Basic Armenian Greetings & Everyday Phrases
The words you actually need first, in both Eastern and Western Armenian, with the formal and informal versions marked so you say the right one to the right person.
Before you start
Armenian splits into two branches. Eastern Armenian is the standard in Armenia and Iran. Western Armenian is what most of the diaspora speaks, including Los Angeles, Beirut, Istanbul and Buenos Aires. The writing is the same alphabet, but a set of consonants swap sound between them, which is why the same greeting is barev in one and parev in the other.
If you are unsure which to learn, pick the one your family or your neighbourhood speaks. Both columns below give you the same phrase, so you can read across.
Quick pronunciation key
- kh — guttural, like Scottish “loch”
- gh — a soft guttural r, from the throat
- ts — like “cats”
- dz — like “beds”
- zh — like the s in “measure”
- u — like “oo” in food
- y — like the y in “yes”
- e — like the e in “bed”
Greetings
| English | Eastern Armenian | Western Armenian |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (informal) | Բարև barev |
Պարեւ parev |
| Hello (formal or to more than one person) | Բարև ձեզ barev dzez |
Պարեւ ձեզի parev tzezi |
| Good morning | Բարի լույս bari luys |
Բարի լոյս pari luys |
| Good day | Բարի օր bari or |
Բարի օր pari or |
| Good evening | Բարի երեկո bari yereko |
Բարի իրիկուն pari irigun |
| Good night | Բարի գիշեր bari gisher |
Բարի գիշեր pari kisher |
| Welcome | Բարի գալուստ bari galust |
Բարի եկաք pari yegak |
| Goodbye | Ցտեսություն tstesutyun |
Ցտեսութիւն tstesutyun |
| See you later | Կտեսնվենք ktesnvenk |
Կը տեսնուինք guh desnvink |
| Take care | Ինքդ քեզ պահիր inkt kez pahir |
Ինքզինքիդ հոգ տար inkzinkit hok dar |
Politeness
| English | Eastern Armenian | Western Armenian |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Շնորհակալություն shnorhakalutyun |
Շնորհակալութիւն shnorhagalutyun |
| Thanks (casual) | Մերսի mersi |
Մերսի mersi |
| Thank you very much | Շատ շնորհակալ եմ shat shnorhakal em |
Շատ շնորհակալ եմ shad shnorhagal em |
| Please / you are welcome | Խնդրեմ khndrem |
Կը խնդրեմ guh khntrem |
| Yes | Այո ayo |
Այո ayo |
| No | Ոչ voch |
Ոչ voch |
| Excuse me | Ներողություն neroghutyun |
Ներողութիւն neroghutyun |
| Sorry (informal) | Կներես kneres |
Ներէ nere |
| Sorry (formal) | Կներեք knerek |
Ներեցէք neretsek |
| No problem | Ոչինչ vochinch |
Հոգ չէ hok che |
Introductions
| English | Eastern Armenian | Western Armenian |
|---|---|---|
| What is your name? (informal) | Անունդ ի՞նչ է anunt inch e |
Անունդ ի՞նչ է anunet inch e |
| What is your name? (formal) | Ձեր անունն ի՞նչ է dzer anunn inch e |
Ձեր անունը ի՞նչ է tzer anunu inch e |
| My name is... | Իմ անունը ... է im anuny ... e |
Անունս ... է anuns ... e |
| Nice to meet you | Ուրախ եմ ծանոթանալ urakh em tsanotanal |
Ուրախ եմ ծանօթանալու urakh em dzanotanalu |
| How are you? (informal) | Ինչպե՞ս ես inchpes es |
Ինչպէ՞ս ես inchbes es |
| How are you? (formal) | Ինչպե՞ս եք inchpes ek |
Ինչպէ՞ս էք inchbes ek |
| I am well | Լավ եմ lav em |
Աղէկ եմ aghek em |
| And you? | Իսկ դու՞ isk du |
Իսկ դո՞ւն isk tun |
| What is new? | Ի՞նչ կա չկա inch ka chka |
Ի՞նչ կայ չկայ inch ga chga |
| Where are you from? | Որտեղի՞ց ես vorteghits es |
Ուրկէ՞ ես urke es |
Getting by
| English | Eastern Armenian | Western Armenian |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Անգլերեն խոսու՞մ եք angleren khosum ek |
Անգլերէն կը խօսի՞ք angleren guh khosik |
