: հինգ լիտր, with no plural ending
- ԳրամgramgramThe kilogram is already in the course: կիլոգրամ, or simply կիլո in speech. At the market a hundred grams is հարյուր գրամ
- Քաշk'ashweightՔ is an aspirated k: the air comes out in a puff, as in English 'kite'
- Երկարությունyerkarut'yunlengthFrom երկար 'long'; -ություն turns a trait into an abstract noun. The next three words of the lesson are assembled the same way
- Լայնությունlaynut'yunwidthFrom լայն 'wide'. The same word works figuratively as breadth of soul: լայն սիրտ, 'a wide heart'
- Բարձրությունbardzrut'yunheightFrom բարձր 'high'. But a person's height is not measured with it: height is հասակ, as in հասակս մեկ ութսուն է, 'I am one eighty'
- Խորությունkhorut'yundepthԽ is a harsh breath from the throat, like the ch in German Bach; a soft h will not do here
- ՄոտավորապեսmotavorapesapproximatelyFrom մոտ 'near': the same word before a number means about. Մոտավորապես is more bookish and exact — that is the one for written reports
- ՀամարյաhamaryaalmostThe colloquial one; its bookish twin is գրեթե. Համարյա ոչինչ is 'almost nothing', and the verb with it keeps the negation
- ՃիշտchishtexactlyՃ is a firm ch without a puff of air; its aspirated partner չ comes out with a breath, and telling them apart is a listening exercise
- Միջին հաշվովmijin hashvovon averageFrom միջին 'middle' and հաշիվ 'account': by the middle account. The average number itself is միջին թիվ
- Երկու անգամyerku angamtwice as muchLiterally 'two times', and the same phrase means twice. Twice as much is երկու անգամ ավելի, twice as little is երկու անգամ քիչ
- Թվանշանt'vanshandigitFrom թիվ 'number' and նշան 'sign': a digit is the sign of a number. In English digit often slides into meaning number — in Armenian these stay two words
- Քառորդk'arrordquarterAspirated ք and rolled ռ: two difficult sounds in one short word
- Կշռելkshrrelto weighՌ is a rolled r held longer than the plain ր
- ԱվելորդavelordsuperfluousFrom ավելի 'more'. Ավելորդ է means there is no need: ավելորդ է բացատրել, 'no need to explain'
- ԴատարկdatarkemptyTo empty is դատարկել, and said of a person the same word means hollow, worthless. On an empty stomach is դատարկ ստամոքսին
- Խուսափելkhusap'elto avoidWhat you avoid takes -ից: քաղցրից խուսափել, 'to avoid sweets'. English keeps a plain object; Armenian marks a moving-away case
- Փաստp'astfactHence փաստաթուղթ, a document — literally a paper of fact — and փաստաբան, a lawyer. Both words are already in the course
- ՀարցhartsquestionThe same word serves for a question as a problem: այս հարցը լուծենք, 'let us solve this matter'. To ask is հարց տալ — literally to give a question
- ԿարևորkarevorimportantImportance is կարևորություն; 'it does not matter' is կարևոր չէ. The most important is ամենակարևորը, with the ամենա- prefix
- ԴրականdrakanpositiveFrom դնել 'to put': it fits a test result and a character alike. The plus sign in arithmetic is գումարած
- ԲացասականbatsasakannegativeFrom բացասել 'to deny'. The minus sign is հանած, and negation in grammar is ժխտում
- Համեմատածhamematatscompared toFrom համեմատել 'to compare'. What you compare with goes first with հետ: անցյալ տարվա հետ համեմատած
- ՆույնպիսիnuynpisiidenticalFrom նույն 'the very same' plus -պիսի 'of the kind'. Nearby live այսպիսի 'this kind' and այնպիսի 'that kind'
- Առավելությունarravelut'yunadvantageFrom առավել 'more'. In sport the same word means a lead: մեկ գնդակի առավելություն, a one-goal lead
- Թերությունt'erut'yundrawbackFrom թերի 'incomplete'. A shortage, the other kind of drawback, is a different word, պակաս
- Հետևանքներhetevank'nerconsequencesFrom հետևել 'to follow': a consequence is what follows behind. One of them is հետևանք, and therefore is հետևաբար
- Հաշվի առնելhashvi arrnelto take into accountFrom հաշիվ 'account': to take into the account. Հաշվի առնելով, 'taking into account', is a ready opener for a sentence
- Ամենայն հավանականությամբamenayn havanakanut'yambwith every likelihoodFrom ամենայն 'all sorts of', a bookish form, plus the instrumental -ամբ. Long, but that is how it is written; in speech people say երևի
