LingoflyAfter the quarrel in Western Armenian
Two friends after a quarrel: hurt feelings, an explanation, making up in Western Armenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Երկու (yergu) շաբաթ (shapat') է չենք (chenk) խօսած։ Ինծմէ (indzme) նեղացա՞ծ ես (yes)։» — We haven't spoken for two weeks. Are you offended at me?; «Այո (ayo), նեղացած էի (ei)։ Բոլորին (polorin) առջեւ (arrchev) զիս (zis) նախատեցիր։» — Yes, I was hurt. You scolded me in front of everyone.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two friends after a quarrel: hurt feelings, an explanation, making up. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- Այո, նեղացած էի։ Բոլորին առջեւ զիս նախատեցիր։ayo, neghatsadz ei Polorin arrchev zis nakhadetsirYes, I was hurt. You scolded me in front of everyone.
- Ներէ ինծի։ Այդ օրը ջղայնացած էի եւ պոռացի։nere indzi Ayt orə chghaynatsadz ei yev borratsiForgive me. That day I was irritated and shouted.
- Չէի հասկնար, թէ ինչու։ Կը կարծէի՝ զիս կը մեղադրես։chei hasgnar, t'e inchu Gə gardzei zis gə meghatresI didn't understand why. I thought you were accusing me.
- t'yurimatsut'yun yeghadz e Chem meghatrer, ink's ei skhalIt was a misunderstanding. I am not accusing you — I was the one who was wrong.
- gə hasgnam k'ez Yes al bedk' cher lrrei aysk'an yergarI understand you. I shouldn't have kept silent so long either.
- Հաշտուի՞նք։ Չեմ ուզեր շփումը դադարեցնել քեզի հետ։hashdvink' Chem uzer shp'umə tataretsnel k'ezi hedShall we make up? I don't want to stop talking to you.
- Հաշտուինք։ Ամէն ինչ լաւ պիտի ըլլայ, եկուր սուրճ խմենք։hashdvink' Amen inch lav bidi əllay, yegur surj khmenk'Let's make up. Everything will be fine — let's go have a coffee.
Lines one by one
| Western Armenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Երկու (yergu) շաբաթ (shapat') է չենք (chenk) խօսած։ Ինծմէ (indzme) նեղացա՞ծ ես (yes)։ | yergu shapat' e chenk' khosadz Indzme neghatsadz yes | We haven't spoken for two weeks. Are you offended at me? |
| Այո (ayo), նեղացած էի (ei)։ Բոլորին (polorin) առջեւ (arrchev) զիս (zis) նախատեցիր։ | ayo, neghatsadz ei Polorin arrchev zis nakhadetsir | Yes, I was hurt. You scolded me in front of everyone. |
| Ներէ (nere) ինծի (indzi)։ Այդ (ayt) օրը (orə) ջղայնացած էի (ei) եւ (yev) պոռացի։ | nere indzi Ayt orə chghaynatsadz ei yev borratsi | Forgive me. That day I was irritated and shouted. |
| Չէի (chei) հասկնար (hasgnar), թէ (t'e) ինչու (inchu)։ Կը (gə) կարծէի՝ զիս (zis) կը (gə) մեղադրես։ | chei hasgnar, t'e inchu Gə gardzei zis gə meghatres | I didn't understand why. I thought you were accusing me. |
| Թիւրիմացութիւն (t'yurimatsut'yun) եղած (yeghadz) է։ Չեմ (chem) մեղադրեր (meghatrer), ինքս (ink's) էի (ei) սխալ (skhal)։ | t'yurimatsut'yun yeghadz e Chem meghatrer, ink's ei skhal | It was a misunderstanding. I am not accusing you — I was the one who was wrong. |
| Կը հասկնամ քեզ (gə hasgnam k'ez)։ Ես (yes) ալ (al) պէտք (bedk) չէր (cher) լռէի այսքան երկար (yergar)։ | gə hasgnam k'ez Yes al bedk' cher lrrei aysk'an yergar | I understand you. I shouldn't have kept silent so long either. |
| Հաշտուի՞նք։ Չեմ (chem) ուզեր (uzer) շփումը դադարեցնել (shp'umə tataretsnel) քեզի (k'ezi) հետ (hed)։ | hashdvink' Chem uzer shp'umə tataretsnel k'ezi hed | Shall we make up? I don't want to stop talking to you. |
| Հաշտուինք։ Ամէն ինչ լաւ պիտի ըլլայ (amen inch lav bidi əllay), եկուր (yegur) սուրճ (surj) խմենք (khmenk)։ | hashdvink' Amen inch lav bidi əllay, yegur surj khmenk' | Let's make up. Everything will be fine — let's go have a coffee. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Western Armenian in this situation?
“Երկու (yergu) շաբաթ (shapat') է չենք (chenk) խօսած։ Ինծմէ (indzme) նեղացա՞ծ ես (yes)։” (yergu shapat' e chenk' khosadz Indzme neghatsadz yes) — We haven't spoken for two weeks. Are you offended at me? The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.