Language/Armenian/Grammar/Present-Tense

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Armenian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Present Tense

Welcome to the "Armenian Grammar → Present Tense" lesson! Understanding the present tense is crucial for beginners learning Armenian, as it forms the foundation for communicating daily activities, feelings, and thoughts. This lesson will guide you through the intricacies of forming and using the present tense in Armenian, including both regular and irregular verb conjugations. By the end, you will feel confident in constructing sentences and expressing yourself in the present.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• The importance of the present tense in communication.

• How to form the present tense for regular verbs.

• How to form the present tense for irregular verbs.

• Practical examples to illustrate each point.

• Exercises for practice with detailed solutions.

Let's dive in and explore the fascinating world of Armenian present tense!

The Importance of the Present Tense

The present tense is essential for expressing actions that are currently happening or habitual. In Armenian, mastering the present tense allows you to describe your daily life, share your opinions, and engage in conversations. Whether you're ordering food, talking about your hobbies, or discussing your family, the present tense will be your go-to tool for communication. Let’s look at how to form the present tense in Armenian!

Regular Verbs in the Present Tense

In Armenian, regular verbs follow specific conjugation patterns. To conjugate a regular verb in the present tense, you typically replace the infinitive ending with present tense endings based on the subject pronoun. Let's explore this with an example:

The Verb "to go" (գնալ)

1. Infinitive: գնալ (gnal) - to go

2. Conjugation Pattern:

• I go: ես գնում (yes gnum)

• You (singular) go: դու գնում ես (du gnum yes)

• He/She goes: նա գնում է (na gnum e)

• We go: մենք գնում ենք (menq gnum enk)

• You (plural/formal) go: դուք գնում եք (duq gnum eq)

• They go: նրանք գնում են (nranq gnum en)

Now let’s summarize this in a table:

Armenian	Pronunciation	English
ես գնում	yes gnum	I go
դու գնում ես	du gnum yes	You (singular) go
նա գնում է	na gnum e	He/She goes
մենք գնում ենք	menq gnum enk	We go
դուք գնում եք	duq gnum eq	You (plural/formal) go
նրանք գնում են	nranq gnum en	They go

Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

Irregular verbs in Armenian do not follow the standard conjugation patterns, and their forms must be memorized. Let’s take a look at the verb "to be" (լինել) as a common example.

The Verb "to be" (լինել)

1. Infinitive: լինել (linel) - to be

2. Conjugation:

• I am: ես եմ (yes em)

• You (singular) are: դու ես (du yes)

• He/She is: նա է (na e)

• We are: մենք ենք (menq enk)

• You (plural/formal) are: դուք եք (duq eq)

• They are: նրանք են (nranq en)

Here’s how this looks in a table:

Armenian	Pronunciation	English
ես եմ	yes em	I am
դու ես	du yes	You (singular) are
նա է	na e	He/She is
մենք ենք	menq enk	We are
դուք եք	duq eq	You (plural/formal) are
նրանք են	nranq en	They are

Practical Examples of Present Tense Usage

To solidify your understanding, let’s go through some practical examples that illustrate how the present tense is used in various contexts.

