Երեւի, հաւանաբար, իհարկե: how sure the speaker is
Half the meaning hangs not on facts but on how sure the speaker is. "Probably the board burned out", "of course we'll replace it". English puts in a parenthetical word; here too — these words change no forms and are learned as a list. For example: “Երեւի լարերի հետ խնդիր կայ” — Probably there is a problem with the wires. A rule from the Western Armenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Half the meaning hangs not on facts but on how sure the speaker is. "Probably the board burned out", "of course we'll replace it". English puts in a parenthetical word; here too — these words change no forms and are learned as a list.
The most frequent is yerevi — probably: Yerevi bahesdamas e bedk — probably a spare part is needed. More bookish — havaganabar — presumably. Miguts'ē — maybe, with a shade of hesitation; after it the verb often takes the prefix կ'-: miguts'ē kga.
At the other end — confidence. Iharke — of course. Anbayman — without fail: anbayman kzankem. Iskabes — truly. Anshusht — undoubtedly, official.
Separately — judgements: Tsavok' — unfortunately; barebakhdabar — fortunately; əst is — in my opinion. One word-order trap: these words love the start of the sentence and are set off by a comma. But yerevi and iharke often wedge inside, right after the subject: Yes, iharke, kgam. They are never put at the very end: "Kgam iharke" sounds cut off.
Table
| Word | Meaning | How sure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| միգուցէ | maybe | least of all | միգուցէ կգա |
| երեւի | probably | middling, colloquial | երեւի պահեստամաս է պէտք |
| հաւանաբար | presumably | middling, bookish | հաւանաբար վաղը պիտի ըլլայ |
| իսկապես | truly | high | իսկապես լաւ վարպետ է |
| իհարկե | of course | high | իհարկե կփոխենք |
| անպայման | without fail | a promise | անպայման կզանգեմ |
| ցավոք | unfortunately | a judgement | ցավոք, ուշացանք |
| բարեբախտաբար | fortunately | a judgement | բարեբախտաբար, երաշխիքով է |
By example
- Երեւի լարերի հետ խնդիր կայyerevi lareri hed khntir gayProbably there is a problem with the wires
- Ցավոք, էկրանը վերանորոգման ենթակա չէtsavok', egranə veranorokman yent'aga cheUnfortunately, the screen cannot be repaired
- Անպայման կզանգենք, երբ պատրաստ լինիanbayman gzankenk', yerp badrasd liniWe will certainly call when it is ready
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
how sure the speaker is: how does it work in Western Armenian?
Half the meaning hangs not on facts but on how sure the speaker is. "Probably the board burned out", "of course we'll replace it". English puts in a parenthetical word; here too — these words change no forms and are learned as a list.
What does it look like in an example sentence Western Armenian?
“Երեւի լարերի հետ խնդիր կայ” (yerevi lareri hed khntir gay) — Probably there is a problem with the wires. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.