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Tenses and connections

Simple past

Talk about a completed event with common regular and irregular past forms.

14 minute lesson

The completed past is a single conjugated word

Unlike the present tense, the simple past does not use the present auxiliary. Verb stems can change, so begin with frequent verbs and notice recurring person endings.

Regular pattern with “to love / like”

PersonArmenianTransliterationEnglish
IսիրեցիsiretsiI loved / liked
you, informalսիրեցիրsiretsiryou loved / liked
he / sheսիրեցsiretshe / she loved / liked
weսիրեցինքsiretsink’we loved / liked
you, plural / politeսիրեցիքsiretsik’you loved / liked
theyսիրեցինsiretsinthey loved / liked

Frequent first-person forms

InfinitivePast formTransliterationEnglish
գնալգնացիgnal → gnatsito go → I went
գալեկաgal → yekato come → I came
տեսնելտեսաtesnel → tesato see → I saw
ուտելկերաutel → kerato eat → I ate
խմելխմեցիkhmel → khmetsito drink → I drank
անելարեցիanel → aretsito do → I did

Negative past pattern

PersonArmenianTransliterationEnglish
Iչսիրեցիch’siretsiI did not like
you, informalչսիրեցիրch’siretsiryou did not like
he / sheչսիրեցch’siretshe / she did not like
weչսիրեցինքch’siretsink’we did not like
you, plural / politeչսիրեցիքch’siretsik’you did not like
theyչսիրեցինch’siretsinthey did not like

Examples

Երեկ գնացի Երևան։Yerek gnatsi Yerevan.Yesterday I went to Yerevan.Pronunciation: ts is one blended sound.
Ես սուրճ խմեցի։Yes surch khmetsi.I drank coffee.Pronunciation: ch is unaspirated; kh is throaty; ts is blended.
Ես չգնացի։Yes ch’gnatsi.I did not go.Pronunciation: ch’ is aspirated; ts is blended.

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