- Անկասկածankaskatsmost likelyFrom կասկած 'doubt' with ան- 'without': without doubt. The colloquial հաստատ, 'exactly', works here too
- Հավանականությունhavanakanut'yunprobabilityFrom հավանական 'probable'; հավանաբար is probably, the adverb from wave six. One nest, three words
- Ենթադրությունyent'adrut'yunassumptionFrom ենթադրել 'to suppose', literally 'to place under' (ենթ- under). The same ենթ- sits in ենթակա, subordinate
- Կարծես թեkartses t'eit seems thatFrom կարծել 'to suppose' with թե adding 'as if'. Bare կարծես means as if, a comparison, and lives in another lesson
- Պիտի որpiti vormust haveՊիտի on its own means must as an obligation; but պիտի որ with the form without կ- is a guess, not a duty
- Չի կարող լինելchi karogh linelit cannot beThe negation չ- sits on կարող, not on լինել. As an exclamation people say it shorter: չի կարող պատահել
- Գոնեgoneat leastOne short word for three English ones. Գոնե մեկ անգամ is at least once; in a request it softens: գոնե զանգիր
- Ամեն դեպքումamen depk'umin any caseFrom դեպք 'case, incident' plus the locative -ում. It sums up: whatever happened or not
- Ամեն դեպքի համարamen depk'i hamarjust in caseDifferent from the neighbor by one ending, and the meaning changes: ամեն դեպքում is a conclusion, ամեն դեպքի համար a precaution
- Եթե միայնyet'e miaynif onlyArmenian has no separate phrase for it: the unreality lives in the verb form, եթե իմանայի. Եթե միայն adds the regret of if only
- Պայմանով որpaymanov vorprovided thatFrom պայման 'condition' plus -ով: with the condition that. The verb after it goes without կ-
- Նույնիսկ եթեnuynisk yet'eeven ifFrom նույնիսկ 'even', built on նույն 'the same'. A stronger concession is չնայած որ, known since wave five
- Այդ դեպքումayd depk'umin that caseԱյդ points to the thing just talked about — neither այս nor այն: the phrase answers what was said
- ԱյլապեսaylapesotherwiseFrom այլ 'other'. In speech people prefer թե չէ: շտապիր, թե չէ կուշանանք
- Այն ժամանակayn zhamanakback thenThis is then about time: in those years. The then that follows 'if' is another word, ապա: եթե ուզում ես, ապա արա
- Որպեսզիvorpesziin order toIn speech it shrinks to plain որ. The verb after it goes without կ-: որպեսզի հասցնեմ, not կհասցնեմ
- Կարծեսkartsesas ifThe ծ here is an unaspirated ts, and the stress falls on the last syllable
- Փոխանակp'okhanakinstead ofFrom փոխել 'to change'. The verb after it takes the -ու form: փոխանակ վիճելու. With a noun, instead is փոխարեն
- ՀիմնականումhimnakanummainlyFrom հիմք 'foundation'; հիմնական means basic. The phrase answers 'how, on the whole' and usually opens the sentence
- Որպես կանոնvorpes kanonas a ruleՈրպես means 'in the capacity of': որպես մասնագետ, as a specialist. Here the phrase introduces the usual order of things
- Համարյա բոլորըhamarya bolorəalmost everyoneԲոլորը is all who can be counted; ամբողջ is all as one whole. Here the countable բոլորը is the right pick
- Բացառությունbatsarrut'yunexceptionFrom բացառել 'to exclude', from բացի 'except'. With the exception of is բացառությամբ, with the instrumental ending
- Եվ այլնyev aylnand so onFrom այլ 'other': այլն means the rest. At the start of a sentence the conjunction is written Եվ, inside it the ligature և — one and the same word
- Ի տարբերությունi tarberut'yununlikeFrom տարբեր 'different'. The prefix ի is a leftover of the old language, alive only in such phrases; the word after it stands in the genitive
- ԲացիbatsiexceptIt demands the ablative case: բացի ինձնից, բացի դրանից. In Armenian this is a postposition: it stands before the noun, but the case comes from it
- Լրիվ չէlriv chenot quiteFrom լրիվ 'fully'. A soft refusal to agree: այդպես չէ would sound harsher
- Քիչ թե շատk'ich t'e shatmore or lessLiterally 'little or much': Armenian lines the words up in its own order. Here թե means or
- Դժվարությամբdzhvarut'yambwith difficultyFrom դժվար 'difficult' plus -ությամբ: one word where English needs two. Հազիվ, barely, is stronger still
- Արժե փորձելarzhe p'ordzelworth a tryFrom արժե 'it is worth', the same root as 'how much does it cost'. The negation չարժե politely answers thanks: not at all
- Պետք էրpetk' ershould haveՊետք է in the past. The verb after it takes the form without կ-: պետք էր ասեիր. It is a reproach, not news
