Language/Armenian/Grammar/Apostrophes-and-Hyphens

Armenian → Grammar → Apostrophes and Hyphens

Welcome to the lesson on Armenian punctuation rules, specifically focusing on the usage of apostrophes and hyphens. As a language teacher for over two decades, I have seen a fair share of confusion and mistakes when it comes to these punctuation marks, but with guidance and practice, you will master their proper usage in no time. Let's begin!

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Questions & Negation.

Apostrophes

Apostrophes are used in Armenian for two main purposes: to indicate the omission of letters in a word and to form possessives.

Contractions

Apostrophes are used to show the omission of letters, especially when combining two words into one. For example:

• Ինչ ես դու անում` --> Ինչ ես դու անում՝ (What are you doing?)

In this example, the apostrophe is used to indicate the omission of the final մ in the word անում, which is reduced to անում՝ as a result of the contraction with the preceding word դու.

Possessives

Apostrophes are also used to indicate possession in Armenian. The apostrophe is added to the end of a noun to show that it owns or has something. For example:

• Նույն օրը իմ մայրիկն է` --> Նույն օրը մայրիկն իմն է։ (The same day is my mother's.)

In this example, the apostrophe is added to the end of the word մայրիկ (mother) to indicate that the day in question belongs to her.

Hyphens

Hyphens are used to connect two or more words into a single compound word or to separate syllables in a word. They are rarely used in Armenian and are mostly employed in loanwords and compound words.

Compound Words

When two or more words are combined to create a new word, a hyphen is used to link them together. For example:

• Բարմին-սպիտակ` --> Բարմին սպիտակ (Light blue)

In this example, the hyphen is used to link the words բարմին and սպիտակ, creating the compound word բարմին-սպիտակ.

Syllable Separation

In some cases, hyphens are used to separate syllables in a word. For example:

• Կոլ-դեղ` --> Կոլդեղ (Cold medicine)

Here, the hyphen separates the syllables "col" and "degh," making the pronunciation of the word easier.

That concludes our lesson on Armenian punctuation rules, focusing specifically on apostrophes and hyphens. Remember to practice proper usage and don't be afraid to ask for assistance if you're unsure. Happy writing!

Other Lessons

• The Instrumental Case
• Negation
• Present Continuous Tense
• present simple and present continuous
• Relative Clauses
• This, That and the Other One
• Causative Verbs
• Prepositions
• Question Mark and Exclamation Point
• Noun and Pronoun

Sources

• Armenian alphabet - Wikipedia