LingoflyThe city and its places in Western Armenian
96 words in Western Armenian on the topic “the city and its places”: Ո՞ւր է (ur e) — where is it?, Քաղաք (k'aghak') — city, Փողոց (p'oghots) — street, Հոս (hos) — here.
96 words on the topic
- Ո՞ւր էur ewhere is it?The Western 'where' is
ուր(ur); the Eastern standard saysորտեղ— a different word. ու (u) reads 'oo', soուր(ur) is 'oor', with no v: OOR-eh - Քաղաքk'aghak'cityBoth ք are k with a puff of air and ղ is the throaty gh: k'-agh-AK'. Say it and the whole word lives at the back of the throat
- Փողոցp'oghotsstreetStarts with փ, a p with a breath, and ends on ts like 'cats': p'-ogh-TSS. The full word sits on every street sign
- Մեթրոmet'rosubwayA borrowed international word, also spelled
մեթրօ. Any passer-by will point you the way - ՁախtsakhleftThe partner of
աջ(ach), right. The ձ sounds like ts as in 'cats', the խ like the ch of 'loch': TSAKH - Ուղիղughighstraight aheadBoth 'straight ahead' about a road and 'exactly, precisely' in general — the key word of every street direction you will be given
- ՀեռուherrufarTwo h's and a rolled ռ: her-RU. Ask հեռո՞ւ (herru) է — is it far? — and the answer often comes back as a number of minutes
- Խանութkhanut'storeA borrowing from Arabic, where hanut means a shop. Plural:
խանութներ(khanut'ner) - Մթերային խանութmt'erayin khanut'grocery store
մթերքis 'groceries', andխանութ(khanut') is a store.Մթերային խանութ(mt'erayin khanut') is a grocery store. - Հերթhert'queueBoth the queue at the till and one's 'turn':
իմ(im) հերթն է — it's my turn. The same root returns inհերթագրում(hert'akrum), booking an appointment - Փոստp'osdmailThrough the breathy փ: p'-ost. Covers the post office and email alike
- ԱմբոխampokhcrowdA crowd with a squeeze to it — unmanaged, packed. People gathered for a purpose get the calmer
բազմութիւն - Հեծանիւhedzanyubicycle
հեծնելis to ride astride,անիւ(anyu) is a wheel: the wheel you ride. There is no 'bi-' in it — the two wheels are implied - Հանրակառքի կանգառhanragarrk'i gankarrbus stopfrom
կանգնել, to stand: a stop is a standing place. The bus stands in the of-what form —հանրակառքի(hanragarrk'i) — answering 'of what?' - Երթուղիyert'ughiroute
երթis a run, a going,ուղիa way. The minibus in Yerevan is calledերթուղայինafter it — thoughմարշրուտկաwins in speech - Խցանումkhtsanumtraffic jam
խուցis a narrow stall,խցանis a bottle cork: a jam on the road and a cork in the bottle are the same word - Կայանատեղիgayanadeghiparking lot
կայանել(gayanel) is to set a vehicle down,տեղ(degh) is a place. On the signs you will find just the letter P - Պենզինի կայանbenzini gayangas stationstress on the last syllable of each word: ben-zi-NEE ga-YAN
- Գրադարանkrataranlibrary
գիրis writing, -արան is a place: a place of writings. The same -արան as inսրճարան(srjaran), café - Թանգարանt'ankaranmuseumfrom
թանկ(t'ang), precious: the museum is the place of precious things. Yerevan's Matenadaran is an -արան too — the place of manuscripts - Թատրոնt'adrontheatera Greek word that traveled by the same road as English 'theater'. A play is
ներկայացում(nergayatsum) — literally a presenting - Կինօթատրոնginot'adroncinemakino + theater in one word. In conversation the short
կինոյdoes the job: կինոյ երթանք (yert'ank) — let's go to the movies - Եկեղեցիyegeghetsichurchthe opening Ե reads 'ye': ye-ge-ghe-TSEE
- Մարզադաշտmarzatashdstadium
մարզելis to train,դաշտ(tashd) is a field: a training field. The sameմարզ-will return in the athlete and the training - ԽաչմերուկkhachmerugintersectionFrom
խաչ(khach), a cross: the place where streets cross. The same root inխաչքար, a khachkar — the carved cross-stone - Մայթmayt'sidewalkA short word ending on a breathy թ. The roadway next to it is երթեւեկելի
