LingoflyԱյնքան վատ, որքան երէկ: compare whole situations, not words
One adjective is compared with աւելի (aveli). At the doctor's, though, you compare whole situations: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half goes in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one. For example: “Այսօր (aysor) այնքան վատ (vad) չէ (che), որքան (vork'an) երէկ” (yereg) — Today is not as bad as yesterday. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
One adjective is compared with աւելի (aveli). At the doctor's, though, you compare whole situations: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half goes in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one.
Equality — այնքան (aynk'an)… որքան (vork'an): Այսօր (aysor) այնքան վատ (vad) չէ (che) (aysor aynk'an vad che), որքան (vork'an) երէկ (yereg) (vork'an yereg) — today is not as bad as yesterday. Այնքան means "so much", որքան (vork'an) — "as much as". A synonym of the first half is նոյնքան (nuynk'an), "just as much": նոյնքան (nuynk'an) բարձր (partsr) (nuynk'an partsr), որքան (vork'an) երէկ (yereg). Similarity without measure is ինչպէս (inchbes) or նման (nman): ինչպէս (inchbes) երէկ (yereg) (inchbes yereg) — like yesterday.
Proportion — որքան (vork'an)… այնքան, "the more… the more"; the halves swap places. Որքան (vork'an) շատ (shad) ջուր (chur) կը (gə) խմեմ (khmem) (vork'an shad chur gə khmem), այնքան լաւ (lav) կը (gə) զգամ (zkam) (aynk'an lav gə zkam) — the more water I drink, the better I feel.
To compare two actions, put թէ (t'e) after քան (k'an): աւելի (aveli) լաւ (lav) է երթալ (yert'al) (aveli lav e yert'al), քան (k'an) թէ (t'e) սպասել (sbasel) (k'an t'e sbasel) — better to go than to wait. The verb after աւելի (aveli) լաւ (lav) է (aveli lav e) stays in the infinitive.
Table
| English | The pair of words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| as … as | այնքան… որքան (vork'an) | այնքան լաւ (lav), որքան (vork'an) առաջ (arrach) |
| just as … as | նոյնքան (nuynk'an)… որքան (vork'an) | նոյնքան (nuynk'an) բարձր (partsr), որքան (vork'an) երէկ (yereg) |
| not so … as | այնքան… չէ (che), որքան (vork'an) | այնքան վատ (vad) չէ (che), որքան (vork'an) երէկ (yereg) |
| like (similar to) | ինչպէս (inchbes), նման (nman) | ինչպէս (inchbes) երէկ (yereg) |
| the more … the more | որքան (vork'an)… այնքան | որքան (vork'an) շատ (shad), այնքան լաւ (lav) |
| better … than | աւելի (aveli) լաւ (lav) է… քան (k'an) թէ (t'e) | աւելի (aveli) լաւ (lav) է երթալ (yert'al), քան (k'an) թէ (t'e) սպասել (sbasel) |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
compare whole situations, not words: how does it work in Western Armenian?
One adjective is compared with աւելի (aveli). At the doctor's, though, you compare whole situations: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half goes in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one.
What does it look like in a Western Armenian example sentence?
“Այսօր (aysor) այնքան վատ (vad) չէ (che), որքան (vork'an) երէկ” (yereg) (aysor aynk'an vad che, vork'an yereg) — Today is not as bad as yesterday. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.