Քերականություն · Kerakanutyun

How Armenian actually works

Five compact deep-dives into the patterns that make Armenian click. No tables for the sake of tables — just the rules that change how the language feels.

01

The verb 'to be'

Armenian conjugates 'em' (I am) at the end of the sentence.

Ես ուսանող եմ։
Yes usanogh em.
I am a student.
Դու ուսանող ես։
Du usanogh es.
You are a student.
Նա ուսանող է։
Na usanogh e.
He/She is a student.
Մենք ուսանող ենք։
Menk usanogh enk.
We are students.
Դուք ուսանող եք։
Duk usanogh ek.
You (pl.) are students.
Նրանք ուսանող են։
Nrank usanogh en.
They are students.

Note · Notice the auxiliary verb (em / es / e / enk / ek / en) always comes after the noun or adjective.

02

Definite article (the suffix -ը / -ն)

Armenian has no separate 'the'. It's a suffix tacked onto the word.

գիրք
girk
a book
գիրքը
girk-y
the book (after consonant)
տուն
tun
a house
տունը
tun-y
the house
ընկեր
ynker
a friend
ընկերն
ynker-n
the friend (before vowel)

Note · Use -ն before a word starting with a vowel, -ը otherwise. This is one of the first markers of a fluent speaker.

03

Cases — Armenian has seven

Nouns change ending depending on their grammatical role.

տուն
tun
house (nominative — the subject)
տան
tan
of the house (genitive)
տանը
tany
to/at the house (dative/locative)
տունը
tuny
the house (accusative — object)
տնից
tnits
from the house (ablative)
տնով
tnov
by/through the house (instrumental)

Note · Cases sound intimidating but Armenian uses them very regularly. The endings -ի, -ին, -ից, -ով cover most situations.

04

Present tense — the -ում եմ form

Most verbs in modern Eastern Armenian form the present with '-ում' + the verb 'to be'.

Ես խոսում եմ։
Yes khosum em.
I speak.
Դու խոսում ես։
Du khosum es.
You speak.
Նա գրում է։
Na grum e.
He/She writes.
Մենք սիրում ենք։
Menk sirum enk.
We love.

Note · The participle '-ում' never changes; the auxiliary at the end carries the person and number.

05

Questions — just raise your voice

Armenian marks questions with a ՞ above the stressed syllable. No word order change.

Ինչպե՞ս ես։
Inchpes es?
How are you?
Որտեղի՞ց ես։
Vorteghits es?
Where are you from?
Անունդ ի՞նչ է։
Anunt inch e?
What is your name?

Note · The ՞ (question mark) sits ABOVE the vowel of the stressed syllable — not at the end of the sentence.

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