Learning Armenian, an Indo-European language with its own unique alphabet and rich linguistic history, involves understanding its complex verb system. This guide will delve into the intricacies of Armenian verbs, focusing on Eastern Armenian for its widespread use. We’ll cover verb conjugation, tenses, grammatical moods, and provide transliterations to aid with pronunciation.

Introduction to the Armenian Verb System

Armenian verbs are inflected to express different grammatical categories such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, and number. The language distinguishes between two main types of verbs: transitive and intransitive. Additionally, Armenian has both regular and irregular verbs, with specific patterns for conjugation.

Verb Conjugation Overview

Armenian verb conjugation is based on the verb’s stem, which can be modified to indicate tense, aspect, mood, and whether the action is positive or negative. Verbs are typically categorized into different conjugation groups according to their ending in the infinitive form.

Present Tense

The present tense in Eastern Armenian is used to describe current actions, habitual actions, and general truths. It is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem.

• Conjugation Example: գրել (grel) – “to write”
  • Ես գրում եմ (Yes grum em) – “I am writing”
  • Դու գրում ես (Du grum es) – “You are writing” (singular)
  • Նա գրում է (Na grum e) – “He/She is writing”

Past Tense

The past tense in Armenian is used for actions that have been completed in the past. It is created by adding different suffixes to the verb stem.

• Conjugation Example: գրել (grel) – “to write”
  • Ես գրեցի (Yes gretsi) – “I wrote”
  • Դու գրեցիր (Du gretsir) – “You wrote” (singular)
  • Նա գրեց (Na grets) – “He/She wrote”

Future Tense

The future tense in Armenian indicates actions that will occur in the future. It often requires the use of auxiliary verbs.

• Example: գրել (grel) – “to write”
  • Ես կգրեմ (Yes k’grem) – “I will write”
  • Դու կգրես (Du k’gres) – “You will write” (singular)
  • Նա կգրի (Na k’gri) – “He/She will write”

Negative Form

To negate verbs in Armenian, the particle չ (ch’) or ոչ (voch) is used before the verb.

• Example: գրել (grel) – “to write”
  • Ես չեմ գրում (Yes ch’em grum) – “I am not writing”
  • Նա չի գրի (Na ch’i gri) – “He/She will not write”

Verb Moods

Armenian verbs express different moods, including indicative, imperative, subjunctive, and conditional.

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used for commands or requests. It is formed by using the verb stem for the second person singular and adding specific endings for other persons.

• Example: գրել (grel) – “to write”
  • Գրիր (Grir) – “Write!” (singular)
  • Գրեք (Gre’k’) – “Write!” (plural)

Subjunctive and Conditional Moods

The subjunctive mood expresses wishes, hypothetical situations, or actions contingent on another action. The conditional mood is used for hypothetical situations and often employs auxiliary verbs or specific conjugations.

• Subjunctive Example: Եթե գրեմ (Yete k’grem) – “If I write”
• Conditional Example: Ես կգրեի (Yes k’grei) if… – “I would write if…”

Aspect and Voice

Armenian verbs also differentiate aspect (imperfective vs. perfective) and voice (active vs. passive). These are expressed through conjugation patterns and auxiliary verbs.

• Aspect Example: Ես գրում էի (Yes grum ei) – “I was writing” (imperfective)
• Passive Voice Example: Գրվում է (Grvum e) – “It is being written”

Practice Exercises

1. Conjugate in Present Tense: Conjugate խոսել (khosel) “to speak” in the present tense for all persons.
2. Form Negative Sentences: Create negative sentences in past tense using տեսնել (tesnel) “to see.”
3. Imperative Mood Practice: Give commands using լսել (lsel) “to listen” in both singular and plural forms.
4. Subjunctive and Conditional Moods: Form sentences in subjunctive and conditional moods using գնալ (gnal) “to go.”

Conclusion

Understanding and mastering Armenian verbs are crucial for achieving fluency in the language. Through consistent practice, familiarity with conjugation patterns, and an understanding of the various moods and tenses, learners can effectively communicate in Armenian. Engage with native speakers, immerse yourself in Armenian media, and practice regularly to enhance your proficiency in this beautiful language.