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Sentence building

Present tense of regular verbs

Say what you do and what is happening now with the characteristic -ում form.

12 minute lesson

One tense, two common English meanings

Most infinitives end in -ել (-el) or -ալ (-al). For the present, remove that ending, add -ում (-um), and use the matching present form of “to be”. The result can mean both “I do” and “I am doing”.

From infinitive to present participle

InfinitivePresent formTransliterationEnglish
սիրելսիրումsirel → sirumto love / like → loving / liking
խոսելխոսումkhosel → khosumto speak → speaking
կարդալկարդումkardal → kardumto read → reading
աշխատելաշխատումashkhatel → ashkhatumto work → working

Full pattern with կարդալ

PersonArmenianTransliterationEnglish
Iկարդում եմkardum emI read / am reading
you, informalկարդում եսkardum esyou read / are reading
he / sheկարդում էkardum ereads / is reading
weկարդում ենքkardum enk’we read / are reading
you, plural / politeկարդում եքkardum ek’you read / are reading
theyկարդում ենkardum enthey read / are reading

Frequent irregular present forms

InfinitivePresent formTransliterationEnglish
գնալգնումgnal → gnumto go → going
գալգալիսgal → galisto come → coming
տալտալիսtal → talisto give → giving
լալլալիսlal → lalisto cry → crying

Examples

Ես հայերեն եմ սովորում։Yes hayeren em sovorum.I learn / am learning Armenian.
Նա Երևանում է աշխատում։Na Yerevanum e ashkhatum.He / she works in Yerevan.Pronunciation: kh is a strong throaty sound [x].
Մենք ամեն օր սուրճ ենք խմում։Menk’ amen or surch enk’ khmum.We drink coffee every day.Pronunciation: k’ is aspirated; kh is throaty; ch is unaspirated.

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