Կարդալ գիտեմ, կարդալը հեշտ է: the infinitive instead of a noun
The whole topic of skills rests on one construction English lacks. "I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" — there a verb and a noun. Here one infinitive serves both, and only what is attached to it changes. Skill — "kidem": գիտեմ, kardal kidem — I know how to read, literally "to read I know". Krnam kardal is different: "I can read" right now. For example: “Կիթառ նվագել գիտեմ, բայց նոտաներ կարդալ չգիտեմ” — I…
How it works
The whole topic of skills rests on one construction English lacks. "I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" — there a verb and a noun. Here one infinitive serves both, and only what is attached to it changes. Skill — "kidem": գիտեմ (kidem), kardal kidem — I know how to read, literally "to read I know". Krnam kardal is different: "I can read" right now.
Possibility — "krnal": ch'em krnar hasganał — I cannot manage to understand; it is about the attempt, not the skill. Success — impersonally: sdatsuetsav — it worked out; ch'sdatsuir — it does not work out.
The form as a noun — with -ը: kardalə heshd e — reading is easy; sovorelə zhamanag e pahanchum — studying takes time. And purpose — through -ու (-u): sovorelu hamar — in order to study.
Five jobs, one form — learn it once, and half the sentences about studying assemble themselves.
Table
| Meaning | How it is built | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I know how to (a skill) | the form + գիտեմ | ինքնաշարժ վարել գիտեմ |
| I can (right now) | կրնամ + the form | կրնամ օգնել |
| it can be done | կրնամ + the form | չեմ կրնար հասկանալ |
| it worked out | ստացվեց (impersonally) | երրորդ փորձից ստացվեց |
| it comes hard | ինծի դժուար է տրվում | քերականութիւնը ինծի դժուար է տրվում |
| the subject | the form + -ը | կարդալը հեշտ է |
| in order to | the -ելու form + համար | սովորելու համար |
| for what | the -ելու form | գրանցվելու հղում |
By example
- Կիթառ նվագել գիտեմ, բայց նոտաներ կարդալ չգիտեմgit'arr nvakel kidem, payts nodaner gartal chkidemI can play the guitar, but I cannot read notes
- Հայերեն խոսելը դժուար է, լսելը՝ աւելի դժուարhayeren khoselə tzhuar e, lselə aveli tzhuarSpeaking Armenian is hard; listening is harder
- Երրորդ փորձից ստացվեց, յաջողեցաւ ինքնուրույն նորոգելyerrort p'ortsits sdatsvets, yachoghetsav ink'nuruyn norokelOn the third try it worked — I managed to fix it myself
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
the infinitive instead of a noun: how does it work in Western Armenian?
The whole topic of skills rests on one construction English lacks. "I know how to read" and "reading comes easily" — there a verb and a noun. Here one infinitive serves both, and only what is attached to it changes. Skill — "kidem": գիտեմ, kardal kidem — I know how to read, literally "to read I…
What does it look like in an example sentence Western Armenian?
“Կիթառ նվագել գիտեմ, բայց նոտաներ կարդալ չգիտեմ” (git'arr nvakel kidem, payts nodaner gartal chkidem) — I can play the guitar, but I cannot read notes. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.