At the bank: about a credit in Western Armenian
At a bank branch: a credit, a payment, a due date in Western Armenian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Բարեւ ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եկած եմ:» — Hello. I have come about a credit.; «Բարեւ ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պէտք:» — Hello. What sum do you need? The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: at a bank branch: a credit, a payment, a due date. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Բարեւ ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եկած եմ:parev tsez Vargi masin yegadz emHello. I have come about a credit.
- Բարեւ ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պէտք:parev tsez Inch kumar e tsez bedk'Hello. What sum do you need?
- Մօտ երկու միլիոն դրամ, ինքնաշարժի համար:mod yergu milion tram, ink'nasharzhi hamarAbout two million drams, for a car.
- Տոկոսները տարեկան տասներկու տոկոս են: Եկամուտի տեղեկանք ունի՞ք:dogosnerə daregan dasnergu dogos en Yegamudi deghegank' unik'The interest is twelve percent a year. Do you have an income certificate?
- Այո, աշխատավայրէ բերած եմ: Ամսական վճարումը որքա՞ն պիտի ըլլայ:ayo, ashkhadavayre peradz em Amsagan vjarumə vork'an bidi əllayYes, I brought it from my workplace. What will the monthly payment be?
- Մօտաւորապէս հարիւր հազար դրամ: Վճարման ժամկետը ամսուան հինգն է:modavorabes haryur hazar tram Vjarman zhamgedə amsuan hinkn eAbout a hundred thousand drams. The payment due date is the fifth of the month.
- Իսկ եթե ուշանամ, տուգա՞նք պիտի ըլլայ:isg yet'e ushanam, dukank' bidi əllayAnd if I am late, will there be a fine?
- Այո, վճարման ուշացման համար տուգանք կայ: Աւելի լաւ է առցանց վճարեք:ayo, vjarman ushatsman hamar dukank' gay Aveli lav e arrtsants vjarek'Yes, there is a fine for a late payment. It is better to pay online.
Lines one by one
| Western Armenian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Բարեւ ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եկած եմ: | parev tsez Vargi masin yegadz em | Hello. I have come about a credit. |
| Բարեւ ձեզ: Ի՞նչ գումար է ձեզ պէտք: | parev tsez Inch kumar e tsez bedk' | Hello. What sum do you need? |
| Մօտ երկու միլիոն դրամ, ինքնաշարժի համար: | mod yergu milion tram, ink'nasharzhi hamar | About two million drams, for a car. |
| Տոկոսները տարեկան տասներկու տոկոս են: Եկամուտի տեղեկանք ունի՞ք: | dogosnerə daregan dasnergu dogos en Yegamudi deghegank' unik' | The interest is twelve percent a year. Do you have an income certificate? |
| Այո, աշխատավայրէ բերած եմ: Ամսական վճարումը որքա՞ն պիտի ըլլայ: | ayo, ashkhadavayre peradz em Amsagan vjarumə vork'an bidi əllay | Yes, I brought it from my workplace. What will the monthly payment be? |
| Մօտաւորապէս հարիւր հազար դրամ: Վճարման ժամկետը ամսուան հինգն է: | modavorabes haryur hazar tram Vjarman zhamgedə amsuan hinkn e | About a hundred thousand drams. The payment due date is the fifth of the month. |
| Իսկ եթե ուշանամ, տուգա՞նք պիտի ըլլայ: | isg yet'e ushanam, dukank' bidi əllay | And if I am late, will there be a fine? |
| Այո, վճարման ուշացման համար տուգանք կայ: Աւելի լաւ է առցանց վճարեք: | ayo, vjarman ushatsman hamar dukank' gay Aveli lav e arrtsants vjarek' | Yes, there is a fine for a late payment. It is better to pay online. |
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 it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.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?
“Բարեւ ձեզ: Վարկի մասին եկած եմ:” (parev tsez Vargi masin yegadz em) — Hello. I have come about a credit.. 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.