LESSON 3 - PLURAL AND DEFINITE/INDEFINITE ARTICLE

Plural
In Armenian, the plural is formed by adding the suffix եր (er) to the noun if it is a one syllable word or by adding the suffix ներ (ner) to the noun if it has more than one syllable.

Examples:
- տուն * tun * house, տներ * tner * houses (the vowel combination ու in the final syllable of a word sometimes drops out, and is replaced by an unwritten ը, when a suffix is added)
- գիրք * girk' * book, գրքեր * grk'er * books (the vowel ի in the final syllable of a word sometimes drops out, and is replaced by an unwritten ը, when a suffix is added)
- շուն * shun * dog, շներ * shner * dogs
- սենյակ * senyak * room, սենյակներ * senyakner * rooms
- սեղան * seghan * table, սեղաններ * seghanner * tables

Definite Article
The definite article is the letter ը (uh) added to the end of the noun if the last letter of the noun is a consonant. If the last letter of the noun is a vowel, then the definite article is formed by adding the letter ն (n) at the end of the noun. However, if the noun is followed by a word which begins with a vowel, then the letter ն is often used for the definite article, even if the noun ends in a consonant.

Indefinite Article
The indefinite article is the word մի (mi), which precedes the noun, for example: Մի գավաթ թեյ (mi gavat' t'ey - a cup of tea). Often, however, the indefinite article is not used, as a noun which is not in the definite article is assumed to be indefinite.