LingoflyThe city and its places in Armenian
94 words in Armenian on the topic “the city and its places”: Սրճարան (srcharan) — coffee shop, Ճաշարան (chasharan) — canteen, Քաղաք (k'aghak') — city, Փողոց (p'oghots) — street. 94 words can be played from recordings.
94 words on the topic
- Սրճարանsrcharancoffee shopsurch — coffee, but the u drops out in the derivative: srch-. The -aran ending marks a place: degharan, chasharan, gradaran
- Ճաշարանchasharancanteenfrom chash — lunch. It names both a factory canteen and an inexpensive place with hot food
- Քաղաքk'aghak'cityboth k' are aspirated: k'aghak'. Hence k'aghak'atsi — citizen, and k'aghak'avari — polite, literally 'city-mannered'
- Փողոցp'oghotsstreetp' is a p with a puff of air; with plain p it would be a different word. Stress at the end: p'o-GHOTS
- Խանութkhanut'shopa borrowing familiar to the whole region. The shopkeeper in it is khanutpan, where -pan means 'keeper'
- Շուկաshukamarketany market, from groceries to exchanges: ashkhatashuka — the job market. The Yerevan flea market is more often called by name — Vernisazh
- Դեղատունdeghatunpharmacydegh — medicine, tun — house
- ԲանկbankbankB is a plain b with no puff. Do not confuse with ban — 'thing, matter': only the final k is different
- Կայարանkayaranstationthe same word names the metro station and the railway station: Yerkat'ghi kayaran, metroyi kayaran
- Մթերային խանութmt'erayin khanut'grocery storemt'erk' — produce; khanut is the shop, and the adjective only says which one
- Հերթhert'queuehert' is both the line at the till and one's turn: im hert'n e — it is my turn
- Բացbatsopenbats is also 'light' about color: bats kapuy — light blue
- Փակp'akclosedp' is a p with a puff. The partner of bats; doors are printed with exactly these two words
- Հիվանդանոցhivandanotshospitalhivand — sick — plus the -anots suffix, 'a place for'. Being ill is hivand em
- Փոստp'ostpost officethrough p', with a puff. Both the branch and email
- Ամբոխambokhcrowdambokh is an unruly crowd, with a shade of being packed. People gathered for a cause are bazmut'yun
- Լուսացույցlusatsuytstraffic lightLuys is light, tsuyts is a show: 'a light-shower' — the same root as in lusankar, photo
- ՀեծանիվhetsanivbicycleHetsnel is to ride, aniv is a wheel: 'the wheel you ride'
- Ավտոբուսի կանգառavtobusi kangarrbus stopFrom kangnel, to stand: a "standing place"; the bus stands in the "of what" form, with -i
- Ուղևորատոմսughevoratomstransit passUghevor, a passenger, from ughi, road, plus toms, a ticket
- Երթուղիyert'ughirouteYert is a run, ughi is a way; the minibus in Yerevan is called yertughayin, or simply marshrutka
- Հետիոտնային անցումhetiotnayin antsumcrosswalkHetiotn is a pedestrian, literally 'on foot'; antsum is a crossing, from antsnel
- Խցանումkhtsanumtraffic jamKhts is a narrow spot; a traffic jam and the cork in a bottle are one word here
- Կայանատեղիkayanateghiparking lotKayanal is to park a car, tegh is a place; the signs also write it in Latin — P
- Բենզալցակայանbenzaltsakayangas stationstress on the last: benzal-tsa-ka-YAN
- ԶբոսայգիzbosaygiparkZbosnel is to stroll, aygi is a garden: 'a garden for strolling'; a plain aygi is the garden by the house
- ԳրադարանgradaranlibraryGir is writing, -aran is a place: 'a place of books' — the same -aran as in chasharan, dining hall
- Թանգարանt'angaranmuseumT'ang is precious: a museum is a 'place of the precious'; Matenadaran in Yerevan is an -aran too, 'of manuscripts'
- Թատրոնt'atrontheaterA Greek word, as in many languages; a play is nerkayatsum
- Կինոթատրոնkinot'atroncinemaKino plus t'atron in one word; in speech just kino — kino gnank, let's go to the movies
- Եկեղեցիyekeghetsichurchthe initial Ե reads ye: ye-ke-ghe-TSI
- ՄարզադաշտmarzadashtstadiumMarzel is to train, dasht is a field: 'a training field'
- ԽաչմերուկkhachmerukintersectionFrom khach, a cross: the place where streets cross; the same root as in khachkar, the cross-stone
- Մայթmayt'sidewalkA short word ending in the aspirated t'; the roadway beside it is yerteveketi mas; you walk on it maytov, by the sidewalk
- Պողոտաpoghotaavenuethree syllables, the initial p without a puff: po-gho-TA
- Նրբանցքnrbantsk'alleywaytwo syllables, a consonant cluster on both sides: nr-BANTSK'
- Առափնյա փողոցarrap'nya p'oghotsembankmentArmenian has no single word for it: ap' is a bank, a shore, arrap'nya riverside, and then p'oghots, a street
- ԿամուրջkamurjbridgeTwo syllables, ending in j; the Victory Bridge in Yerevan is Haghtanaki kamurj; a footbridge over a stream is kamrjak, with the same -ak as in the pond
- Թունելt'uneltunnelA borrowing, but the initial t' reads with a puff — not tunel but t'unel; an underground crossing for people is another word, storteghny ants'um
