LingoflyBasic words in Armenian
305 words in Armenian on the topic “basic words”: Այո (ayo) — yes, Ոչ (voch) — no, Հա (ha) — yep, Լավ (lav) — 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 — a parcel, literally 'a heaviness'
- 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 written vowel between n and ch, but a short ə slips in, so the word runs in three syllables: tas-nə-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 digit: 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, four 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 'of what' form 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: 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 yerku, two, 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. Plain gitem also sits 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 written vowel between l and s, but a short ə slips in, so the word runs in two syllables, lə-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. Hence tanelu hamar — 'for takeout'
- Դնելdnelto putone word for 'stand' and 'lay': Armenian does not care whether the thing stands or lies. As in hashvin gumar dnel — 'put money on the account'
- Կոտրելkotrelto breakkotrvel 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, shat lav, very good. 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 sarrə, cold. 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
- Ամենուրamenureverywhereamen — 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 'to whom' form 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 'to whom' form: 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, five syllables: ye-zra-ka-tsu-T'UN
- Հնարավորությունhnaravorut'yunopportunitysix syllables, stress on the last: hə-na-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'yunnecessitysix syllables, one of the longest words: an-hə-ra-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 says it was done to it; on signs it stands with e: Lusankarelə t'uylatrvats e; in speech kareli e, it is allowed, is commoner
- ԱրգելվածargelvatsforbiddenFrom argelel, to 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 yntrut'yunner is the national elections; turns: yntrut'yun chunem, I have no choice, yntrut'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, a suspect
- 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: dranum vstah em; the same root as vstahel, to trust
- 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 a bare 'it seems' is left
- Իրականումirakanumin factOne word from irakan, real, in the 'where' form: '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 hamematats, compared, set after what you compare with: antsyal tarva het hamematats
- 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 'to whom' form 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 form 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 'from where' form 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' rather than 'having said', so the word order is inverted: first 'short', then '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, said differently, 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 contraryfive syllables, the rr rolls: und-ha-ka-RRA-kə
- ՉնայածchnayatsdespiteLiterally 'not looking'; with a noun it takes the 'to whom' form: 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
- Այնուամենայնիվaynuamenaynivneverthelesssix 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 hajoghut'yun, success; half of the negative nouns are built this way: anharmar, 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 single word 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 words as the question haskanali e? — is it clear? — without the question mark, and it becomes an answer; hima is now; shorter and livelier they simply say haskatsa
- Շփոթվեցիshp'ot'vetsiI got confusedp' 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'yunintentionfour syllables, the first with only a fleeting ə: mə-ta-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 "of what" form: est tsragri
- Եթե ստացվիyet'e statsviif it works outYete, if, and the verb after it stands in the conditional form 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 depi lavə, for the better, built exactly the same; no comparative is needed here: lavə and vatə are already opposed
- Պատկանելpatkanelto belongThe owner goes in the 'to whom' form: ինձ (indz) է պատկանում (patkanum), 'it belongs to me'. The word is bookish; in life people usually say իմն է — 'it is mine'
- Ուրիշիurishisomeone else'sLiterally 'of another': the 'of what' form of ուրիշ (urish). Օտար (otar) 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 (əndhanur arrmamb) means 'in general'
- Հրելhrelto pushOn doors you read հրե՛լ, push, and քաշել (k'ashel), pull. The two verbs meet you every day
- Հարվածելharvatselto hitWhat you hit takes the 'to whom' form: գնդակին (gndakin) հարվածել (harvatsel), 'to hit the ball'. The blow itself is հարված
