Everyday life and routine in Western Armenian
11 words Western Armenian words on the topic “everyday life and routine”: Աշխատիլ — to work, Արթնանալ — to wake up, Վեր կենալ — to get up, Երես լվանալ — to wash one's face.
11 words on the topic
- Աշխատիլashkhadilto workAbout people and machines alike:
վերելակը չ'աշխատիր— the elevator is not working. One verb for the office and the broken lift - Արթնանալart'nanalto wake upWake someone up —
արթնացնել, with the -ացն 'make someone do' piece stuck in the middle. One tail changes who does the waking - Վեր կենալver genalto get upLiterally 'rise up':
վերis up. Waking and getting out of bed are two different verbs — the body does them one after the other - Երես լվանալyeres lvanalto wash one's faceLiterally 'wash the face' — Armenian names what gets washed.
լուացուիլis washing yourself whole - Սանրվելsanrvelto comb one's hairFrom
սանր, a comb. The tail -ու turns the action back onto oneself — the same trick as inլուացուիլ - Սափրվելsap'rvelto shaveWithout the -ու —
սափրել— it is shaving someone else. The same tail doing the same job as inսանրուիլ - Հագնվելhaknvelto get dressedWithout the -ու,
հագնելis dressing something onto somebody — a jacket, a coat. The tail spares you naming the clothes - Հանվելhanvelto undressThe pair of
հագնուել:հանել— take off,հանուել— undress. In the next wave you will meetհանելagain, fishing things out of pockets - Նստելnsdelto sit downBoth 'sit down' and 'sit':
նստած է— he is seated. You board a bus with the same verb:աւտոբուս նստել - Պառկելbarrgelto lie down, to lieBoth 'lie down' and 'lie':
պառկած է— lying down. Going to bed is said with another frame:քնելու երթալ— go to sleep - Հանգստանալhanksdanalto rest (lying down)From
հանգիստ, quiet — the same word as the day off. Said to a person it politely means 'calm down':հանգստացիր
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Շաբաթ օրը չեմ աշխատիրshapat' orə chem ashkhadirOn Saturdays I don't work
- կը Արթնանամ ժամը յոթինgə Art'nanam zhamə yot'inI wake up at seven
- Կես ժամ հետո վեր եմ կենումges zham hedo ver em genumI get up in half an hour
- Սառը ջրով երեսս եմ լվանումsarrə chrov yeress em lvanumI wash my face with cold water
- Նա կը սանրվե հայելու առջեւna gə sanrve hayelu arrchevShe combs her hair in front of the mirror
- Օրը մէջ սափրվում եմorə mech sap'rvum emI shave every other day
What is worth knowing about these words
Աշխատիլ (ashkhadil) — to work. About people and machines alike: վերելակը չ'աշխատիր — the elevator is not working. One verb for the office and the broken lift
Արթնանալ (art'nanal) — to wake up. Wake someone up — արթնացնել, with the -ացն 'make someone do' piece stuck in the middle. One tail changes who does the waking
Վեր կենալ (ver genal) — to get up. Literally 'rise up': վեր is up. Waking and getting out of bed are two different verbs — the body does them one after the other
Երես լվանալ (yeres lvanal) — to wash one's face. Literally 'wash the face' — Armenian names what gets washed. լուացուիլ is washing yourself whole
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “to work” in Western Armenian?
About people and machines alike:
վերելակը չ'աշխատիր— the elevator is not working. One verb for the office and the broken lift - How do you say “to undress” in Western Armenian?
The pair of
հագնուել:հանել— take off,հանուել— undress. In the next wave you will meetհանելagain, fishing things out of pockets - How do you say “to wash one's face” in Western Armenian?
Literally 'wash the face' — Armenian names what gets washed.
լուացուիլis washing yourself whole - How do you say “to rest (lying down)” in Western Armenian?
From
հանգիստ, quiet — the same word as the day off. Said to a person it politely means 'calm down':հանգստացիր - How do you say “to get dressed” in Western Armenian?
Without the -ու,
հագնելis dressing something onto somebody — a jacket, a coat. The tail spares you naming the clothes
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Work, home, rest, errands. The words the answer to “how are things?” is made of.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “to work” in Western Armenian?
«Աշխատիլ», read “ashkhadil”. About people and machines alike: վերելակը չ'աշխատիր — the elevator is not working. One verb for the office and the broken lift. It is one of 11 words in the set “everyday life and routine” — the rest are in the table above.
How many everyday words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 11 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.