Որ, որովհետեւ, եթե, երբ: two thoughts in one sentence
Until now a phrase was one thought long. "Tell him that I am late", "if there is time". The conjunction opens the second half, and the word order inside it does not change. For example: “Ըսա իրեն, որ այժմ պիտի գամ” — Tell him that I will come right now. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Until now a phrase was one thought long. "Tell him that I am late", "if there is time". The conjunction opens the second half, and the word order inside it does not change.
Vor is the workhorse. As "that" it introduces a message: Asa, vor k'ushanam. As "to" it introduces a wish — then the verb stands without piti, the bare "that I go" form. K'uzem vor gas — I want you to come.
Vorovhedev — because. Next to it k'ani vor — "since, given that": K'ani vor ush e, taksi vertsutsenenk'.
Yet'e — if — has a catch: the verb in the if-part goes without piti, in the main part with it. Yet'e gas, bidi urakhanam — if you come, I'll be glad. Yerp — when — is built the same way: Yerp hasnim, bidi zankem. After verbs of speech the comma is often the mark ՝ (but`): Esav՝ bidi ushanay.
Table
| Conjunction | Meaning | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| որ | that | Ասա, որ կ'ուշանամ | Say that I am running late |
| որ | to (the verb without պիտի) | Կ'ուզեմ, որ գաս | I want you to come |
| որովհետեւ | because | Չեկայ, որովհետեւ հիւանդ էի | I didn't come because I was ill |
| քանի որ | since, given that | Քանի որ ուշ է, երթանք | Given that it's late, let's go |
| եթե | if (no պիտի inside, պիտի in the main part) | Եթե գաս, պիտի ուրախանամ | If you come, I'll be glad |
| երբ | when | Երբ հասնիմ, պիտի զանգեմ | When I arrive, I'll call |
By example
- Ըսա իրեն, որ այժմ պիտի գամəsa iren, vor ayzhm bidi kamTell him that I will come right now
- Չեկայ, որովհետեւ հեռախօսս նստած էրchegay, vorovhedev herrakhoss nsdadz erI didn't come because my phone was dead
- Եթե վաղը եղանակը լաւ լինի, պիկնիկի պիտի երթանքyet'e vaghə yeghanagə lav lini, bignigi bidi yert'ank'If the weather is good tomorrow, we'll go on a picnic
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
two thoughts in one sentence: how does it work in Western Armenian?
Until now a phrase was one thought long. "Tell him that I am late", "if there is time". The conjunction opens the second half, and the word order inside it does not change.
What does it look like in an example sentence Western Armenian?
“Ըսա իրեն, որ այժմ պիտի գամ” (əsa iren, vor ayzhm bidi kam) — Tell him that I will come right now. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.