Language/Armenian/Grammar/Verb-Conjugation
Welcome to the lesson on Verb Conjugation in Armenian! Understanding how verbs work in any language is a cornerstone of mastering that language, and Armenian is no exception. This lesson is particularly important because verbs are the heart of sentences; they express actions, states, and occurrences. In Armenian, verb conjugation involves changing the form of a verb to express tense, mood, person, and number, which is essential for effective communication.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate verbs in the present tense and understand their forms based on different subjects. We will break down this topic into manageable sections, complete with examples and exercises to help you practice.
Introduction to Verb Conjugation[edit | edit source]
Conjugation is the process of modifying a verb from its base form to reflect various grammatical categories. In Armenian, verbs are conjugated according to the following criteria:
- Tense: Indicates the time of the action (present, past, future).
- Person: Shows who is performing the action (first person, second person, third person).
- Number: Indicates whether the subject is singular or plural.
In this lesson, we will focus primarily on the present tense, which is commonly used in daily conversations.
Present Tense Conjugation[edit | edit source]
In Armenian, the present tense is formed by modifying the base form of the verb. The general structure involves adding specific endings to the verb root. Here’s how it looks for regular verbs:
1. First Person Singular: -m (I)
2. Second Person Singular: -n (You, singular)
3. Third Person Singular: - (He/She/It)
4. First Person Plural: -nk (We)
5. Second Person Plural: -k (You, plural)
6. Third Person Plural: -n (They)
Let’s take a look at some examples. We will use the verb "to read" (կարդալ, kardal).
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
կարդում | kardum | I read |
կարդալու | kardalu | You (singular) read |
կարդում է | kardum e | He/She/It reads |
կարդում ենք | kardum enk | We read |
կարդում եք | kardum ek | You (plural) read |
կարդում են | kardum en | They read |
Now, let’s conjugate another verb: "to write" (գրել, grel).
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
գրում | grum | I write |
գրում է | grum e | You (singular) write |
գրում է | grum e | He/She/It writes |
գրում ենք | grum enk | We write |
գրում եք | grum ek | You (plural) write |
գրում են | grum en | They write |
== Irregular Verbs
While most Armenian verbs follow regular conjugation patterns, some are irregular. This means that they do not follow the typical endings. We'll explore a couple of these.
1. To be (լինել, linel):
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
եմ | yem | I am |
ես | yes | You (singular) are |
է | e | He/She/It is |
ենք | enk | We are |
եք | ek | You (plural) are |
են | en | They are |
2. To go (գնալ, gnal):
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
գնում | gnum | I go |
գնում է | gnum e | You (singular) go |
գնում է | gnum e | He/She/It goes |
գնում ենք | gnum enk | We go |
գնում եք | gnum ek | You (plural) go |
գնում են | gnum en | They go |
Now, let’s look at how to use these conjugated forms in sentences.
Example Sentences[edit | edit source]
Here are some examples of how to use the conjugated verbs in context:
1. I read a book. (Ես մի գիրք կարդում եմ, Yes mi girk kardum yem.)
2. You write a letter. (Դու մի წერք գրում ես, Du mi tserk grum yes.)
3. He reads a newspaper. (Նա մի թերթ կարդում է, Na mi terth kardum e.)
4. We go to the market. (Մենք շուկա գնում ենք, Menk shuka gnum enk.)
5. You (plural) are happy. (Դուք երջանիկ եք, Duk yerjanik ek.)
6. They write stories. (Նրանք պատմություններ գրում են, Nrank patmutyunner grum en.)
Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]
Now that we’ve covered the basics of verb conjugation, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some practice exercises!
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1. Ես (կարդալ) _____ մի գիրք:
2. Նա (գրել) _____ մի նամակ:
3. Մենք (գնալ) _____ զբոսանքի:
4. Դուք (աշխատել) _____ դպրոցում:
5. Նրանք (սովորել) _____ հայերեն:
Solutions:
1. կարդում եմ (kardum yem)
2. գրում է (grum e)
3. գնում ենք (gnum enk)
4. աշխատում եք (ashkhatum ek)
5. սովորում են (sovorum en)
Exercise 2: Conjugate the Verbs[edit | edit source]
Conjugate the following verbs in all present tense forms.
1. To play (խաղալ, khaghal)
2. To eat (կերել, k'rel)
3. To sleep (քնել, qnel)
Solutions:
1.
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
խաղում | khaghum | I play |
խաղում է | khaghum e | You (singular) play |
խաղում է | khaghum e | He/She/It plays |
խաղում ենք | khaghum enk | We play |
խաղում եք | khaghum ek | You (plural) play |
խաղում են | khaghum en | They play |
2.
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
կերեմ | k'erem | I eat |
կերես | k'res | You (singular) eat |
կերև | k'rev | He/She/It eats |
կերենք | k'renk | We eat |
կերեք | k'rek | You (plural) eat |
կերեն | k'ren | They eat |
3.
Armenian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
քնում | qnum | I sleep |
քնում է | qnum e | You (singular) sleep |
քնում է | qnum e | He/She/It sleeps |
քնում ենք | qnum enk | We sleep |
քնում եք | qnum ek | You (plural) sleep |
քնում են | qnum en | They sleep |
Exercise 3: Translate to Armenian[edit | edit source]
Translate the following sentences into Armenian.
1. I am happy.
2. You (plural) write a book.
3. They are going to the park.
Solutions:
1. Ես երջանիք եմ (Yes yerjanik yem).
2. Դուք մի գիրք գրում եք (Duk mi girk grum ek).
3. Նրանք գնում են պուրակ (Nrank gnum en purak).
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations! You have taken a significant step toward mastering Armenian verb conjugation. By now, you should have a solid understanding of how to conjugate verbs in the present tense and apply them in sentences. Remember, practice makes perfect! Continue practicing these forms and try to create your own sentences to boost your confidence.
As you progress in your Armenian language journey, keep this lesson in mind whenever you encounter verbs. They are essential for expressing actions and connecting with others in conversation.
Keep up the good work, and happy learning!
Videos[edit | edit source]
Verb conjugation- How to learn Armenian language - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Armenian/Grammar - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
- Armenian conjugation
- Eastern Armenian verb table - Wikipedia
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Imperative Mood
- Definite Pronouns
- The Future Perfect Tense
- Adjective Endings
- Cases of Nouns
- Obligatory Mood Future Obligatory
- Question Mark and Exclamation Point
- 0 to A1 Course
- The Past Perfect Tense
- Demonstrative pronouns