LingoflyԹող ըլլայ, Աստուած պահէ, ապրիս: wishing is a verb form of its own
Wishes number in the dozens, and almost all use one verb form — the one after պէտք է (bedk' e) and որպէսզի (vorbeszi): the form without the particle կը (gə). On its own it already means "may it be so". For example: “Աստուած պահէ ձեր երեխաները” (asduadz bahe tser yerekhanerə) — God keep your children. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Wishes number in the dozens, and almost all use one verb form — the one after պէտք է (bedk' e) and որպէսզի (vorbeszi): the form without the particle կը (gə). On its own it already means "may it be so".
The form without կը (gə) is already a wish. Աստուած (asduadz) պահէ (bahe) (asduadz bahe) — God keep (not «կը (gə) պահէ (bahe) (gə bahe)»!); առողջ (arroghch) մնաս (mnas) (arroghch mnas) — stay well. One particle decides everything: կը (gə) մնաս (mnas) (gə mnas) — "you stay", a fact; մնաս (mnas) — "may you stay", a wish.
Թող (t'ogh) — "let" for the third person. թող (t'ogh) ըլլայ (əllay) (t'ogh əllay) — let it be; թող (t'ogh) գայ (kay) (t'ogh kay) — let him come. Թող (t'ogh) itself is the imperative of թողուլ (t'oghul), "to leave". The negation is թող (t'ogh) չ-: թող (t'ogh) չուշանայ.
Ready-made formulas. ապրիս (abris) — literally "live!", in effect "thanks" among friends. Անուշ ըլլայ (əllay) (anush əllay) — bon appétit; the answer is առողջ (arroghch) մնաս (mnas). Ցաւդ առնեմ (arrnem) — "may I take your pain". կը (gə) ցաւակցիմ — my condolences.
Table
| When | What is said | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| at the table | անուշ ըլլայ (əllay) | may it be sweet |
| the answer to that | առողջ (arroghch) մնաս (mnas) | stay healthy |
| a toast | կենացդ | to your life |
| instead of thank you | ապրիս (abris) | live! |
| a congratulation | շնորհաւոր (shnorhavor) ծնունդդ (dznuntt) | congratulated be your birthday |
| a wish for a third person | թող (t'ogh) ըլլայ (əllay) | let it be |
| a blessing | Աստուած (asduadz) պահէ (bahe) | may God keep |
| a condolence | կը (gə) ցաւակցիմ | I share the pain |
| about the departed | Աստուած (asduadz) հոգին (hokin) լուսաւորէ | may God light the soul |
By example
- Թող տօնը ուրախ ըլլայ, առողջ մնաքt'ogh donə urakh əllay, arroghch mnak'May the holiday be a merry one; stay well
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
wishing is a verb form of its own: how does it work in Western Armenian?
Wishes number in the dozens, and almost all use one verb form — the one after պէտք է (bedk' e) and որպէսզի (vorbeszi): the form without the particle կը (gə). On its own it already means "may it be so".
What does it look like in a Western Armenian example sentence?
“Աստուած պահէ ձեր երեխաները” (asduadz bahe tser yerekhanerə) — God keep your children. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.