մաս(mas). You walk down it withմայթով, by the sidewalk - ՊողոտաboghodaavenueThree syllables, the opening պ reads b: bo-gho-DA
- Նրբանցքnrpantsk'laneTwo syllables, consonant clusters at both ends with almost no vowel: nr-PANTSK'
- Թունելt'uneltunnelA borrowing, but the opening թ stays breathy — not 'tunel' but t'unel. An underground crossing for people is a different thing:
ստորգետնեայ անցում - ԼապտերlabderstreetlightFor the street kind and the pocket kind alike:
փողոցի(p'oghotsi)լապտեր(labder) andգրպանի լապտեր(krbani labder). The flashlight in your phone is aլապտեր(labder) too - Աղբարկղaghpargghpublic trash canThree consonants stacked at the end: agh-PARGGH
- Հանրակառքերու չուացուցակhanragarrk'eru chvatsutsagbus schedule
չուis a run, a departure, andցուցակa list: a list of runs. The same word hangs over the departures board at the airport - Քաղաքի կեդրոնk'aghak'i getroncity center
քաղաքի(k'aghak'i) is the possessive ofքաղաք(k'aghak'), thenկեդրոն(getron), center. In Yerevan people just sayԿեդրոն(getron) — that is the name of the district itself - Շինհրապարակshinhrabaragconstruction siteStress on the last: shin-hra-ba-RAG
- Ճանապարհի նորոգումjanabarhi norokumroad repair
նորոգումcomes fromնոր(nor), new: making new again. Repairing appliances isվերանորոգում(veranorokum), with the վերա- 're-' prefix; the road manages without it - ՑուցանակtsutsanagsignpostFrom
ցուցադրել, to show. The same root inցուցափեղկ(tsutsap'eghg), a shop window, andչուացուցակ(chvatsutsag), a schedule: everything that shows something - Հանրային զուգարանhanrayin zukaranpublic toilet
հանրային(hanrayin) means public, fromհանրութիւն, the public;զուգարանis the toilet, with the same -արան tail asնստարան(nsdaran). The sameհանրային(hanrayin) in հանրային (hanrayin) տրանսպորտ, public transport - Մաքուրmak'urcleanAbout streets, air and conscience alike:
մաքուր(mak'ur)օդ(ot),մաքուր(mak'ur) խիղճ. To clean isմաքրել(mak'rel) and cleanliness isմաքրութիւն(mak'rut'yun) - ԳիւղkyughvillageOne syllable ending on the soft throat ղ. A villager is
գիւղացի, farming isգիւղատնտեսութիւն. A bigger settlement is still aգիւղ(kyugh) - Մայրաքաղաքmayrak'aghak'capital city
մայր(mayr) is a mother andքաղաք(k'aghak') is a city: the 'mother city'. English 'capital' grew from the head, Armenian went with the mother - Հասարակական տրանսպորտhasaragagan dransbordpublic transportThe adjective from
հասարակութիւն(hasaragut'yun), society. In Yerevan people mostly just sayտրանսպորտor name the mode:մեթրո(met'ro),հանրակառք(hanragarrk') - Մանկապարտէզmangabardezkindergarten
մանուկis a child andպարտէզis a garden: a calque of German 'Kindergarten', just like the English word. The nursery is a differentմանկամսուր - Խաղահրապարակkhaghahrabaragplayground
խաղ(khagh) is a game andհրապարակis a square. There is no word for 'children's' inside: the Armenian playground is a 'game square' - ՇատրուանshadrvanfountainA Persian word, as in many languages of the region. The street drinking fountain has its own name,
պուլպուլակ, a Yerevan landmark - Գերեզմանոցkerezmanotscemetery
գերեզմանis a grave and -ոց builds a place of many. The same -ոց elsewhere marks places of a crowd - Թաղt'aghblockYour stretch of street;
թաղամաս(t'aghamas), the district, is built on the same root and covers several of these - Պուրակburagsmall parkSmaller than
այգի(ayki), garden and park: the little green square between houses. The diminutive lives in the word - ԱշտարակashdaragtowerThe same name as the town north of Yerevan — the town was named by its tower. Old ones are stone,
քարե - ԱրուարձանarvartsansuburbA bookish word, but the housing listings use it every day: արուարձանի