- Մետրmetrmeter (unit)On price tags it is shortened to մ. Do not confuse with մետրո (metro): 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
- Քաշk'ashweightՔ is an aspirated k: the air comes out in a puff, as in English 'kite'
- Երկարությունyerkarut'yunlengthFrom yerkar, long; -ut'yun turns a trait into an abstract noun. Laynut'yun, width, bardzrut'yun, height, and khorut'yun, depth, are assembled the same way
- Խորությունkhorut'yundepthԽ is a harsh breath from the throat, like the ch in German Bach; a soft h will not do here
- ՄոտավորապեսmotavorapesapproximatelyFrom մոտ (mot) 'near': the same word before a number means about. Մոտավորապես (motavorapes) is more bookish and exact — that is the one for written reports
- 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 (mijin) 'middle' and հաշիվ (hashiv) 'account': by the middle account. The average number itself is միջին (mijin) թիվ (t'iv)
- Երկու անգամyerku angamtwice as muchLiterally 'two times', and the same phrase means twice. Twice as much is երկու անգամ (yerku angam) ավելի (aveli), twice as little is երկու անգամ (yerku angam) քիչ (k'ich)
- Թվանշանt'vanshandigitFrom թիվ (t'iv) '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
- ԴատարկdatarkemptyTo empty is դատարկել, and said of a person the same word means hollow, worthless. On an empty stomach is դատարկ (datark) ստամոքսին
- Խուսափելkhusap'elto avoidWhat you avoid takes -ից: քաղցրից խուսափել (khusap'el), '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 (p'astaban), a lawyer
- ԴրականdrakanpositiveFrom դնել (dnel) '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
- Առավելությունarravelut'yunadvantageFrom առավել 'more'. In sport the same word means a lead: մեկ (mek) գնդակի առավելություն (arravelut'yun), a one-goal lead
- Թերությունt'erut'yundrawbackFrom թերի 'incomplete'. A shortage, the other kind of drawback, is a different word, պակաս (pakas)
- Հետևանքներhetevank'nerconsequencesFrom հետևել (hetevel) 'to follow': a consequence is what follows behind. One of them is հետևանք (hetevank'), and therefore is հետևաբար
- Հաշվի առնելhashvi arrnelto take into accountFrom հաշիվ (hashiv) 'account': to take into the account. Հաշվի (hashvi) առնելով, 'taking into account', is a ready opener for a sentence
- Ամենայն հավանականությամբamenayn havanakanut'yambwith every likelihoodFrom ամենայն (amenayn) 'all sorts of', a bookish form, plus the instrumental -ամբ. Long, but that is how it is written; in speech people say երևի (yerevi)
- Հավանականությունhavanakanut'yunprobabilityFrom հավանական 'probable'; հավանաբար is probably, the adverb. One nest, three words
- Կարծես թեkartses t'eit seems thatFrom կարծել 'to suppose' with թե (t'e) adding 'as if'. Bare կարծես (kartses) means as if, a comparison, and lives elsewhere
- Պիտի որpiti vormust haveՊիտի (piti) on its own means must as an obligation; but պիտի որ (piti vor) with the form without կ- is a guess, not a duty
- Չի կարող լինելchi karogh linelit cannot beThe negation չ- sits on կարող (karogh), not on լինել (linel). As an exclamation people say it shorter: չի (chi) կարող (karogh) պատահել (patahel)
- Ամեն դեպքումamen depk'umin any caseFrom դեպք (depk') 'case, incident' plus the 'where' form -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 (amen depk'um) is a conclusion, ամեն դեպքի համար (amen depk'i hamar) a precaution
- Պայմանով որpaymanov vorprovided thatFrom պայման (payman) 'condition' plus -ով: with the condition that. The verb after it goes without կ-
- Կարծեսkartsesas ifThe ծ here is an unaspirated ts, and the stress falls on the last syllable
- ՀիմնականումhimnakanummainlyFrom հիմք (himk') 'foundation'; հիմնական means basic. The phrase answers 'how, on the whole' and usually opens the sentence
- Որպես կանոնvorpes kanonas a ruleՈրպես (vorpes) means 'in the capacity of': որպես (vorpes) մասնագետ (masnaget), as a specialist. Here the phrase introduces the usual order of things
- Համարյա բոլորըhamarya bolorəalmost everyoneԲոլորը (bolorə) is all who can be counted; ամբողջ (amboghj) is all as one whole. Here the countable բոլորը (bolorə) is the right pick
- Բացառությունbatsarrut'yunexceptionFrom բացառել 'to exclude', from բացի (batsi) 'except'. With the exception of is բացառությամբ, with the instrumental ending
- Եվ այլնyev aylnand so onFrom այլ (ayl) 'other': այլն (ayln) means the rest. At the start of a sentence the conjunction is written Եվ (yev), inside it the ligature և — one and the same word
- Ի տարբերությունi tarberut'yununlikeFrom տարբեր (tarber) 'different'. The prefix ի is a leftover of the old language, alive only in such phrases; the word after it stands in the 'of what' form
- Լրիվ չէlriv chenot quiteFrom լրիվ (lriv) 'fully'. A soft refusal to agree: այդպես (aydpes) չէ (che) 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 (t'e) means or
- Դժվարությամբdzhvarut'yambwith difficultyFrom դժվար (dzhvar) 'difficult' plus -ությամբ: one word where English needs two. Հազիվ (haziv), barely, is stronger still