- Ամենալավըamenalavəbest of allFrom ամենա- 'most'; its bookish twin is լավագույնը. Here it is advice rather than a prize: best of all would be
- Ամենավատըamenavatəworst of allThe partner of ամենալավը. The bookish variant վատագույնը sounds heavy in conversation
- Հնարավորինս արագhnaravorins aragas fast as possibleFrom հնարավոր 'possible' plus -ինս, as much as can be. The same recipe gives հնարավորինս շուտ, as soon as possible
- Իզուրizurfor nothingԻզուր տեղը is the strengthened version, quite in vain. Do not confuse with անվճար 'free of charge': for nothing is not for free
- Հաղթահարելhaght'aharelto copeՂ and թ stand side by side: a voiced throat sound, and right behind it a t with a puff of air
- Փորձp'ordzattemptThe course already knows the word as experience — Armenian has no other. The count tells them apart: առաջին փորձ, a first attempt, մեծ փորձ, great experience
- Այսինքնaysink'nthat isIt ends in -նքն: two n sounds around an aspirated k, with no vowel between them
- Պարզվեցparzvetsit turned outFrom պարզ 'clear'; պարզվել is to become clear. What follows is որ: պարզվեց, որ, it turned out that
- Արդյունքումardyunk'umas a resultFrom արդյունք 'result' plus the locative -ում. As a result of it is դրա արդյունքում
- Հանգեցնում էhangetsnum eto lead toFrom հանգել 'to arrive at' with the causative -ցն-. What it leads to takes the dative: սխալների
- Շնորհիվshnorhivthanks toFrom շնորհ 'a gift, grace', the root of շնորհակալություն. It stands AFTER the word, and that word is in the genitive: ձեր օգնության շնորհիվ
- Առաջին անգամիցarrajin angamitson the first tryThe ablative -ից: from the try. Առաջին անգամ without the ending simply means for the first time
- Երկու հարյուրyerku haryurtwo hundredthe hundred never fuses with the number: written and heard as two words, yerku + haryur. The stress lands on the last syllable of the second: yer-KU har-YUR
- Երեք հարյուրyerek' haryurthree hundredyerek' stays whole here — unlike the weekday, where it shrank into yerek'shabti
- Չորս հարյուրchors haryurfour hundredchors stays intact here. In the ordinal 'fourth', though, it snaps down to chor- — that is a lesson for later
- Հինգ հարյուրhing haryurfive hundredthe workhorse coin of Armenia is the hing haryur dram; in speech people just call it hing haryuranots
- Վեց հարյուրvets haryursix hundredvets ends in ts', haryur begins with h — you hear a short puff where they meet; they never melt into one word
- Յոթ հարյուրyot' haryurseven hundredyot' is written with the aspirated t' and keeps it even inside the hundred: yot' har-YUR
- Ութ հարյուրut' haryureight hundredut' is a tiny word of just two sounds, easy to swallow in fast speech. Counting aloud, stretch the ut'
- Ինը հարյուրinə haryurnine hundredbefore haryur, nine stands in its full form inə, not in. The same in inə hazar — nine thousand
- Չորրորդchorrordfourthordinals are made with -erord, but four breaks the pattern: chors shrinks to chor- and takes -rord
- Հինգերորդhingerordfifthfrom here on everything is regular: the whole numeral plus -erord. Hing + erord
- Վեցերորդvetserordsixthvets + erord. The stress runs to the very end of the word: vetser-ORD
- Յոթերորդyot'erordseventhyot' + erord. The puff on the t' does not go anywhere, even mid-word
- Ութերորդut'erordeighthut' + erord. Do not confuse with ut'sun — eighty: a different ending there
- Իններորդinnerordninthinə drops its final ə and doubles the n: inn + erord. To the ear it is one long nn
- Տասներորդtasnerordtenthtasə becomes tasn- before the ending, just as in tasnmek — eleven
- Հարյուրերորդharyurerordhundredthharyur + erord, by the general rule. A long word, but assembled from two familiar blocks
- Կամkamorsaid twice it means 'either ... or': kam t'ey, kam surch
- Էլelalsostands after the person it refers to: yes el — me too. The equivalent nuynpes is the bookish one
- Միայնmiaynonlyyou can spot mi — one — inside it. The colloquial əndamenə means 'merely'
- Արդենardenalreadyin a negation the meaning shifts: arden che — 'not any more', literally 'already not'
- Դեռderrstillderr is about continuation, like English still; 'one more' is a different phrase, yevs mek
