Language/Armenian/Grammar/Asking-Questions

How to ask questions in Armenian

Hi/բարև Armenian Learners! 😃

We are already familiar with interrogative sentences.

➡ In this section we will review the structure of interrogative sentences and will learn a few new question words.

Happy learning!

Questions can be divided into 2 groups:

1. general questions
2. special questions

General Questions

The structure of general questions follow the same pattern as a regular sentence. The only written difference is the use of a question mark. The question mark is placed on the last vowel of the word that is the focus of the question. The spoken difference is a change in intonation.

1. Անահիտը կարող է գիթար նվագել: Anahit can play the guitar.
2. Անահիտը կարո՞ղ է գիթար նվագել: Can Anahit play the guitar?

Special Questions

Special questions are questions which use interrogative pronouns like:

• ի՞նչ - “what?”,
• ո՞վ - “who?”,
• ովքե՞ր - “who (plural)?.”

Below are 7 types of special questions.

Quantity

To ask information about quantity use the question words:

• որքա՞ն - “how much?”
• քանի՞ - “how many?” “how much?”
• ինչքա՞ն - “how much?”

1. Քանի՞ մարդ կա ձեզ հետ: How many people are there with you?
2. Որքա՞ն գինի կա այս շշի մեջ: How much wine is there in this bottle?
3. Ինչքա՞ն դրամ ունես։ How much money do you have?

Quality

Sentences that ask for information about quality, or the specific object use the words:

• ինչպիսի՞ - “what kind of?”
• ո՞ր - “which?”
• ի՞նչ - “what kind of?” “what?, etc.

1. Ինչպիսի՞ բնակարան եք ցանկանում վարձել: What kind of apartment do you want to rent?
2. Ի՞նչ ստացաք ձեր ընկերոջից: What did you receive from your friend?
3. Ո՞ր տանն եք ապրում դուք: Which house do you live in?

Method

Sentences that ask about method are formed with the words:

• ինչպե՞ս - “how?”
• ո՞նց - “through what method?”

1. Ինչպե՞ս կարողացար ինձ գտնել: How were you able to find me?
2. Ո՞նց բացեմ այս դուռը։ How can I open this door?

Time

Questions that ask information about time are formed with the word:

• ե՞րբ - “when?”

1. Ե՞րբ ես ինձ այցելելու: When will you visit me?

Purpose

Questions that ask about the purpose are formed with the words:

• ինչու՞ - “why?”
• ի՞նչ նպատակով - “with what purpose?”

1. Ինչու՞ կատարվեց այս ամենը: Why did all this happen?
2. Ի՞նչ նպատակով է նա գնում Բեռլին։ With what purpose is he going to Berlin?

Cause

Questions that ask about the cause are formed with the words:

• ինչու՞ - “why?”,
• ի՞նչ պատճառով - “with what cause?”

1. Ինչու՞ այսօր անձրև եկավ։ Why did it rain today?
2. Ի՞նչ պատճառով է կոտրվել բաժակը։ What caused the cup to break?

Location

Questions that ask about location are formed with words:

• որտե՞ղ - “where?”
• ու՞ր - “to where?”

1. Հիմա մենք որտե՞ղ ենք: Where are we now?
2. Ու՞ր ենք տանում ծաղիկները: To where are we bringing the flowers?

Disjunctive questions

In Armenian disjunctive questions are formed by simply adding the word “չէ՞” to the sentence. We use the same rule both for affirmative and negative sentences.

1. Դու երեկոյան հաց ես թխելու, չէ՞: You are going to bake bread in the evening, aren't you?
2. Դու երեկոյան հաց չես թխելու, չէ՞։ You are not going to bake bread in the evening, are you?

Alternative questions

In Armenian the alternative questions are formed by the help of թե՞ - “or.”

1. Նա ուզում է թեյ, թե՞ սուրճ։ Does she want tea or coffee?
2. Դու եկար Վանաձորից, թե՞ Գյումրիից։ Did you come from Vanadzor or Gumri?
3. Ես բժիշկ եմ, թե՞ վարորդ։ Am I a doctor or a driver?

Interrogative Pronouns

As in English, interrogative pronouns such as ի՞նչ, ո՞ր, ինչպե՞ս, ե՞րբ etc. can also function as relative pronouns. In this case the question mark is not used and the word is pronounced without the special intonation.

1. Ես սկսեցի երգել, երբ նա ներս մտավ: I began to sing when she came into the room.
2. Արտակն ինձ պատմեց, թե ինչպես է կորցրել իր բանալին: Artak told me how he had lost his key.
3. Ես չգիտեմ, թե նա ինչպիսի զգեստներ է սիրում: I don't know what kind of dresses she likes.
4. Դուք լավ գիտեք, թե ես ուր եմ գնում։ You know very well where I am going.
5. Ասա, թե ոնց բացեմ դուռը։ Tell me, how to open this door.
6. Ոչ ոք չի հասկանում, թե դու ում ես ծառայում։ Nobody understand who you serve.

Full list of Question words in Armenian

➡ See this lesson: Armenian Question Words

Sources

• https://slaviccenters.duke.edu/sites/slaviccenters.duke.edu/files/handbook_of_armenian.pdf
• https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/Armenian/Grammar/Questions
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7RzMWiusTU