If you couldn’t tell, I am Armenian! Anyone with the last name ending in “-ian” is typically Armenian. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I don’t know any of the language. My dad hated his Armenian roots because he always felt like an immigrant and chose to distance himself from the culture. Thankfully his brothers still keep us grounded with some good Armenian food! For those of you looking to learn the Armenian language with me, checkout some key phrases and basics below!
Armenian History
Armenian is one of the oldest languages on the planet! It dates back to time of the Roman Empire. The coolest part is that the language itself hasn’t changed much and so most people can read old scripture very easily! There are two different variants of Armenian – Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian. Eastern Armenian is the official language!
The Eastern Armenian language has 39 letters. 36 of the letters have their own sound and 3 of the letters have a combined sound.
Armenian Basics
Hello! – Barev dzez
How are you? – inchpes ek
I am well, how are you?– lav em, dook inchpes ek
Thank you – Shnorakalootyoon
Good-bye – hajoghootyoon
Yes – ayo
No– voch’
Excuse me, Do you speak English?– knerek’, duk’ angleren yek’ khosum
I do not speak Armenian – yes chem khosum hayeren
Fun Fact – The word for thank you is quite long. In everyday speech, Armenians often use the word “merci” for thank you instead. Borrowed straight from the French!
Popular Armenian Language Idioms
Of course, my favorite part of learning 30 different languages is actually getting to learn all about the funny sayings. Armernians use very colorful expressions that don’t perfectly translate into other languages. These idioms apparently sound ridiculous to foreigners, but just roll off the tongues of native speakers.
Ցավդ տանեմ – Tsavd tanem
The literal translation is “Take away your pain” or “let me take your pain away” This is often used when a person wants to show you that they are kind to you in response to you being so caring towards them.
Գլուխ արդուկել – Glugh ardukel
The literal translation is “Iron the head”. It means that you are beating around the bush – just talking non-sense or in circles instead of getting the the point!
mrutt utem
This translates to “I want to eat your face”. How freaked out would you be if you heard that? This is a phrase often said from adults to children, meaning you a re so sweet and beautiful.
Քթի մազ – Qti maz
The little translation is “Nose hair” and used to describe someone who is very picky (aka ME 🙈).
If visiting Armenia, You’ll hear many people use the word “jan”. It is a term of endearment and often said in conjunction with a person’s name.
Be sure to check out this article for more funny Armenian sayings! Hope you enjoyed learning some Armenian language with me. Let me know your favorite sayings! Can’t wait to travel there soon!
xoxo
