Language/Armenian/Grammar/Yes/No-Questions
As an Armenian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I have noticed that many students struggle with forming yes/no questions in Armenian. In this lesson, we will cover how to form these types of questions, both by changing the intonation and by using question words. We will also practice answering these questions with both affirmative and negative responses.
Forming Yes/No Questions with Intonation
In Armenian, you can form a yes/no question by simply adding a rising intonation to the end of a statement. This intonation is similar to the intonation used in English when asking a yes/no question. Here are some examples:
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Դու անգամանի՞ս: | Du angamani? | Do you speak Armenian? |
| Յո՞վին է այդ: | Yovine e ayd? | Is that his/her name? |
| Արթուրն անդամանի՞՞ն ես: | Artourn andamani? | Are you a member of the club? |
Notice how the rising intonation at the end of each sentence signals that a yes/no question is being asked.
It is important to note that when asking a yes/no question with intonation, the word order and sentence structure should remain the same as in a normal statement. The only difference is the rising intonation at the end.
Forming Yes/No Questions with Question Words
In addition to changing the intonation, you can also form a yes/no question in Armenian by using question words. This is similar to forming questions in English using words like "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how." Here are some common question words to use when forming yes/no questions in Armenian:
- արդեն (arden) – already
- եթե (ete) – if
- ինչ (inch) – what
- ինչու (inchu) – why
- որտեղ (vortegh) – where
- որպես (vorpes) – as, like, how
- ու՜շ (ush) – whether
To form a yes/no question using a question word, simply insert the word into the sentence structure. Here are some examples:
- Արդեն չասե՞ք: (Arden chasenk?) – Haven't you said it already?
- Ինչու եք դուք փորձում: (Inchu yek dukes porzoom?) – Why are you trying?
- Որպես մարդ թե որպես կենդանի դու ինչ գիտես: (Vorpes mard te vorpes kendani du inch gites?) – As a human being or as an animal, what do you know?
- Ու՜շ մեկ կամ երկու կես կրկնակից կա: (Ush mek kam yergu kes kkrnakits ka.) – Whether it’s one or two, there will be duplicates.
Note that when using question words to form a yes/no question, the sentence structure changes, and the intonation at the end of the sentence is not as important as it is with the intonation method.
Responding to Yes/No Questions
When responding to a yes/no question in Armenian, there are a few key phrases you should know:
- Այո (Ayo) – Yes
- Ոչ (Voche) – No
- Կամենա (Kamenna) – Maybe
- Չեմ գիտար (Chem gitarr) – I don't know
Here are some examples of how to use these phrases when responding to yes/no questions:
- Դու տանջե՞ս: (Du tanches?) – Are you running?
* Այո: (Ayo) – Yes. * Ոչ: (Voche) – No. * Կամենա: (Kamenna) – Maybe. * Չեմ գիտար: (Chem gitarr) – I don't know.
- Մինչդեռ աշխատեցիր` քանի ժամանակ ։ (Minchdery ashotetsir, kanhi zhamanak.)
* Բարի է: (Pariyae) – Fine. * Չգիտեմ թե քանի ժամանակ է: (Chgitim te kanhi zhamanak ye) – I don't know how long it was. * Մենք միմյանցից հետ ենք՝ մեկ մտածող կողմ եւ մեկ անգամանիության փուլ։ (Menk mimiyanjits het enk', mek mtatsogh k'oghm ev mek angamaniyut'yan phul.) – We're on the same page: one thought process and one phase of refinement.
As you can see from these examples, the responses can be varied and contextual, just like in any language.
In conclusion, forming yes/no questions in Armenian is fairly straightforward. You can either change the intonation of a statement or use question words to create the desired effect. When responding to these types of questions, be aware of the context and use appropriate phrases to convey your message.
I hope this lesson has been informative and helpful to your Armenian language learning journey.