Այնքան վատ, որքան երէկ: compare whole situations, not words
Comparing one adjective is already known. At the doctor's one compares states of affairs: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one. For example: “Այսօր այնքան վատ չէ, որքան երէկ” — Today is not as bad as yesterday. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Comparing one adjective is already known. At the doctor's one compares states of affairs: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one.
Equality — aynk'an… vork'an: Aysor aynk'an vad che, vork'an yereg — today is not as bad as yesterday. Aynk'an means "as much", vork'an — "as".
Similarity without measure — inchbēs or nman: Inchbēs yereg — like yesterday; deghə k'artsets nman nakhordin — the medicine worked like the previous one.
Proportion — vork'an… aynk'an, "the more… the more"; the halves are in the reverse order of equality. Vork'an shad chur gə khmem, aynk'an lav gə zgam — the more water I drink, the better I feel. Last — comparing two actions: k'an t'e follows քան (k'an). Aveli lav e hangstanal, k'an t'e tegh khmel — better to rest than to take medicine. The verb after "aveli lav e" goes into the infinitive.
Table
| English | The pair of words | Example |
|---|---|---|
| as … as | այնքան… որքան | այնքան լաւ, որքան առաջ |
| just as … as | նուինքան… որքան | նուինքան բարձր, որքան երէկ |
| not so … as | այնքան… չէ, որքան | այնքան վատ չէ, որքան երէկ |
| like (similar to) | ինչպէս, նման | ինչպէս երէկ |
| the more … the more | որքան… այնքան | որքան շատ, այնքան լաւ |
| better … than | աւելի լաւ է… քան թե | աւելի լաւ է երթալ, քան թե սպասել |
By example
- Այսօր այնքան վատ չէ, որքան երէկaysor aynk'an vad che, vork'an yeregToday is not as bad as yesterday
- Որքան շատ կը քայլեմ, այնքան քիչ կը ցաւիvork'an shad gə k'aylem, aynk'an k'ich gə tsaviThe more I walk, the less it hurts
- Աւելի լաւ է բժշկի երթալ, քան թե սպասելaveli lav e pzhshgi yert'al, k'an t'e sbaselBetter to go to the doctor than to wait
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
compare whole situations, not words: how does it work in Western Armenian?
Comparing one adjective is already known. At the doctor's one compares states of affairs: "today is not as bad as yesterday". For this there are paired words: the first half in the main clause, the second in the subordinate one.
What does it look like in an example sentence Western Armenian?
“Այսօր այնքան վատ չէ, որքան երէկ” (aysor aynk'an vad che, vork'an yereg) — Today is not as bad as yesterday. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.