| I do not understand | Չեմ հասկանում chem haskanum |
Չեմ հասկնար chem haskenar |
| I do not speak Armenian well | Հայերեն լավ չեմ խոսում hayeren lav chem khosum |
Հայերէն աղէկ չեմ խօսիր hayeren aghek chem khosir |
| Please speak slowly | Խնդրում եմ դանդաղ խոսեք khndrum em dandagh khosek |
Կը խնդրեմ դանդաղ խօսեցէք guh khntrem tantagh khosetsek |
| How much is it? | Ի՞նչ արժե inch arzhe |
Ի՞նչ արժէ inch arzhe |
| Where is...? | Որտե՞ղ է vortegh e |
Ո՞ւր է ur e |
| I would like... | Ուզում եմ... uzum em |
Կ՚ուզեմ... guzem |
| The bill, please | Հաշիվը, խնդրեմ hashivy khndrem |
Հաշիւը, կը խնդրեմ hashivu guh khntrem |
| Help | Օգնություն ognutyun |
Օգնութիւն oknutyun |
| I am lost | Կորել եմ korel em |
Կորսուած եմ gorsvadz em |
Celebrations and affection
| English | Eastern Armenian | Western Armenian |
|---|---|---|
| Congratulations | Շնորհավոր shnorhavor |
Շնորհաւոր shnorhavor |
| Happy birthday | Շնորհավոր ծնունդդ shnorhavor tsnunded |
Շնորհաւոր ծնունդդ shnorhavor dzununed |
| Cheers (a toast) | Կենաց kenats |
Կենացդ genatset |
| Enjoy your meal | Բարի ախորժակ bari akhorzhak |
Բարի ախորժակ pari akhorzhag |
| Good luck | Հաջողություն hajoghutyun |
Յաջողութիւն hadzoghutyun |
| I love you | Սիրում եմ քեզ sirum em kez |
Կը սիրեմ քեզ guh sirem kez |
| My dear (added to a name) | ջան jan |
ջան jan |
| Let me take your pain (a term of love) | Ցավդ տանեմ tsavt tanem |
Ցաւդ տանիմ tsavut danim |
Formal or informal, and how to tell
Armenian has two forms of “you”, the same way French and Spanish do. դու (du) is for friends, children and family. Դուք (duk) is for elders, strangers, anyone at work, and for more than one person at once.
The safe move with an older Armenian you have just met is the formal one, barev dzez rather than plain barev. Nobody is offended by being addressed respectfully, and the reverse is noticed.
The effort counts more than the accuracy
Armenian is a hard language for English speakers and nobody expects a visitor to get it right. Opening with barev dzez and closing with shnorhakalutyun changes the whole tenor of a conversation, even if everything in between is in English.
Common questions
How do you say hello in Armenian?
Barev (Բարև) in Eastern Armenian, parev in Western. For elders, strangers or a group, use the formal barev dzez. It works at any hour, unlike the time-specific greetings such as bari luys for good morning.
How do you say thank you in Armenian?
Shnorhakalutyun (؋նորհակալուءյուն) is the full word, and it is a mouthful even for Armenians. In everyday speech most people say mersi, borrowed from French. Both are completely normal.
What does jan mean?
It is a term of endearment added after someone’s name, roughly “dear” but far more common than that sounds in English. Ani jan, mama jan, akhper jan. It signals affection and familiarity rather than formality.
What does tsavt tanem mean?
Literally “let me take your pain”. It is said to someone you love, often by a parent or grandparent, and carries the sense of wishing you could suffer in their place. It has no English equivalent and is one of the most Armenian phrases there is.
Should I learn Eastern or Western Armenian?
Learn the one spoken around you. Eastern if you are going to Armenia or your family is from there or Iran. Western if your community is diaspora, which covers most of Los Angeles, the Middle East and Europe. The alphabet is the same either way, so nothing is wasted.
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