LingoflyՊանքին դիմաց, շէնքին ետեւը: the word comes after, not before
English puts the little word before the noun; Armenian puts it after. "Opposite the bank" is պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats), literally "to-the-bank opposite". For example: “Դեղատունը (teghadunə) պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats) է, կայանատեղին (gayanadeghin)՝ շէնքին (shenk'in) ետեւը” (yedevə) — The pharmacy is opposite the bank, and the parking is behind the building. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English puts the little word before the noun; Armenian puts it after. "Opposite the bank" is պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats) (bank'in timats), literally "to-the-bank opposite".
The rule has almost no exceptions: the noun before such a word takes the ending -ին. Շէնքին (shenk'in) ետեւը (yedevə) (shenk'in yedevə) — behind the building, փողոցին (p'oghotsin) երկայնքով (yergaynk'ov) (p'oghotsin yergaynk'ov) — along the street. Some words are fine with a short -ի (-i): լուսացոյցի կողքին (lusatsuytsi goghk'in) — next to the traffic light.
On the street you need դիմաց (timats) — opposite, ետեւ — behind, կողքին (goghk'in) — next to, մօտ (mod) — near, վրայ (vra) — on, տակ (dag) — under, մէջ (mech) — in, մէջէն (mechen) — through, երկայնքով (yergaynk'ov) — along. Առաջ (arrach) — before and ետք (yedk') — after also work for time. Two words stand before the noun: դէպի (tebi) — towards, առանց (arrants) — without.
Plain "where" is answered by մէջ (mech): թունելին (t'unelin) մէջ (mech) (t'unelin mech) — in the tunnel. Another word is needed when the exact position matters: not "by the house" but "behind the house" or "under the house".
Table
| English | The word | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| opposite | դիմաց (timats) | after the noun in -ին | պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats) |
| behind | ետեւ | after the noun in -ին | շէնքին (shenk'in) ետեւը (yedevə) |
| next to | կողքին (goghk'in) | after the noun | լուսացոյցի կողքին (lusatsuytsi goghk'in) |
| on | վրայ (vra) | after the noun in -ին | քարտէզին (k'ardezin) վրայ (vra) |
| through | մէջէն (mechen) | after the noun in -ին | այգիին (aykiin) մէջէն (mechen) |
| along | երկայնքով (yergaynk'ov) | after the noun in -ին | փողոցին (p'oghotsin) երկայնքով (yergaynk'ov) |
| towards | դէպի (tebi) | BEFORE the noun | դէպի (tebi) կեդրոն (getron) |
| without | առանց (arrants) | BEFORE the noun | առանց նեղանալու (arrants neghanalu) |
| in (plainly where) | մէջ (mech) | after the noun in -ին | թունելին (t'unelin) մէջ (mech) — in the tunnel |
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
the word comes after, not before: how does it work in Western Armenian?
English puts the little word before the noun; Armenian puts it after. "Opposite the bank" is պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats), literally "to-the-bank opposite".
What does it look like in a Western Armenian example sentence?
“Դեղատունը (teghadunə) պանքին (bank'in) դիմաց (timats) է, կայանատեղին (gayanadeghin)՝ շէնքին (shenk'in) ետեւը” (yedevə) (teghadunə bank'in timats e, gayanadeghin shenk'in yedevə) — The pharmacy is opposite the bank, and the parking is behind the building. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.