Phrases that save you in Armenian
21 words Armenian words on the topic “phrases that save you”: Չեմ հասկանում — I don't understand, Կրկնեք, խնդրեմ — repeat, please, Դանդաղ — slowly, Օգնեք, խնդրեմ — help! 21 words can be played from recordings.
21 words on the topic
- Չեմ հասկանումchem haskanumI don't understandnegation is a ch- prefix stuck onto the verb: haskanum em — I understand, chem haskanum — I do not
- Կրկնեք, խնդրեմkrknek', khndremrepeat, pleasefrom krknel — to repeat. Krknek has no written vowel at all, yet it sounds kərk-NEK: an invisible schwa is implied
- Դանդաղdandaghslowlyboth 'slowly' and 'slow': dandagh kaylel — walk slowly, dandagh mard — a slow person. Kamats softens a request — gently
- Օգնեք, խնդրեմognek', khndremhelp!ogne'k' is the imperative 'help' for 'you all'. Khndrem here just softens; in real trouble it is dropped and people shout ognek' on its own
- Կորել եմkorel emI'm lostfrom korchel — to get lost, about a person. A thing is said differently: korel e — it got lost, kortsrel em — I lost it
- Չի աշխատումchi ashkhatumit doesn't workthe same verb as 'to work' about a person. The negation ch- pushes the linking verb forward
- Կոտրվել էkotrvel eit brokethe past with a result: it broke and is still broken
- Կաթում էkat'um eit leaksliterally 'dripping'. This is how a tap, a pipe and a ceiling are all spoken of
- Վարպետ կանչեքvarpet kanchek'call a repairmanvarpet is a master of the trade, a respectful word. Kanchek' — 'call' — you have seen it with the taxi
- Մի րոպե սպասեքmi rope spasek'wait a minuterope — minute. Mi rope is also said simply as 'just a second'
- Չեմ կարողանում բացելchem karoghanum batselI can't open itkaroghanal — to be able, to manage. The negation again pushes the linking verb forward: chem karoghanum
- Շտապ օգնությունshtap ognut'yunambulanceshtap — urgent, ognut'yun — help. The number in Armenia is 103
- Ինձ բժիշկ է պետքindz bzhishk e petk'I need a doctorthe indz ... e petk' scheme works with any word: indz jur e petk'
- Զգույշzguyshcarefulshouted as a single word. The full form is zguysh yeghir — be careful
- Վտանգավորvtangavorit is dangerousvtang — danger — with the -avor suffix doing the work of English '-ous'
- Ոստիկանություն կանչեքvostikanut'yun kanchek'call the policevostikan — police officer. The emergency number in Armenia is 102
- Անձնագիրս կորցրել եմandznagirs kortsrel emI have lost my passportandznagir — passport, -s — 'my'. Korts'nel loses a thing, while korel em from unit three means 'I got lost myself'
- Վատ եմ զգումvat em zgumI feel badliterally 'I feel bad'. Zgal — to feel
- Ձեռք մի տվեքdzerrk' mi tvek'don't touchliterally 'do not give a hand'. The prohibition is built with the particle mi before the verb
- Նորից բացատրեքnorits batsatrek'please explain againnorits — again, literally 'from new'. The most useful phrase at any lesson
- Անգլերեն խոսու՞մ եքangleren khosum ek'do you speak English?the question hook sits on the stressed syllable of the asked word — khosum — and the end of the phrase still gets a full stop. To one person: khosum es
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.
- Ներողություն, չեմ հասկանումneroghut'yun, chem haskanumExcuse me, I don't understand
- Չլսեցի, կրկնեք, խնդրեմchlsetsi, krknek', khndremI didn't catch that, repeat, please
- Խոսեք դանդաղ, խնդրեմkhosek' dandagh, khndremSpeak slowly, please
- Օգնեք, խնդրեմ, ճամպրուկը ծանր էognek', khndrem, champrukə tsanr eHelp, please, the suitcase is heavy
- Կորել եմ, որտե՞ղ է մետրոնkorel em, vorteh e metronI'm lost, where is the metro?
- Վերելակը չի աշխատումverelakə chi ashkhatumThe elevator doesn't work
What is worth knowing about these words
Չեմ հասկանում (chem haskanum) — I don't understand. negation is a ch- prefix stuck onto the verb: haskanum em — I understand, chem haskanum — I do not
Կրկնեք, խնդրեմ (krknek', khndrem) — repeat, please. from krknel — to repeat. Krknek has no written vowel at all, yet it sounds kərk-NEK: an invisible schwa is implied
Դանդաղ (dandagh) — slowly. both 'slowly' and 'slow': dandagh kaylel — walk slowly, dandagh mard — a slow person. Kamats softens a request — gently
Օգնեք, խնդրեմ (ognek', khndrem) — help!. ogne'k' is the imperative 'help' for 'you all'. Khndrem here just softens; in real trouble it is dropped and people shout ognek' on its own
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 Չեմ հասկանում (chem haskanum) — I don't understand.
- What is this word?
It is Չի աշխատում (chi ashkhatum) — it doesn't work.
- What is this word?
It is Չեմ կարողանում բացել (chem karoghanum batsel) — I can't open it.
- What is this word?
It is Ոստիկանություն կանչեք (vostikanut'yun kanchek') — call the police.
- What is this word?
It is Անգլերեն խոսու՞մ եք (angleren khosum ek') — do you speak English?.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I don't understand” in Armenian?
negation is a ch- prefix stuck onto the verb: haskanum em — I understand, chem haskanum — I do not
- How do you say “it doesn't work” in Armenian?
the same verb as 'to work' about a person. The negation ch- pushes the linking verb forward
- How do you say “I can't open it” in Armenian?
karoghanal — to be able, to manage. The negation again pushes the linking verb forward: chem karoghanum
- How do you say “call the police” in Armenian?
vostikan — police officer. The emergency number in Armenia is 102
- How do you say “do you speak English?” in Armenian?
the question hook sits on the stressed syllable of the asked word — khosum — and the end of the phrase still gets a full stop. To one person: khosum es
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
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 “I don't understand” in Armenian?
«Չեմ հասկանում», read “chem haskanum”. negation is a ch- prefix stuck onto the verb: haskanum em — I understand, chem haskanum — I do not. It is one of 21 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 21 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, 21 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.