FREE ARMENIAN LESSONS

New Website

2008-06-01T21:55:00.001+01:00

These lessons are now available on my new website, Free Armenian Lessons

The verb 'to be' (Present Tense)

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- ես եմ * yes em * I am
- դու ես * du es * you (singular) are
- նա է * na e * he/she/it is
- մենք ենք * menk enk * we are
- դուք եք * duk ek * you (plural/formal) are
- նրանք են * nrank en * they are

Examples:

- Տունը մեծ է * Dtunuh metz e * The house is big
- Շունը սեվ է * Shunuh sev e * The dog is black
- Ես սուրտ եմ * Yes surdt em * I am cold
- Դու ճիշտ ես * Du tshishdt es * You are correct

SORRY!

2008-03-18T12:17:00.001Z

I am unable to add any new lessons until I get my computer fixed as I have no Armenian font. Please check back in a couple of weeks.

LESSON 4 - VOCABULARY

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As in Lesson 2, each word is written in Armenian, followed by the English transliteration and then the meaning.

- գավաթ * gavat * cup
- թեյ * tey * tea
- մահճակալ * mahtshacal * bed
- ննջել * nuhnjel * to sleep (verb)
- ննջասենյակ * nuhnjasenyac * bedroom
- հայր * hayr * father
- մայր * mayr * mother
- եղբայր * yekhpayr (in some words the letter բ is pronounced like the letter փ. Also, when followed by a consonant, the letter ղ is often pronounced like the letter խ) * brother
- քույր * kuyr * sister
- տղա * dtgha * son, boy
- դուստր * dusdtuhr * daughter
- աղջիկ * akhchic (in some words, the letter ջ is pronounced like the letter չ) * girl
- սիրել * sirel * to like/love (verb)
- գնալ * gnal * to go (verb)
- նավ * nav * ship
- գնացք * gnatsk * train
- տեսնել * dtesnel * to see/look at (verb)
- գտնել * gdtnel * to find (verb)
- հիվանդ * hivand * ill, sick
- հիվանդանոց * hivandanots * hospital
- մեծ * metz * big
- սուրտ * surdt * cold
- սեվ * sev * black
- ճիշտ * tshishdt * right, correct

With Armenian words, the stress is always on the final syllable. If the definite or posessive article is added, this is not stressed, but the stress is still placed on the final syllable of the word, before the article, eg. գնացք (gnatsk - train), գնացքը (gnatskuh - the train), հիվանդանոց (hivandanots - hospital) հիվանդանոցը (hivandanotsuh - the hospital).

LESSON 3 - PLURAL AND DEFINITE/INDEFINITE ARTICLE

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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 * dtun * house, տուներ * dtuner * houses
- գիրք * girk * book, գրքեր * guhrker * books (the vowel ի drops out when a suffix is added to a word, and is replaced by an unwritten ը)
- շուն * shun * dog, շուներ * shuner * dogs
- սենյակ * senyac * room, սենյակներ * senyacner * 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 any of the words եմ, ես, է, ենք, եք, են, (verb to be, present tense) էի, էիր, էր, էինք, էիք, էին, (verb to be, past tense) or էլ (el, meaning also) [see succeeding lessons for all the preceding], then the letter ն is used for the definite article, even if the noun ends in a consonant.

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

LESSON 2 - SOME BASIC WORDS AND PHRASES

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Here are some common Armenian words and phrases. In each case, the word or phrase has first been written in Armenian, followed by the English transliteration and then the meaning:

- Բարեւ * Barev * Hello
- Ինչպե՞ս ես * Inchbpes es? * How are you?
- շատ * shadt * many, much
- լավ * lav * good; well
- շատ լավ * shadt lav * very good; very well
- շնորհակալություն * shnorhacalutyun * thanks
- շնորհակալ եմ * shnorhacal em * thank-you (literally 'I am thankful')
- Շատ լավ եմ, շնորհակալ եմ * Shadt lav em, shnorhacal em * I'm very well, thank-you
- բարի * bari * good; kind
- Բարի երեկո * Bari yereco * good evening
- Բարի լույս * Bari luys * good morning
- Բարի գալուստ * Bari galusdt * Welcome!
- Բարի գիշեր * Bari gisher * Good night
- Ցտեսություն * Tsuhdtesutyun (In many Armenian words there is an unwritten ը sound between two consonants. In this case, the word Ցտեսություն is pronounced as if it were written Ցըտեսություն) * Goodbye
- Իմ անունը Անդրեաս է * Im anunuh Andreas e * My name is Andreas (Andrew)
- Պարոն * Bparon * Sir; Mr.
- Տիկին * Dticin * Madame; Mrs.
- Օրիորդ * Oriort (in some Armenian words the letter դ is pronounced like the letter թ) * Miss

LESSON 1 - THE ARMENIAN ALPHABET

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The Armenian alphabet was devised in the 4th century AD by Saint Mesrop Mashtots (Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց) in order to translate the Bible into Armenian. It originally consisted of 36 letters but it now has 38 plus one extra letter (the letter և) which is really a combination of two letters and is generally used as an abreviation for the Armenian word եւ meaning and.

