languaGreetings In Armenian: 12+ Useful Phrases
Original Blog Post: https://ling-app.com/hy/greetings-in-armenian/
How would you greet an Armenian person? What are some of the greetings in Armenian that you know will make the other person feel happy to meet you? In this blog, we will walk you through various essential phrases and Armenian greetings. You can greet another person in Eastern Armenian (the dialect spoken in Armenia) like a pro. If you are ready for that, then let’s dive in!
Greetings In Armenian
We do understand that Armenian is one of the hardest languages to learn. However, it is not impossible to master this! If you are interested in connecting with the locals and exposing yourself to the real native Armenian language, you can start by simply memorizing the basic greetings. Listed below are the easiest ones that you can belt out anytime!
Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez)
Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez) is a basic greeting in Armenian which is the first thing that you can when you meet someone. You can use this greeting at almost any time of the day. It is a polite way of greeting a stranger on the street or the people you know already.
In Armenia, the french word “merci” is also used to thank someone. This is because there is a mix of many ethnicities and languages combined under one umbrella in Armenia. If someone says Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez), then you are supposed to reply with Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez) as well. There are no other phrases that you need to use as a greeting.
Բարեւ (Barev)
A less formal and more common way of greeting in Armenia is by saying Բարեւ (Barev) only. This is a shorter version of Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez). It is polite, but at the same time, it is straightforward to use at any time of the day.
It can be understood as saying “hey” in English. It is an alternate form of hello but is not extremely casual or informal.
Պրիվետ (Privet)/Պրիվ (Priv)
Are you tired of saying Բարեւ (Barev) or Բարեւ Ձեզ (Barev DZez) all the time? Then maybe you need to look for several better alternatives. An easy way of saying Hello in Armenian is Պրիվետ (Privet). Many countries which were a part of the USSR use this Armenian greeting.
You can use this in all types of places, e.g., while waiting at a bus stop, looking at a restaurant’s dessert menu, or even at a traditional market in Armenia. This phrase is extremely easy to use
Բարի լույս (Bɑri Luys)
This greeting is made up of two main words good and light. Բարի լույս (bɑri luys) means “good morning” in Armenian. The word Բարի (Bari) means good, and լույս (luys) means light.
Since there is light in the morning, the Armenian people tend to relate the two and say “good light” as a morning greeting.
Բարի օր (Bɑri Or)
If it is afternoon or daytime, you want to greet someone with something other than good morning. For this, we have “Բարի օր (bɑri or)” which means “good day.”
Բարի երեկո (Bari Yereko)
A formal version of a good evening in Armenian is by saying Բարի երեկո (bɑri yereko). You can use this with all the older people or are of a higher status than you.
բարի իրիկուն (Bɑri Irikun)
A friendly type of version of the good evening in the Armenian language is բարի իրիկուն (bɑri irikun).
Ինչպես ես? (Inch’Pes Yes?)
Moving on to how to ask “how are you?” in the Armenian language. A formal/polite way of asking someone about their health is Ինչպես ես? (Inch’pes yes?). The word ինչպես (inch’pes) means how and ես (yes) means I.
Ինչպե՞ս եք (Inchpes Eq?)
Another informal way of asking someone how they are doing is by asking Ինչպե՞ս եք (Inchpes ek?). It is on the middle grounds where you are not being extremely formal and are also letting the other person know that you are having a slightly casual conversation.
Բարի’ ախորժակ (Bari Akhorzhak)
If you are having a meal with someone and you want to end the meal on a positive note, then you can say Բարի’ ախորժակ (Bari akhorzhak) which translates to “Have a nice meal” in Armenian.
Ներեցեք (Nerets’Ek’)
One of the most useful Armenian phrases is Ներեցեք (Nerets’ek’) which means “excuse me” in English. When you want to grab someone’s attention, you can say “Ներեցեք (Nerets’ek’).”
Լավ եմ (Lav Yem)
To answer the question “How are you?” you can say “Լավ եմ (Lav yem)” I am fine. this also means fine. A more formal way is by saying Լավ եմ, շնորհակալություն (Lav em, shnorhakalut’yun) which means “I am fine, thank you!”.
Ո՞նց ես (Vonts Es?)
An even more friendly type of phrase t ask how someone is doing is by asking “Ո՞նց ես (Vonts es?)”. This is by far the least formal and most casual way and therefore should only be used with the people you know personally and can casually talk to them.
Other Important Phrases
Speak Armenian Like A Pro
If you are learning Armenian, you might want to get an Armenian course. The good news for you is that you can also learn this beautiful language without taking any Armenian courses and for free on Ling App by Simya Solutions. On Ling App, we have teachers who can teach the Armenian language interesting and fun manner. A separate lesson is dedicated to each concept, from the basics of the language to the complex concepts. You can also learn about Armenian culture and expand your knowledge about Armenians and their culture.
