LingoflyPhrases that save you in Armenian
21 words in Armenian on the topic “phrases that save you”: Չեմ հասկանում (chem haskanum) — I don't understand, Կրկնեք, խնդրեմ (krknek', khndrem) — repeat, please, Դանդաղ (dandagh) — slowly, Օգնեք, խնդրեմ (ognek', khndrem) — 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' — is the same verb as when calling a 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 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
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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
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.
- 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 “I don't understand” in Armenian?
«Չեմ հասկանում» (chem haskanum), 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?
The whole set on this page is 21 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, 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.