- Արժե փորձելarzhe p'ordzelworth a tryFrom արժե (arzhe) 'it is worth', the same root as 'how much does it cost'. The negation չարժե (charzhe) politely answers thanks: not at all
- 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 (amenalavə). The bookish variant վատագույնը sounds heavy in conversation
- Հաղթահարելhaght'aharelto copeՂ and թ stand side by side: a voiced throat sound, and right behind it a t with a puff of air
- Այսինքնaysink'nthat isIt ends in -նքն: two n sounds around an aspirated k, with no vowel between them
- Արդյունքումardyunk'umas a resultFrom արդյունք (ardyunk') 'result' plus the 'where' form -ում. As a result of it is դրա (dra) արդյունքում (ardyunk'um)
- Հանգեցնում էhangetsnum eto lead toFrom հանգել 'to arrive at' with the -ցն- that makes another do it. What it leads to takes the "to whom" form: սխալների (skhalneri)
- Շնորհիվshnorhivthanks toFrom շնորհ 'a gift, grace', the root of շնորհակալություն (shnorhakalut'yun). It stands AFTER the word, and that word is in the 'of what' form: ձեր (dzer) օգնության (ognut'yan) շնորհիվ (shnorhiv)
- Առաջին անգամիցarrajin angamitson the first tryThe 'from where' form -ից: from the try. Առաջին անգամ (arrajin angam) 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', chorrord, though, it snaps down to chor-
- 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 stays on the first syllable: VE-tser-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 simple 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 toit never changes and is tied to nobody. Whoever has to goes in the 'to whom' form: 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 bookish vorpeszi means 'in order to', but speech almost always uses vor, and the verb after it slips into the wish form. The comma before vor is obligatory
- Եթեyet'eifyet'e stats'vi and nuynisk yet'e are the two forms; 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 means 'bye'
- Քանի որk'ani vorsincethis is k'ani, how many, but with vor: a shared reason. The plain 'because' is vorovhetev
- Միայն թեmiayn t'ejust so thatmiayn — 'only', and t'e — 'that, whether'; together a wish at any price, and the verb after it takes the wish form
- 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 'of what' form: tan yev dprotsi mijev. The root mij- means middle — the same one in mijantsk', corridor
- Մոտmotnearthis word also means 'close'. As a little preposition it follows the noun in the 'of what' form: tan mot — by the house
- Փոխարենp'okharenin place ofdra p'okharen means 'instead of this'; the word follows the noun in the 'of what' form: im p'okharen. Same root as p'okhel — to swap
- Դեմdemagainstdem linel means 'to be against'. As a helper word dem stands after the name in the 'to whom' form: 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 'of what' form, as in arrants shak'ari and arrants msi
- Համարhamarforfollows the noun in the 'of what' form: k'ez hamar, yerekhaneri hamar; inchi hamar means 'what for'. Do not confuse it with hamar, 'number': same word, position in the sentence tells them apart
- Մասինmasinaboutafter the noun in the 'of what' form — filmi masin, as in ir masin patmel. Mas — part — sits inside: talk about a part of something
- Հետոhetoafter (afterwards)this word also means 'then': standing alone it is an adverb, and after a noun in the 'from where' form it is a preposition: dastsits heto
- Ընթացքումənt'atsk'umduringayd ənt'atsk'um means 'in the meantime'; after an 'of what' form it becomes 'during': dasi ənt'atsk'um. The initial ə is barely voiced
- Պատճառովpatcharrovbecause ofpat'char means 'reason', and dra pat'charrov — 'because of that': the reason takes the instrumental, and the noun before it the 'of what' form
- Շուրջshurjaroundafter a noun in the 'of what' form: 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 an 'of what' form: kamrji vrayov. Mijov also means 'through'; and 'in an hour' is built differently, with the 'from where' form: 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 'from where' form -its. Ur means 'where to'; in the question the hook sits on the last syllable: vorteghits. The initial o sounds vo
- Շատshatveryshat means 'a lot', and shat lav is 'very good': before an adjective the same word intensifies instead of counting. Shat shnorhakal em — many thanks
- Օգնությունognut'yunhelpthe noun from ognel — to help. 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
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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.
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.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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» (ayo), 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?
The whole set on this page is 305 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
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.