LingoflyԲան մը, որեւէ, ցանկացած, ոչ ոք: somebody, anybody, any and nobody
Generalizing — "almost everyone", "as a rule" — rests on indefinite words: someone, anything, any, nobody. Each has its own word with its own rule. For example: “Մէկը զանգեց (megə zankets), բայց (payts) անունը (anunə) չըսաւ” — Someone called, but did not give a name. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Generalizing — "almost everyone", "as a rule" — rests on indefinite words: someone, anything, any, nobody. Each has its own word with its own rule.
Մը (mə) means "some"; որեւէ (voreve) means "any". Մէկը զանգեց (megə zankets) (megə zankets) — someone called, տեղ մը (degh mə) — somewhere, բան մը (pan mə) — something: մը (mə) goes after the word. Որեւէ (voreve) հարց (harts) ունի՞ք (unik') (voreve harts unik') — do you have any questions? Եթէ (yet'e) որեւէ (voreve) խնդիր (khntir) ըլլայ (əllay) (yet'e voreve khntir əllay) — if there is any problem. The first already happened, the second has not.
Ցանկացած (tsangatsadz) means "any you like"; ոմանք (vomank') and շատերը (shaderə) mean "some" and "many". Ցանկացած (tsangatsadz) ժամանակ (zhamanag) (tsangatsadz zhamanag) — at any time; ամէն օր (amen or) — every day; ամէն (amen) ինչ (inch) (amen inch) — everything. Ոմանք համաձայն (hamatsayn) չեն (chen) (vomank' hamatsayn chen) — some disagree; շատերը (shaderə) մնացին (shaderə mnatsin) — many stayed. These are ready-made nouns, and they decline.
Negative words always come with a negated verb. Ոչ ոք (voch vok') չեկաւ (chegav) (voch vok' chegav) — nobody came; ոչինչ (vochinch) լսած (lsadz) չեմ (chem) (vochinch lsadz chem) — I heard nothing; ոչ (voch) մէկ (meg) դրամ (tram) չունիմ (chunim) (voch meg tram chunim) — I don't have a penny. You need the double negative: it is a rule, not an error. Ոչ ոք (voch vok') is two words, ոչինչ (vochinch) is one. In reply to an apology, ոչինչ (vochinch) means "no problem".
Table
| Word | Meaning | Example | Careful |
|---|---|---|---|
| մը (mə) | some | բան մը (pan mə) — something | after the word |
| որեւէ (voreve) | any | որեւէ (voreve) հարց (harts) — any question | in questions and conditions |
| ցանկացած (tsangatsadz) | any you like | ցանկացած (tsangatsadz) ժամանակ (zhamanag) — at any time | from ցանկալ — to wish |
| ամէն (amen) մէկը (megə) | each one | ամէն (amen) մէկը (megə) հերթով (hert'ov) | — |
| ամէն (amen) ինչ (inch) | everything | ամէն (amen) ինչ (inch) պատրաստ (badrasd) է | about things, not people |
| ոմանք | some (people) | ոմանք համաձայն (hamatsayn) չեն (chen) | already a plural |
| շատերը (shaderə) | many (people) | շատերու կարծիքով (gardzik'ov) | it declines |
| ոչ ոք (voch vok') | nobody | ոչ ոք (voch vok') չեկաւ (chegav) | the verb with չ- |
| ոչինչ (vochinch) | nothing | ոչինչ (vochinch) լսած (lsadz) չեմ (chem) | and also "no problem" |
| ոչ (voch) մէկ (meg) | not a single | ոչ (voch) մէկ (meg) դրամ (tram) չունիմ (chunim) | the verb with չ- |
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
somebody, anybody, any and nobody: how does it work in Western Armenian?
Generalizing — "almost everyone", "as a rule" — rests on indefinite words: someone, anything, any, nobody. Each has its own word with its own rule.
What does it look like in a Western Armenian example sentence?
“Մէկը զանգեց (megə zankets), բայց (payts) անունը (anunə) չըսաւ” (megə zankets, payts anunə chəsav) — Someone called, but did not give a name. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.