The verb “to be”
Build identity, description, location, and state sentences with the present-tense copula.
An essential irregular verb
The present forms of “to be” normally come after the noun, adjective, location, or other information that describes the subject. Armenian often omits the subject pronoun when the verb form already makes the person clear.
Present affirmative
| Person | Armenian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ես եմ | yes em | I am |
| you, informal | դու ես | du es | you are |
| he / she / it | նա է | na e | he / she / it is |
| we | մենք ենք | menk’ enk’ | we are |
| you, plural / polite | դուք եք | duk’ ek’ | you are |
| they | նրանք են | nrank’ en | they are |
Present negative
| Person | Armenian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | ես չեմ | yes ch’em | I am not |
| you, informal | դու չես | du ch’es | you are not |
| he / she / it | նա չէ | na ch’e | he / she / it is not |
| we | մենք չենք | menk’ ch’enk’ | we are not |
| you, plural / polite | դուք չեք | duk’ ch’ek’ | you are not |
| they | նրանք չեն | nrank’ ch’en | they are not |
Statements, questions, and emphasis
A yes/no question keeps the same words and uses Armenian question intonation and punctuation. The copula normally follows the predicate, but it can move next to the focused word in longer sentences.
Examples
Ես հոգնած եմ։Yes hognats em.I am tired.Pronunciation: ts is one blended sound, as in “cats”.
Նա Երևանում է։Na Yerevanum e.He / she is in Yerevan.
Մենք պատրաստ չենք։Menk’ patrast ch’enk’.We are not ready.Pronunciation: k’ and ch’ are aspirated, with a puff of air.
Use it now
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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.