Language/Armenian/Grammar/The-Verb-to-Be
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The Verb to Be in Armenian
In Armenian the verb լինել (to be) is used as an auxiliary verb. It is an irregular verb. It changes form for all 3 persons.
Affirmative of the verb to be in Armenian
Here is the conjugation of the verb “to be” in affirmative form in the present tense:
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ես հայ եմ: | Yes hay em. | I am Armenian. |
| Մենք հայ ենք | Menk`hay enk`. | We are Armenian. |
| Դու հայ ես: | Du hay es. | You (singular) are Armenian. |
| Դուք հայ եք: | Duk` hay ek`. | You (plural) are Armenian. |
| Նա հայ է: | Na hay e. | S/he is Armenian. |
| Նրանք հայ են: | Nrank` hay en`. | They are Armenian. |
Negative of the verb to be in Armenian
The negative is formed by adding չ in front of the auxiliary verbs.
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ես ռուս չեմ: | Yes r`us chem. | I am not Russian. |
| Մենք ռուս չենք։ | Menk` r`us chenk` | We are not Russian. |
| Դու ռուս չես: | Du r`us ches. | You (singular) are not Russian. |
| Դուք ռուս չեք։ | Duk` r`usn chek`. | You (plural) are not Russian. |
| Նա ռուս չէ։ | Na r`us che. | S/he is not Russian. |
| Նրանք ռուս չեն։ | Nrank` r`us chen. | They are not Russian. |
To be: mood of someone
In Armenian the verb լինել - “to be” has a usage similar to that in English. For instance, it is used to show the state of something and indicate the mood of someone.
a profession
To be is also used to state a person’s profession.
describe the environment
It can also describe the environment.
Sources
https://slaviccenters.duke.edu/sites/slaviccenters.duke.edu/files/handbook_of_armenian.pdf