- Չափազանցchap'azantstoofrom chap' — measure: literally 'beyond measure'. The everyday shat simply means 'very'
- Միասինmiasintogetherfrom mi — one: 'into one'. The bookish equal is hamat'egh
- Չի կարելիchi karelinot allowedkareli means 'allowed', chi negates it. Signs go further: argelvum e — prohibited
- Պետք էpetk' ehave toimpersonal and never changes. Whoever has to goes in the dative: indz petk' e — to me it is necessary
- Կյանքkyank'lifekyank's — 'my life' — is a common endearment, like 'my dear'. In the street it is heard more often in that role than the literal one
- Ուզենալuzenalto wantin the present it is uzum em. To want to do something — an infinitive follows: uzum em gnal
- Կարողանալkaroghanalto be ablein the present it is karogh em — the short form, and it is the one speech prefers
- Բառbarrwordbarr is the dictionary word; khosk' is the word as speech and promise. Armenian keeps the two apart
- Գործgortsmatterboth a matter and a job. Inch gorts unes — 'what business do you have'
- Ձևdzevwayalso 'form, shape'. Ays dzevov — 'in this way'
- Հեշտheshteasilyadverb and feature alike. Heshtut'yamb — the bookish variant with an instrumental tail
- Դժվարdzhvardifficultadverb and feature, like hesht. Dzhvarut'yamb — 'with difficulty'
- Որvorso thatthe course also knows the bookish vorpeszi — 'in order to' — but speech almost always uses vor, and the verb after it slips into the subjunctive. The comma before vor is obligatory
- Եթեyet'eifyou know yet'e stats'vi and nuynisk yet'e; the initial e sounds like ye. The condition comes first, the main clause after the comma
- Քանի դեռk'ani derrwhiletwo words: k'ani — how much, and derr — still; together 'for as long as'. Do not mix it up with the farewell hajogh, which the course knows as 'bye'
- Քանի որk'ani vorsincethe same k'ani, but with vor: a reason both sides already know. The plain 'because' of the course is vorovhetev
- Միայն թեmiayn t'ejust so thatmiayn — 'only', which you know, and t'e — 'that, whether'; together a wish at any price, and the verb after it goes subjunctive
- Այնպես որaynpes vorsoaynpes — 'thus', plus vor. It introduces the conclusion from what was said, not the cause: the cause belongs to k'ani vor
- Միջևmijevbetweenthe word stands AFTER what it separates, and both nouns go in the genitive: tan yev dprotsi mijev. The root mij- means middle — the same one in mijantsk', corridor
- Մոտmotnearyou have met this word as 'close'. As a little preposition it follows the noun in the genitive: tan mot — by the house
- Փոխարենp'okharenin place ofyou know dra p'okharen — 'instead of this'; the word follows the noun in the genitive: im p'okharen. Same root as p'okhel — to swap
- Դեմdemagainstyou know dem linel — to be against. As a little preposition dem follows the noun in the dative: paterazmi dem. The face is demk', with a k' at the end
- Առանցarrantswithoutthe only word of these two lessons that stands BEFORE the noun — a true preposition; the noun still takes the genitive. You know arrants shak'ari and arrants msi
- Համարhamarforfollows the noun in the genitive: k'ez hamar, yerekhaneri hamar; you know inchi hamar — 'what for'. Do not confuse it with hamar, 'number': same word, position in the sentence tells them apart
- Մասինmasinaboutafter the noun in the genitive — filmi masin; you know ir masin patmel. Mas — part — sits inside: talk about a part of something
- Հետոhetoafter (afterwards)you have met this word as 'then': standing alone it is an adverb, and after a noun in the ablative it is a preposition: dastsits heto
- Ընթացքումənt'atsk'umduringyou know ayd ənt'atsk'um — 'in the meantime'; after a genitive it becomes 'during': dasi ənt'atsk'um. The initial ə is barely voiced
- Պատճառովpatcharrovbecause ofyou know pat'char — 'reason', and dra pat'charrov — 'because of that': the reason takes the instrumental, and the noun before it the genitive
- Շուրջshurjaroundafter a noun in the genitive: tan shurj. The same root gives shrjank — frame and shrjan — circle; in speech it often takes the article, shurjə