բնակարան(pnagaran) — an apartment in the suburbs - ԱւանavantownBetween the village and the city. One district of Yerevan carries the same name — the city grew around old avans
- ԱնցորդantsortpasserbyFrom
անցնիլ(antsnil), to pass; the tail -որդ makes a doer - Հետիոտնhediodnpedestrian
Ոտնis the root of foot: 'the foot-goer'. The zebra crossing isհետիոտնային անցում(hediodnayin antsum) — the pedestrian passage - Խոտածածկkhodadzadzglawn
Խոտ(khod) is grass andծածկa covering: a 'grass cover'. A meadow is another word,մարգագետին(markakedin) - Ծաղկաթումբdzaghgat'umpflower bedFrom
ծաղիկ(dzaghig), flower, plusթումբ, a mound — and in the compound the flower drops its vowel: dzaghga- - Շքամուտքshk'amudk'porch
Շուք, pomp, plusմուտք(mudk'), entrance — the entrance word. Porch and front entrance are one word here - Սանդուղքի աստիճանsantughk'i asdijanstair step
Աստիճան(asdijan) is a degree; on the stairs it is a step, so the stairwell says it in full —սանդուղքի աստիճան(santughk'i asdijan), a step of the staircase - Փողոցի անունp'oghotsi anunstreet name
Անուն(anun), name, serves people and streets alike. On the sign it wears the possessive ofփողոց(p'oghots):փողոցի անուն(p'oghotsi anun) — the street's name - ՍիւնsyunpoleThe same word names a building's column. In the possessive
իւgives way:սեան(sean) - Շէնքshenk'building
Բնակելի շէնք(pnageli shenk') is an apartment building;շէնքի կանոններ(shenk'i ganonner) are the house rules.Շէնք(shenk') is the structure as such,տուն(dun) the home. The ք is a k with a puff
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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.
What is worth knowing about these words
Ո՞ւր է (ur e) — where is it? The Western 'where' is ուր (ur); the Eastern standard says որտեղ — a different word. ու (u) reads 'oo', so ուր (ur) is 'oor', with no v: OOR-eh.
Քաղաք (k'aghak') — city. Both ք are k with a puff of air and ղ is the throaty gh: k'-agh-AK'. Say it and the whole word lives at the back of the throat.
Փողոց (p'oghots) — street. Starts with փ, a p with a breath, and ends on ts like 'cats': p'-ogh-TSS. The full word sits on every street sign.
Հոս (hos) — here. 'Here' and 'there' are a pair of short words, հոս (hos) and հոն (hon): one letter apart. The Eastern standard says այստեղ and այնտեղ.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “where is it?” in Western Armenian?
The Western 'where' is
ուր(ur); the Eastern standard saysորտեղ— a different word. ու (u) reads 'oo', soուր(ur) is 'oor', with no v: OOR-eh - How do you say “left” in Western Armenian?
The partner of
աջ(ach), right. The ձ sounds like ts as in 'cats', the խ like the ch of 'loch': TSAKH - How do you say “queue” in Western Armenian?
Both the queue at the till and one's 'turn':
իմ(im) հերթն է — it's my turn. The same root returns inհերթագրում(hert'akrum), booking an appointment - How do you say “bicycle” in Western Armenian?
հեծնելis to ride astride,անիւ(anyu) is a wheel: the wheel you ride. There is no 'bi-' in it — the two wheels are implied - How do you say “gas station” in Western Armenian?
Պենզին(benzin) is gasoline,կայանa station: a station of gasoline, in two words. The one-wordբենզալցակայանis Eastern
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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 “where is it?” in Western Armenian?
«Ո՞ւր է» (ur e), read “ur e”. The Western 'where' is ուր (ur); the Eastern standard says որտեղ — a different word. ու (u) reads 'oo', so ուր (ur) is 'oor', with no v: OOR-eh. It is one of 96 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 96 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.