LingoflyԿարդալ գիտեմ, կարդալը հեշտ է: the infinitive instead of a noun
"I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" use a verb and a noun in English. Armenian gets by with one infinitive, կարդալ (gartal), and changes only what is attached to it. For example: “Կիթառ նուագել գիտեմ (git'arr nvakel kidem), բայց (payts) նոտաներ կարդալ (gartal) չեմ գիտեր” (chem kider) — I can play the guitar, but I cannot read music. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
"I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" use a verb and a noun in English. Armenian gets by with one infinitive, կարդալ (gartal), and changes only what is attached to it.
A skill — «գիտեմ (kidem)». Կարդալ (gartal) չեմ գիտեր (chem kider) (gartal chem kider) — I can't read, literally "to read I don't know". «Կրնամ (grnam) կարդալ (gartal) (grnam gartal)» is different: I can read right now. Possibility — «կրնալ (grnal)»: «չեմ (chem) կրնար (grnar) հասկնալ (hasgnal) (chem grnar hasgnal)» — I can't manage to understand.
Success is impersonal, with «ստացուիլ (sdatsvil)». Ստացուեցաւ (sdatsuetsav) — it worked out, «չի (chi) ստացուիր» — it doesn't work out. Who acted is not said, and that is normal. Nearby is «ինծի (indzi) դժուար կու գայ (tzhuar gu kay) (indzi tzhuar gu kay)» — it comes hard to me, with the person in the "to whom" form.
The form as a noun — with -ը. Խօսիլը (khosilə) դժուար (tzhvar) է (khosilə tzhuar e) — speaking is hard, «կարդալը հեշտ (heshd) է (Gartalə heshd e)» — reading is easy. Purpose — with -ելու / -ալու: «սորվելու համար (hamar) (sorvelu hamar)» — in order to learn, «կարդալու ժամանակ (zhamanag) (gartalu zhamanag)» — time for reading.
Table
| Meaning | How it is built | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I know how to (a skill) | the form + գիտեմ (kidem) | ինքնաշարժ վարել (ink'nasharzh varel) գիտեմ (kidem) |
| I can (right now) | կրնամ (grnam) + the form | կրնամ (grnam) օգնել (oknel) |
| it can be done | կրնամ (grnam) + the form | չեմ (chem) կրնար (grnar) հասկնալ (hasgnal) |
| it worked out | ստացուեցաւ (sdatsuetsav) (impersonally) | երրորդ փորձէն ստացուեցաւ (yerrort p'ortsen sdatsvetsav) |
| it comes hard | ինծի (indzi) դժուար կու գայ (tzhuar gu kay) | քերականութիւնը ինծի դժուար կու գայ (k'eraganut'yunə indzi tzhuar gu kay) |
| the subject | the form + -ը | կարդալը հեշտ (heshd) է |
| in order to | the -ելու form + համար (hamar) | սորվելու համար (hamar) |
| for what | the -ալու form | կարդալու ժամանակ (zhamanag) |
By example
- git'arr nvakel kidem, payts nodaner gartal chem kiderI can play the guitar, but I cannot read music
- yerrort p'ortsen sdatsvetsav, hachoghetsa ink'nuruyn norokelIt worked on the third try — I managed to fix it myself
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 infinitive instead of a noun: how does it work in Western Armenian?
"I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" use a verb and a noun in English. Armenian gets by with one infinitive, կարդալ (gartal), and changes only what is attached to it.
What does it look like in a Western Armenian example sentence?
“Կիթառ նուագել գիտեմ (git'arr nvakel kidem), բայց (payts) նոտաներ կարդալ (gartal) չեմ գիտեր” (chem kider) (git'arr nvakel kidem, payts nodaner gartal chem kider) — I can play the guitar, but I cannot read music. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.