The 39 letters of the Armenian alphabet are as follows:

(1) Upper case: Ա, Lower case: ա, Name: ayb, Pronunciation: a in father, English transliteration: a
(2) Upper case: Բ, Lower case: բ, Name: ben, Pronunciation: b in baby, English transliteration: b
(3) Upper case: Գ, Lower case: գ, Name: gim, Pronunciation: g in gas, English transliteration: g
(4) Դ, դ, da, d in deal, d
(5) Ե, ե, yech, ye in yet, ye/e
(6) Զ, զ, za, z in zoo, z
(7) Է, է, eh, e in pet, e
(8) Ը, ը, ut, er in letter, uh
(9) Թ, թ, toh, t in team, t
(10) Ժ, ժ, zheh, s in leisure, zh
(11) Ի, ի, ini, i in ski, i
(12) Լ, լ, liun, l in lion, l
(13) Խ, խ, kheh, ch in German achtung, kh
(14) Ծ, ծ, tsa, ts in tsar, tz
(15) Կ, կ, ken, k in sky, c
(16) Հ, հ, ho, h in have, h
(17) Ձ, ձ, dza, dz in adze, dz
(18) Ղ, ղ, ghat, r in French Paris, gh
(19) Ճ, ճ, cheh, ch in church, tsh
(20) Մ, մ, men, m in mother, m
(21) Յ, յ, hi, y in yes, y
(22) Ն, ն, nu, n in number, n
(23) Շ, շ, sha, sh in sheep, sh
(24) Ո, ո, vo, vo in void, vo/o
(25) Չ, չ, cha, ch in cheese, ch
(26) Պ, պ, peh, p in spam, bp
(27) Ջ, ջ, jeh, j in joke, j
(28) Ռ, ռ, rra, rolled r in Scottish 'murder', rr
(29) Ս, ս, seh, s in some, s
(30) Վ, վ, vev, v in vote, v
(31) Տ, տ, tyun, t in step, dt
(32) Ր, ր, reh, r in posh English 'very', r
(33) Ց, ց, tso, ts in Pizza, ts
(34) Ւ, ւ, u, u in chute, u
(35) Փ, փ, pyur, p in pool, p
(36) Ք, ք, keh, k in kiss, k
(37) և(lower case only), yev, yev in tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov, yev/ev
(38) Օ, օ, o, o in foil, o
(39) Ֆ, ֆ, feh, f in fish, f

Pronunciation guide:

The letters Կ/կ, Պ/պ, Տ/տ, Ծ/ծ and Ճ/ճ are unaspirated sounds. That means that they should be pronounced without air escaping from your mouth! Practise by holding a piece of paper in front of your mouth and trying to pronounce the letters without the paper moving. The կ/Կ is similar to the normal English k but the sound is made slightly further back in the throat.

The letters Ք/ք, Փ/փ, Թ/թ, Ց/ց and Չ/չ are aspirated sounds and so should be pronounced with air behind them.

The letter Ե/ե is pronounced as ye at the beginning of a word and as e in the middle of a word.

The letter Ո/ո is pronounced as vo at the beginning of a word and as o in the middle of a word.

The letter Ր/ր is pronounced like the English r but with a slight tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth. It almost sounds like the zh sound of the Armenian letter Ժ/ժ.

The letter Ւ/ւ on its own is pronounced as v but the combination of Ո/ո and Ւ/ւ is pronounced as u, eg. դու (english transliteration: du, meaning 'you').

INTRODUCTION

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These lessons originally appeared on my blog http://angliahye.blogspot.com/ but I have moved them to this site for convenience. I have only been learning Armenian for a couple of years, so I apologise for any errors I may have made. Please inform me and I will make any necessary changes.

The Armenian language (called hayeren in Armenian) comes in two distinct flavours; arevelahayeren (which means Eastern Armenian) which is spoken in the Republic of Armenia, in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and in the Armenian community of Iran; and arevmtahayeren (Western Armenian) which is spoken by Armenians living in Turkey and throughout the Armenian diaspora (except for Iran) although owing to more recent waves of immigration, the eastern dialect is increasingly being spoken in the diaspora alongside the western. The differences between the two dialects are not great, and they are mutually comprehensible.

I think the western dialect has a very beautiful sound to it and it is also the Armenian which was spoken by my own ancestors, however I decided to concentrate more on learning Eastern Armenian because, as the official first language of what is now the internationally recognised Armenian State, its continued existence as a living language seems far more secure than that of Western Armenian.

These lessons, then, will be in Eastern Armenian.