Phrases that save you in Western Armenian
21 words Western Armenian words on the topic “phrases that save you”: Չեմ հասկանար — I don't understand, Կրկնեք, խնդրեմ — repeat, please, Դանդաղ — slowly, Օգնեք — help!
21 words on the topic
- Չեմ հասկանարchem hasganarI don't understandWestern-style negation: the prefix
չ-('not') welded onto the 'am' verb plus a form in -ար. Catch the 'scan' inհասկանար— you are scanning for meaning. The phrase you will reach for most in week one - Կրկնեք, խնդրեմgrgnek', khntremrepeat, pleaseFrom
կրկնել, to repeat. կ sounds like g here: gər-gə-NEK. Not a single written vowel inկրկնեք— the little ը hides between the consonants anyway - ԴանդաղtantaghslowlyCovers 'slowly' and 'slow':
դանդաղ քայլել— to walk slowly,դանդաղ մարդ— a slow person. The դ sounds like t and ղ is the throaty gh: tan-TAGH - Օգնեքoknek'help!The imperative of
օգնել, to help — the word every passer-by should react to. Start with ok-NEK' and the rest of the sentence can wait - ԿորսուեցայgorsuetsayI'm lostThe Western past-tense form: gor-soo-et-SAY. The Eastern standard builds the same meaning with different pieces — the phrase works everywhere all the same
- Չ'աշխատիրch'ashkhadirit doesn't workThe same verb 'to work' used about people — machines and elevators included. The negation
չ-clamps onto the front of the verb - Կոտրուած էgodruadz eit's brokenPast with a result: it broke and it is still broken now — Armenian packs both into
կոտրուած է - Կը կաթէgə gat'eit leaksLiterally 'it drips'. Said about a faucet, a pipe and a ceiling alike
- Վարպետ կանչեքvarbed ganchek'call a repairman
վարպետis a master of the trade, a respectful word.Կանչեք, 'call', you already used with a taxi - Մի րոպէ սպասեքmi robe sbasek'wait a minute
րոպէis a minute. On its own,մի րոպէworks as the universal 'one sec' - Չեմ կրնար բանալchem grnar panalI can't open it
կրնալis 'to be able', and the negation again rides in front:չեմ կրնար— I cannot. The pattern repeats all over the course - Շտապ օգնութիւնshdab oknut'yunambulanceLiterally 'urgent help':
շտապis urgent,օգնութիւնis help — the sameօգնել, to help, from the base course. The number in Armenia is 103 - Ինձ դոկտոր է պէտքints togdor e bedk'I need a doctorThe frame
ինծի ... է պէտքworks with any word at all:ինծի ջուր է պէտք— I need water. Learn the frame and you can need anything - ԶգոյշzkoyshcarefulShouted as a single word. The full form is
զգոյշ եղիր— be careful - Վտանգաւորvdankavordangerous
վտանգis danger, and the suffix -աւոր does the job English gives to '-ous' - Ոստիկանութիւն կանչեքvosdiganut'yun ganchek'call the police
ոստիկանis a police officer. The emergency number in Armenia is 102 - Անձնագիրս կորուցած եմantsnakirs gorutsadz emI lost my passport
անձնագիրis passport, and -ս is 'my'.Կորուցնելloses a thing;կորսուեցայfrom the base course is when YOU get lost - Վատ կ'զգամvad g'zkamI feel unwellLiterally 'I feel bad'.
Զգալis 'to feel' — the same verb feels the cold and the mood - Ձեռք մի տուեքtserrk' mi duek'don't touchLiterally 'don't give a hand'. Armenian builds prohibitions with the particle
միin front of the verb - Նորից բացատրեքnorits patsadrek'explain it again
նորիցis again — literally 'from new'. The most useful phrase in any classroom - Անգլերեն խոսու՞մ եքankleren khosum ek'do you speak EnglishThe question mark ՞ sits over the stressed syllable —
խոսու՞մ— while a plain period ends the line. The informal version isխոսու՞մ ես
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.
- Ներողութիւն, չեմ հասկանարneroghut'yun, chem hasganarExcuse me, I don't understand
- Չլսեցի, կրկնեք, խնդրեմchlsetsi, grgnek', khntremI didn't catch that, please repeat
- Խօսիք դանդաղ, խնդրեմkhosik' tantagh, khntremSpeak slowly, please
- Օգնեք, կորսուեցայoknek', gorsuetsayHelp, I'm lost
- Կորսուեցայ, օգնեքgorsuetsay, oknek'I'm lost, help
- Վերելակը չ'աշխատիրverelagə ch'ashkhadirThe elevator doesn't work
What is worth knowing about these words
Չեմ հասկանար (chem hasganar) — I don't understand. Western-style negation: the prefix չ- ('not') welded onto the 'am' verb plus a form in -ար. Catch the 'scan' in հասկանար — you are scanning for meaning. The phrase you will reach for most in week one
Կրկնեք, խնդրեմ (grgnek', khntrem) — repeat, please. From կրկնել, to repeat. կ sounds like g here: gər-gə-NEK. Not a single written vowel in կրկնեք — the little ը hides between the consonants anyway
Դանդաղ (tantagh) — slowly. Covers 'slowly' and 'slow': դանդաղ քայլել — to walk slowly, դանդաղ մարդ — a slow person. The դ sounds like t and ղ is the throaty gh: tan-TAGH
Օգնեք (oknek') — help!. The imperative of օգնել, to help — the word every passer-by should react to. Start with ok-NEK' and the rest of the sentence can wait
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I don't understand” in Western Armenian?
Western-style negation: the prefix
չ-('not') welded onto the 'am' verb plus a form in -ար. Catch the 'scan' inհասկանար— you are scanning for meaning. The phrase you will reach for most in week one - How do you say “it doesn't work” in Western Armenian?
The same verb 'to work' used about people — machines and elevators included. The negation
չ-clamps onto the front of the verb - How do you say “I can't open it” in Western Armenian?
կրնալis 'to be able', and the negation again rides in front:չեմ կրնար— I cannot. The pattern repeats all over the course - How do you say “call the police” in Western Armenian?
ոստիկանis a police officer. The emergency number in Armenia is 102 - How do you say “do you speak English” in Western Armenian?
The question mark ՞ sits over the stressed syllable —
խոսու՞մ— while a plain period ends the line. The informal version isխոսու՞մ ես
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
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 “I don't understand” in Western Armenian?
«Չեմ հասկանար», read “chem hasganar”. Western-style negation: the prefix չ- ('not') welded onto the 'am' verb plus a form in -ար. Catch the 'scan' in հասկանար — you are scanning for meaning. The phrase you will reach for most in week one. It is one of 21 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 21 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.