We have already learned the following letters: Ա, Բ, Գ, Դ, Ե, Զ, Է, Թ, Լ, Յ, Ո, Ռ, Ր, Փ, Ք. The next letter that we are going to learn is Ը ը (ət'). It is the Armenian schwa and sounds like the unstressed English indefinite article "a". We shall represent it with the IPA character ə in our transcriptions of the words. This letter is usually used at the beginning of a word. In all other positions when this sound is heard between consonants we normally don't write it, if not for some special reason, for example, in the poetry or songs, to make clear how this or that word must be correctly divided into syllables to read or sing it correctly.
Two letters for the sound "v"
If Ը ը is normally used at the beginning of a word, Ւ ւ (viun) is NOT used at the beginning of a word. This letter is pronounced as "v". There is an opinion that it sounded like the English "w" in old times because of which in the IPA system for Classical Armenian this letter is presented with the character "w". However, there is another opinion too that considers that even in ancient times this letter's pronunciation was "v". That is why we shall not present this letter in our lessons as "w" so that the learners may not be confused and pronounce it as the English "w". Ւ ւ in the alphabet corresponds to the Greek Υυ though again they are not completely the same in their pronunciations, as I have already mentioned concerning some other letters. This letter following the letter Ո ո (vo) makes a digraph for the sound "u" (="oo") - ՈՒ ու (that is, "vo" + "viun"). This is like the Greek "ου".
Now, if Ւ ւ is not used at the beginning of a word, the letter Վ վ (vev) which sounds similarly is used in Classical Armenian at the beginning of a word and after the letter Ո ո (vo). For example, գովել (govel / k'ovel). We can't write Ւ ւ here instead of Վ վ because, as we have just told, Ւ ւ following Ո ո makes the digraph for "u" (="oo"). That is why, in order to read "ov" and not "u" we need to write the other letter for the sound "v" - Վ վ.
As you may see from the description of these two letters, they are just allographs, that is, two letters for the same sound.
Some other letters
Մ մ (men)
Ն ն (nu=noo)
Հ հ (ho)
Ս ս (se)
These letters represent the sounds with which their names begin. They are pronounced as their English equivalents.
Grammar
Personal Pronouns
The present short forms of the verb "to be"
Grammar
Personal Pronouns
ես (yes) I
դու (du / tu) you (singular)
նա (na) he, she, it
մեք (mek') we
դուք (duk' / tuk') you
նոքա (nok'a) theyThe Armenian language, whether Classical or modern, does not have grammatical gender, just like the modern English language. There are not nouns, adjectives etc that are of the feminine, masculine or neutral gender. And even the personal pronouns do not distinguish between male and female persons. So there is only one նա (na) for both "he" and "she".
The present short forms of the verb "to be"
եմ (em) am
ես (es) (you) are
է (e) is
եմք (emk') (we) are
էք (ek') (you) are
են (en) (they) are
Be careful not to confuse the letters ե and է. Also pay attention that the above forms that start with ե are pronounced today in their ancient pronunciation, as "em", "es", "emk'", "en" and not "yem", "yes" etc according to the rule of the letter Ե ե (as we have already learned, we normally read this letter as "ye" at the beginning of a word). You will hear these forms to be read with the initial sound "y" by some Western Armenians when reading Classical Armenian texts. But this is not recommended.
Ես եմ (yes em) I am
Դու ես (du es / tu es) you are
Նա է (na e) he / she / it is
Մեք եմք (mek' emk') we are
Դուք էք (duk' ek' / t'uk ek') you are
Նոքա են (nok'a en) they areՈ՞ է նա (vo e na?). Ո՞վ է նա (Ov e na?).
Both mean: Who is he/she?
The words ո (vo) and ով (ov) are synonymous but the second word is read according to the ancient Armenian pronunciation, that is, not "vov", but "ov". This is an exception. There are several other exceptions too, which we'll learn later.
Հայր քո։ (Hayr k'o) - Your father.
Մայր քո։ (Mayr k'o) - Your mother.
Նա է հայր մեր։ (Na e հayr mer) - He is our father.
մեր (mer) - our
նորա (nora) - his/her
Սա է հայր քո։ (Sa e hayr k'o) - This is your father.
Այս է հայր քո։ (Ays e hayr k'o) - the same
Դա է մայր նորա։ (Da / T'a e mayr nora) - That is his/her mother.
Այդ է մայր նորա։ (Ayd / ayt' e mayr nora) - the same
Ո՞ւր է մայր նորա։ (Ur e mayr nora?) - Where is his/her mother?
ուր (ur=oor) - where
Անդ է մայր նորա։ (And /ant' e mayr nora) - His/her mother is there.
անդ (and / ant') - there
մարդ (mard or mart'/ mart') - man, human being
հաւ (hav) - grandfather; bird
հան (han) - grandmother
հարսն (ha´rsən) - bride
նու (nu=noo) - daughter-in-law, sister-in-law
նաւ (nav) - shipԱյս է դաս մեր երրորդ։ (Ays e das / t'as mer yerrord / yerrort') - This is our third lesson.