- ԼապտերlapterlanternStreet and pocket alike: p'oghotsi lampter and grpani lampter; the flashlight in the phone is a lampter too
- ՆստարանnstaranbenchFrom nstel, to sit, with the -aran place tail, as in the bedroom and the sink: a bench is 'a place where one sits'
- Աղբարկղaghbarkghlitter binthree consonants in a row at the end: agh-BARKGH
- Ավտոբուսի վարորդavtobusi varordbus driverVarord from varel, to drive, with the -ord doer tail: the singer sings, the varord drives; the order is inverted — first whose, then who
- Վերջին կանգառverjin kangarrthe last stopVerjin, last, from verj, the end, plus kangarr, a stop; people also say verjnaket, the terminus
- Երթուղու համարyert'ughu hamarroute numberYertughi, the route, here in the 'of what' form yertughu, plus hamar, a number; careful: the same hamar means 'for' — k'ez hamar, for you
- Պիկ ժամpik zhamrush hourThe order is inverted: first pik, then zham, an hour; the same time is described in own words too — khtsanumeri zham, the hour of traffic jams
- Ավտոբուսների չվացուցակavtobusneri chvatsutsakbus scheduleChva, a run, a departure, plus tsutsak, a list: a list of runs; the same word hangs in the airport over the board
- Ուղեվարձը վճարելughevardzə vcharelto pay the fareUghi, a road, plus vardz, pay: ughevardz, the fare; the verb vcharel, to pay, is the same as in the shop
- Տեղ զբաղեցնելtegh zbaghetsnelto take a seatZbaghetsnel, to occupy, from zbaghvats, occupied; the same verb occupies a position and time; to give up a seat is teghə zijel
- Տաքսի կանչելtak'si kanchelto call a taxiThe same kanchel calls a doctor and a repairman; through an app people more often say t'aksi patvirel, to order
- Հաջորդ կանգառում իջնելhajord kangarrum ijnelto get off at the next stopIjnel is to descend: from transport an Armenian does not 'exit' but 'descends'; hajord, the next, kangarrum, at the stop, with the 'where' form -um
- Թաղամասt'aghamasneighborhoodT'agh, a quarter, plus mas, a part: a residential district of the city; an administrative region of a province is another word, shrjan
- Քաղաքի կենտրոնk'aghak'i kentronthe city centerK'aghak'i, the 'of what' form of k'aghak', plus kentron, center; Yerevaners just say Kentron — that is the name of the district itself
- ԾայրամասtsayramasoutskirtsTsayr, an edge, an end, plus mas, a part; built exactly like the neighborhood, only with the city's edge instead of a quarter
- Շինհրապարակshinhraparakconstructionstress on the last: shin-khra-pa-RAK
- Ճանապարհի նորոգումchanaparhi norogumroad worksNorogum from nor, new: making new; the repair of machines is veranorogum, with the vera- prefix of "again"; the road does without it
- ՑուցանակtsutsanaksignpostFrom tsuyts tal, to show; the same root as in the display window and the timetable: everything that shows something
- Հանրային զուգարանhanrayin zugaranpublic toiletHanrayin, public, from hanrutyun, society; zugaran, a toilet, with the same -aran tail as the bench; the same hanrayin as in public transport
- Մաքուրmak'urcleanAbout a street, the air and a conscience: makur od, clean air, makur khghch, a clean conscience; to clean is makrel, a cleaning is makrut'yun
- ԿեղտոտkeghtotdirtyKeght, dirt, plus the -ot tail, 'full of', as in arevot, sunny; to get dirty is keghtotvel
- Մարդաշատ էmardashat eit is crowdedEnglish makes an adverb, Armenian an adjective with a linker: mard, a person, shat, many, plus e; without the linker it stands beside a noun: mardashat p'oghots, a crowded street
- ԳյուղgyughvillageOne syllable, ending in a soft throaty gh; a villager is gyughatsi, agriculture gyughatntesut'yun; a bigger settlement is still a gyugh
- Մայրաքաղաքmayrak'aghak'capitalFrom մայր (mayr) 'mother' and քաղաք (k'aghak') 'city': the mother city. The seat of government, named after family rather than power
- Հասարակական տրանսպորտhasarakakan transportpublic transportThe adjective from հասարակություն (hasarakut'yun) 'society'. In Yerevan people usually just say տրանսպորտ or name the mode: մետրո (metro), ավտոբուս (avtobus)
- ՄանկապարտեզmankapartezkindergartenFrom մանուկ 'child' and պարտեզ 'garden' — the same compound image as in English. Daycare for toddlers is a separate word, մանկամսուր
- ԽաղահրապարակkhaghahraparakplaygroundFrom խաղ (khagh) 'game' and հրապարակ 'square'. There is no word for children inside: an Armenian playground is a playing square
- ՇատրվանshatrvanfountainA Persian word, as in many languages of the region. The street drinking fountain has its own name, պուլպուլակ — a Yerevan landmark
- ԳերեզմանոցgerezmanotscemeteryFrom գերեզման 'grave' plus -ոց, a suffix of gathering places. The ending marks a place of many, not of one
- Թաղt'aghblockyour own stretch of the street; t'aghamas, of the same root, is already a whole district
- Պուրակpuraksmall parkaygi is a garden and a park; purak is a little square of green between houses