Examples in Context

1. I eat an apple: ես մի խնձոր եմ ուտում (yes mi khndzor em utum).

2. You (singular) like music: դու երաժշտություն ես սիրում (du yerejshthutyun yes sirum).

3. He plays football: նա ֆուտբոլ է խաղում (na futbol e khaghum).

4. She reads a book: նա գիրք է կարդում (na girq e kardum).

5. We watch TV: մենք հեռուստացույց ենք դիտում (menq herrustatsuyc enk ditum).

6. You (plural) speak Armenian: դուք հայերեն եք խոսում (duq hayeren eq khosum).

7. They study at the university: նրանք համալսարանում են սովորում (nranq hamalsaranum en sovorum).

8. I love my family: ես իմ ընտանիքը սիրում եմ (yes im untanike sirum em).

9. You (singular) work hard: դու շատ աշխատասեր ես (du shat ashkhataser yes).

10. He travels frequently: նա հաճախ է ճանապարհորդում (na hajakh e janaparhordum).

11. She enjoys cooking: նա սիրում է խոհարարել (na sirum e khoyararel).

12. We play games: մենք խաղեր ենք խաղում (menq khagher enk khaghum).

13. You (plural) understand the lesson: դուք դասը հասկանում եք (duq dasy haskanum eq).

14. They teach English: նրանք անգլերեն են սովորեցնում (nranq angleren en sovoretsnum).

15. I drink coffee every morning: ես ամեն առավոտ սուրճ եմ խմում (yes amen aravot surch em khmum).

16. You (singular) write letters: դու նամակներ ես գրում (du namakner yes grum).

17. He dances well: նա լավ է պարում (na lav e parum).

18. She listens to music: նա երաժշտություն է լսում (na yerejshthutyun e lsum).

19. We enjoy our time together: մենք միասին մեր ժամանակը սիրում ենք (menq miasin mer zhamanak@ sirum enk).

20. You (plural) play chess: դուք շախմատ եք խաղում (duq shakhmat eq khaghum).

Practice Exercises

Now that you have a solid understanding of the present tense, let’s apply what you've learned through some exercises.

1. Conjugate the verb "to see" (տեսնել) in present tense for all subject pronouns.

2. Translate the following sentence into Armenian: "They eat bread."

3. Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verb "to be": "I ___ a student."

4. Change the following sentence to the present tense: "I wrote a letter."

5. Use the verb "to go" in a sentence that describes where you are going today.

6. Conjugate the verb "to drink" (խմել) in present tense for all subject pronouns.

7. Translate this sentence into English: "Դուք լավ եք սովորում."

8. Create a sentence using "I am learning Armenian." in Armenian.

9. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of "to like": "She ___ ice cream."

10. Translate this sentence into Armenian: "We play basketball."

Solutions and Explanations

1. Conjugation of "to see" (տեսնել):

• I see: ես տեսնում եմ (yes tesnum em)

• You (singular) see: դու տեսնում ես (du tesnum yes)

• He/She sees: նա տեսնում է (na tesnum e)

• We see: մենք տեսնում ենք (menq tesnum enk)

• You (plural/formal) see: դուք տեսնում եք (duq tesnum eq)

• They see: նրանք տեսնում են (nranq tesnum en)

2. Translation: Նրանք հաց են ուտում (nranq hatz en utum).

3. Fill in the blank: I am a student: ես ուսանող եմ (yes usanogh em).

4. Change to present tense: I am writing a letter: ես նամակ եմ գրում (yes namak em grum).

5. Example sentence: I am going to the market today: ես այսօր շուկա եմ գնում (yes aysor shuka em gnum).

6. Conjugation of "to drink" (խմել):

• I drink: ես խմում եմ (yes khmum em)

• You (singular) drink: դու խմում ես (du khmum yes)

• He/She drinks: նա խմում է (na khmum e)

• We drink: մենք խմում ենք (menq khmum enk)

• You (plural/formal) drink: դուք խմում եք (duq khmum eq)

• They drink: նրանք խմում են (nranq khmum en)

7. Translation: "You (plural) are learning well."

8. Example sentence: Ես հայերեն եմ սովորում (yes hayeren em sovorum).

9. Fill in the blank: She likes ice cream: Նա սերուցք է սիրում (na serutsq e sirum).

10. Translation: Մենք բասկետբոլ ենք խաղում (menq basketbol enk khaghum).

By practicing these exercises, you can reinforce your understanding of the present tense and improve your ability to communicate effectively in Armenian. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep exploring the language, and soon you’ll find yourself conversing with ease.

Table of Contents - Armenian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Armenian Alphabet
• Pronunciation Rules

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Yes/No Questions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Plurals
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time, Manner, and Place

  ---

Armenian Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance

Sources

• Armenian/Grammar - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
• Classical Armenian Online

Other Lessons

• Nouns
• Noun Gender and Plurals
• How to Use Have
• Adverbs
• Obligatory Mood Future Obligatory
• Noun and Pronoun
• Verb Conjugation
• The Instrumental Case
• Give your Opinion
• The Verb to Have

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