հով (hov) - cool
զով (zov) - cool
արեւ (arev) - sun
դեւ (dev / t'ev) - demon
աւազան (avazan) - basin, font
ընդ քեզ (ənd/ənt' kez) - with you
ընդդէմ (ənddem/ənt't'em) - against
ըմբռնել (əmbər'nel/əmp'ər'nel) - to take, to hold; to comprehend
ընթանալ (ənt'anal) - to go, to run, to walk
ընթեռնուլ (ənt'er'nul=ənt'er'nool) - to read
Անուն քո Վահա՞ն է։ (Anun k'o Vahan e?) - Is your name Vahan?
անուն (anun) - name
Այո՛, Վահան է։ (Ayo, Vahan e) - Yes, it is Vahan.
այո (ayo) - yes
վահան (vahan) - shield
Յովհաննէս (Hovhannes) - John
Վարդան (Vardan or Vart'an / Vart'an)
Մովսէս (Movses) - Moses
Աբրահամ (Abraham / Ap'raham)
դաս (das / t'as) - lesson
երրորդ (yerrord / yerrort') - third
FOR PRACTICE
EA pronunciation - գամ (gam), գաս (gas), գան (gan), գայք (gayk'), դառն (darən), լոյս (luys), յոյս (huys), բոյս (buys), գոյն (guyn), մանանայ (manana), նայել (nayel), վարդ (vard/vart'), վազել (vazel), վագր (vagər), աւազան (avazan), գաւազան (gavazan), բաւ (bav), հաւ (hav), գայլ (gayl), սայլ (sayl), յարդ (hard), հարթ (hart'), մարդ (mard/mart'), դաս (das), բարդ (bard/bart'), բան (ban), բանք (bank'), գէս (ges), վէս (ves), հեզ (hez), բեռն (ber'ən), գառն (gar'ən), սառն (sar'ən), թոռն (t'or'ən), սեաւ (seav), բալ (bal), ահաւոր (ahavor), թագաւոր (t'agavor), դուռն (dur'ən), բուռն (bur'ən), թերանալ (t'eranal), հեռանալ (her'anal), գոյանալ (goyanal), գոյ (goy), փառք (p'ar'k'), փառաւոր (p'ar'avor), վառ (var'), լեառն (near'ən), յառնել (har'nel), ընդել (əndel), ընդդէմ (ənddem), ընթա (ənt'a), ընթեռնում (ənt'er'num), ընթեռնուս (ənt'er'nus), ընթեռնու (ənt'er'nu)։
WA pronunciation - գամ (k'am), գաս (k'as), գան (k'an), գայք (k'ayk'), դառն (t'arən), լոյս (luys), յոյս (huys), բոյս (p'uys), գոյն (k'uyn), մանանայ (manana), նայել (nayel), վարդ (vart'), վազել (vazel), վագր (vak'ər), աւազան (avazan), գաւազան (k'avazan), բաւ (p'av), հաւ (hav), գայլ (k'ayl), սայլ (sayl), յարդ (hart'), հարթ (hart'), մարդ (mart'), դաս (t'as), բարդ (p'art'), բան (p'an), բանք (p'ank'), գէս (k'es), վէս (ves), հեզ (hez), բեռն (p'er'ən), գառն (k'ar'ən), սառն (sar'ən), թոռն (t'or'ən), սեաւ (seav), բալ (p'al), ահաւոր (ahavor), թագաւոր (t'ak'avor), դուռն (tur'ən), բուռն (p'ur'ən), թերանալ (t'eranal), հեռանալ (her'anal), գոյանալ (k'oyanal), գոյ (k'oy), փառք (p'ar'k'), փառաւոր (p'ar'avor), վառ (var'), լեառն (lear'ən), յառնել (har'nel), ընդել (ənt'el), ընդդէմ (ənt't'em), ընթա (ənt'a), ընթեռնում (ənt'er'num), ընթեռնուս (ənt'er'nus), ընթեռնու (ənt'er'nu)։
Capital letters:
Գամ (gam), Գաս (gas), Դառն (darən), Լոյս (luys), Յոյս (huys), Բոյս (buys), Մանանայ (manana), Վարդ (vard/vart'), Վազել (vazel), Վագր (vagər), ԱՒԱԶԱՆ (avazan), ԲԱՒ (bav), ՀԱՒ (hav), ԳԱՅԼ (gayl), Սայլ (sayl), ՅԱՐԴ (hard), ՀԱՐԹ (hart'), Մարդ (mard/mart'), ԴԱՍ (das), Բարդ (bard/bart'), ԲԱՆ (ban), ԲԱՆՔ (bank'), ԳԷՍ(ges), Վէս (ves), ՀԵԶ (hez), ԲԵՌՆ (ber'ən), Սառն (sar'ən), Թոռն (t'or'ən), Սեաւ (seav), Բալ (bal), Ահաւոր (ahavor), ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ (t'agavor), Դուռն (dur'ən), Բուռն (bur'ən), ԹԵՐԱՆԱԼ (t'eranal), ՀԵՌԱՆԱԼ (her'anal), Գոյանալ (goyanal), ԳՈՅ (goy), ՓԱՌՔ (p'ar'k'), Փառաւոր (p'ar'avor), Վառ (var'), Լեառն (lear'ən), Յառնել (har'nel), ԸՆԴԵԼ (əndel), Ընդդէմ (ənddem), ԸՆԹԱ (ənt'a), Ընթեռնում (ənt'er'num), Ընթեռնուս (ənt'er'nus), Ընթեռնու (ənt'er'nu)։
To listen to the Armenian letters, words and sentences of this lesson click on the following link -
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