Indefinite and definite articles
Express “a” and “the” with the Armenian article system.
The article comes in a different place
The indefinite article is placed before the noun. The definite article is attached to the end of the noun: usually -ը (-ə) after a consonant and -ն (-n) after a vowel. Before a following vowel or a form of “to be”, -ն (-n) is commonly used.
Core patterns
| Meaning | Armenian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | մի գիրք | mi girk’ | a book |
| definite after consonant | գիրքը | girk’ə | the book |
| indefinite | մի կատու | mi katu | a cat |
| definite after vowel | կատուն | katun | the cat |
| before the copula | գիրքն է | girk’n e | is the book |
Examples
Սա մի գիրք է։Sa mi girk’ e.This is a book.Pronunciation: k’ is aspirated, with a puff of air.
Գիրքն այստեղ է։Girk’n aystegh e.The book is here.Pronunciation: gh is a voiced throaty sound.
Կատուն փոքր է։Katun p’ok’r e.The cat is small.Pronunciation: p’ and k’ are aspirated.
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Practice this lesson
Eight questions are drawn from this lesson and reshuffled every time.
Questions switch between recognition and recall, so you practise both meaning and the Armenian form.