Language/Armenian/Grammar/Question-Mark-and-Exclamation-Point
As an Armenian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to continue sharing my knowledge with you as we explore proper punctuation rules in Armenian. In this lesson, we will specifically focus on the usage and placement of question marks and exclamation points in Armenian language.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: The Passive and Active Voice & The Past Perfect Tense.
Question Mark
A question mark in Armenian looks just like it does in English - "?". In Armenian, a question mark is placed at the end of a sentence to indicate the sentence is a question. However, unlike in English, where a question mark is typically the only punctuation mark used in a question, Armenian language requires the use of a comma before the question mark. Here is an example:
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Դուք լսում եք, ինչո՞ւ մեկնաբանություն չեք հասկանում: | "Dook loosoomek, eenchukh mek-nabanoontyoon chk eh-hasganoom" | "Why can't you understand a conversation?" |
In the above example, we can see that the comma is used to separate the sentence from the question word "ինչո՞ւ", which means "why". This is a common usage of the question mark in Armenian language.
It is also important to remember that in Armenian language, the question word is often placed at the beginning of the sentence, whereas in English, it is generally placed at the end. Here is another example:
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Որքան ժամանակ է, ե՞րբ ես մաշկույթ պատրաստում: | "Vorqan zhamanak eh, yer-ep es masguyt' batrasdum" | "How long does it take you to get ready?" |
In this example, the question word "ե՞րբ", meaning "when" is placed at the beginning of the sentence followed by a comma, and the question mark is used at the very end.
Exclamation Point
Similar to the question mark, an exclamation point in Armenian looks the same as it does in English - "!". The usage of an exclamation point is also very similar in both languages. In Armenian, it is used to show excitement, surprise, or even anger, and is always placed at the end of the sentence:
| Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Հայ երգիչը վայրէջքքին հոգնված երգ է երգում: | "Hay yergich-yayrerjkk'in hochnvats yerg eh yergoom" | "The Armenian singer is singing a soulful song!" |
In this example, the exclamation point is used to express admiration for the Armenian singer and the song they are singing.
It is important to note that in Armenian language, the usage of multiple exclamation points or question marks together is not common. Using one is typically sufficient to convey the intended meaning. Overuse of these punctuation marks can make the sentence seem forced or artificial.
I hope this lesson has helped you understand proper usage and placement of question marks and exclamation points in Armenian language. Keep practicing and incorporating these rules into your writing, and you'll be well on your way to mastering Armenian punctuation for everyday use!
- Use a comma before the question mark in Armenian language
- The question word is often placed at the beginning of a sentence
- The usage of multiple exclamation points or question marks together is not common
- Keep practicing and incorporating these rules into your writing.
Other Lessons
- Plurals
- Conditional Mood Past Conditional
- Quotation Marks and Parentheses
- Relative Clauses
- The Nominative Case
- present simple and present continuous
- Questions
- The Passive and Active Voice
- Future Tense
- Conditional Sentences
Sources