- Աշտարակashtaraktowera town north of Yerevan bears the same name — after its tower
- Արվարձանarvardzansuburba bookish word, but housing ads use it constantly
- Ավանavansettlementbetween village and town; a district of Yerevan bears the same name
- Անցորդantsordpasser-byfrom ants'nel — to pass; the -ord tail makes the doer
- Հետիոտնhetiotnpedestrianotn — foot; hence hetiotnayin antsum — 'pedestrian crossing'
- Ցուցատախտակtsutsatakhtaksignboardts'uyts' — show, plus takhtak — board; ts'uts'anak is the street pointer
- Աղբարկղaghbarkghtrash canaghb — trash, plus ark'gh — box; a synonym is aghbaman, used for both a litter bin and a big bin
- Փողոցային լապտերp'oghotsayin lapterstreetlightthe -ayin tail comes from p'oghots — street; without it lapter is both a lantern and a lamp
- Գազոնgazonlawna borrowing that arrived by way of French; the native margagetin is a meadow, not a strip of grass by the house
- Ծաղկաթումբtsaghkat'umbflower bedtsaghik — flower, plus t'umb — mound; the flower loses its vowel in the compound
- Շքամուտքshk'amutk'porchshuk' — grandeur, plus mutk' — entrance: porch and entryway are one word
- Սանդուղքի աստիճանsandughk'i astichanstair stepastichan also means a degree, so in a staircase it is pinned down by sandughk' — staircase
- Տան համարtan hamarhouse numbertun loses its u in the 'of what' form and gives tan; hamar is both a house number and a hotel room number
- Փողոցի անունp'oghotsi anunstreet nameanun serves a person and a street alike; the sign carries the 'of what' form p'oghotsi
- Սյունsyunpolethe same word for a building column; in the 'of what' form the u drops out — syan
- Հին քաղաքhin k'aghak'old townhin stands before the noun and does not change; the form lands on k'aghak'
- Բնակելի շենքbnakeli shenk'apartment buildingshenk' is a block of flats, tun is your own home; mixing them up in a housing ad is costly
- Լռությունlrrut'yunsilencefrom lrrel — to keep silent; the rolled rr is what keeps the word apart from lur — 'news'
- Շենքshenk'buildingbnakeli shenk' means 'apartment building', as in shenk'i kanonner. Shenk' is a structure as such, tun is a home. The k' is aspirated
- Բացbatsopenedbats means 'open', the sign on the door: the feature and the adverb are one form. Bats is also a light color: bats kapuyt
- Փակp'akshutthe partner of bats; p'ak means 'closed', from the verb p'akel. P'akoghi — dead end — is literally a closed way
- Կասկադkaskadthe Cascadethey started building it in the 1970s and have never finished — the top terrace still stands bare
- Վերնիսաժvernisazhthe Vernissagebackgammon boards with hand carving are the visitor’s most common purchase here
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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
Սրճարան (srcharan) — coffee shop. Surch — coffee, but the u drops out in the derivative: srch-. The -aran ending marks a place: degharan, chasharan, gradaran.
Ճաշարան (chasharan) — canteen. From chash — lunch. It names both a factory canteen and an inexpensive place with hot food.
Քաղաք (k'aghak') — city. Both k' are aspirated: k'aghak'. Hence k'aghak'atsi — citizen, and k'aghak'avari — polite, literally 'city-mannered'.
Փողոց (p'oghots) — street. P' is a p with a puff of air; with plain p it would be a different word. Stress at the end: p'o-GHOTS.
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 Սրճարան (srcharan) — coffee shop.
- What is this word?
It is Բանկ (bank) — bank.
- What is this word?
It is Փոստ (p'ost) — post office.
- What is this word?
It is Հետիոտնային անցում (hetiotnayin antsum) — crosswalk.
- What is this word?
It is Թատրոն (t'atron) — theater.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee shop” in Armenian?
surch — coffee, but the u drops out in the derivative: srch-. The -aran ending marks a place: degharan, chasharan, gradaran
- How do you say “bank” in Armenian?
B is a plain b with no puff. Do not confuse with ban — 'thing, matter': only the final k is different
- How do you say “post office” in Armenian?
through p', with a puff. Both the branch and email
- How do you say “crosswalk” in Armenian?
Hetiotn is a pedestrian, literally 'on foot'; antsum is a crossing, from antsnel
- How do you say “theater” in Armenian?
A Greek word, as in many languages; a play is nerkayatsum
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
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 “coffee shop” in Armenian?
«Սրճարան» (srcharan), read “srcharan”. Surch — coffee, but the u drops out in the derivative: srch-. The -aran ending marks a place: degharan, chasharan, gradaran. It is one of 94 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 94 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, 94 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.