- Վրայովvrayovacross (over)vra — 'on', in the instrumental: 'over the top of'. After a genitive: kamrji vrayov. You know mijov — 'through'; and 'in an hour' is built differently, with the ablative: mek zhamits
- Ներսիցnersitsfrom insideners — in, nersum — inside, nersits — from inside: three forms of one root, told apart only by the tail
- Մոտակայքումmotakayk'umnearbymot — close, plus -akayk' — district, plus the local -um: 'in the nearby district'. The adjective is motaka — nearest
- Որտեղիցvorteghitswhere fromvortegh — where — plus the ablative -its. You know ur — 'where to'; in the question the hook sits on the last syllable: vorteghits. The initial o sounds vo
- Շատshatveryyou know shat as 'a lot', and shat lav as 'very good': before an adjective the same word intensifies instead of counting. Shat shnorhakal em — many thanks
- Օգնությունognut'yunhelpthe noun from ognel — to help, a verb the course knows. Ognut'yan kanchel — 'to call for help'
- Եվyevandinside a phrase it is written as one ligature sign — hats yev panir — but at the start of a sentence it unfolds into Yev: there is no capital ligature. In speech the colloquial u does the same job
- Բայցbaytsbutstands at the start of the second clause, not glued between words. Sakayn means the same and sounds bookish — speech almost never says it
- եմemto be (am, is, are)Comes after the predicate: Yes lav em — 'I am fine', word for word 'I fine am'. The set is learned whole: em, es, e, enk', ek', en. The past takes another stem: ei, er, ein
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Այո, ես հայերեն խոսում եմayo, yes hayeren khosum emYes, I speak Armenian
- Ոչ, շնորհակալություն, բավական էvoch, shnorhakalut'yun, bavakan eNo, thank you, that's enough
- Հա, գիտեմ, արդեն ասացիրha, gitem, arden asatsirYep, I know, you already said
- Շնորհակալություն, լավ եմshnorhakalut'yun, lav emThank you, I'm doing well
- Երեկ վատ էի զգումyerek vat ei zgumYesterday I felt bad
- Շատ լավ, պայմանավորվեցինքshat lav, paymanavorvetsink'Very good, we have a deal
What is worth knowing about these words
Այո (ayo) — yes. the neutral yes that works everywhere; among your own people the short ha is heard more often
Ոչ (voch) — no. the same particle works as 'neither': voch yes, voch du — neither me nor you
Հա (ha) — yep. the chatty yes, closer to English yeah; in texts and among friends it beats ayo
Լավ (lav) — good. one word for 'good' and 'well': lav em — I am good, lav mard — a good person. It also serves as agreement, like English alright
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is Այո (ayo) — yes.
- What is this word?
It is Պետք չէ (petk' che) — I don't need it.
- What is this word?
It is Թեթև (t'et'ev) — lightweight.
- What is this word?
It is Տասնմեկ (tasnmek) — eleven.
- What is this word?
It is Տասնութ (tasnut') — eighteen.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “yes” in Armenian?
the neutral yes that works everywhere; among your own people the short ha is heard more often
- How do you say “I don't need it” in Armenian?
the literary form is petk' che, but lively speech almost always says petk' chi. Softer together with shnorhakalut'yun
- How do you say “lightweight” in Armenian?
two aspirated t' in a row: t'et'ev. About weight and about an easy task alike
- How do you say “eleven” in Armenian?
every teen number is assembled the same way: tasn (ten) plus the unit. Eleven is literally 'ten-one', so nothing needs memorizing piece by piece
- How do you say “eighteen” in Armenian?
tasn + ut'. The pair u always reads as one oo sound: a digraph, not two letters
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Yes, no, good, bad, very. The small change of a language — and no sentence assembles without it.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “yes” in Armenian?
«Այո», read “ayo”. the neutral yes that works everywhere; among your own people the short ha is heard more often. It is one of 305 words in the set “basic words” — the rest are in the table above.
How many basic words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 305 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 305 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.