Demonstrative Adjectives: This, That, These, Those
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Armenian uses a three-tier system based on distance from the speaker: 'sa' (near), 'da' (near listener), and 'na' (far).
- Use 'sa' for things close to you: 'sa girq e' (this is a book).
- Use 'da' for things close to the person you are talking to: 'da qo girq e' (that is your book).
- Use 'na' for things far from both of you: 'na heru tun e' (that is a house far away).
Demonstrative Usage Table
| Form | Meaning | Distance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sa
|
This
|
Near speaker
|
Sa girq e
|
|
Da
|
That
|
Near listener
|
Da girq e
|
|
Na
|
That
|
Far away
|
Na girq e
|
None
| N/A |
|---|
|
N/A
|
Meanings
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns identify the location of an object relative to the speaker and listener.
Proximal (Near speaker)
Objects close to the speaker.
“Sa im tun e.”
“Sa lav ginu e.”
Medial (Near listener)
Objects close to the person being addressed.
“Da qo grich e?”
“Da miayn qo gaghaphar e.”
Distal (Far from both)
Objects distant from both participants.
“Na sar e.”
“Na mer hin dproc e.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Sa + Noun + e
|
Sa tun e
|
|
Negative
|
Sa + Noun + che
|
Sa tun che
|
|
Question
|
Sa + Noun + e?
|
Sa tun e?
|
|
Plural
|
Sa + Noun(pl) + en
|
Sa tner en
|
|
Adjective
|
Sa + Noun
|
Sa tun
|
|
Pronoun
|
Sa + e
|
Sa e
|
طيف الرسمية
Sa im tun e. (Casual conversation)
Sa im tun e. (Casual conversation)
Sa im tun a. (Casual conversation)
Sa im tunna. (Casual conversation)
The Distance Triangle
Near Listener
- Da That
Far Away
- Na That
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Sa im girq e.
This is my book.
Da qo grich e.
That is your pen.
Na im tun e.
That is my house.
Sa inch e?
What is this?
Sa lav or e.
This is a good day.
Da miayn qo xndir e.
That is only your problem.
Na heru sar e.
That is a far mountain.
Sa im ynkern e.
This is my friend.
Sa ayn gaghaphar e, vor menq qnnarkum einq.
This is the idea that we were discussing.
Da ayn e, inch du uzum eir.
That is what you wanted.
Na ayn mardn e, um menq tesanq.
That is the man whom we saw.
Sa amenalav tarberakn e.
This is the best option.
Sa aynpisi iravitchak e, vortegh petq e zgush linel.
This is such a situation where one must be careful.
Da aynpisi patasxan e, vorin menq cheinq spasum.
That is such an answer that we were not expecting.
Na aynpisi herankar e, vor mez hnaravorutyun kta.
That is such a prospect that will give us an opportunity.
Sa aynpisi dzhvarutyun e, vorin menq sovor chenq.
This is such a difficulty that we are not used to.
Sa ayn e, inch kochvum e irakanutyun.
This is what is called reality.
Da ayn e, inch naxord angam qnnarkel einq.
That is what we discussed last time.
Na ayn e, inch mnum e patmutyan grkum.
That is what remains in the book of history.
Sa ayn e, inch petq e yuraqanchyur mard imana.
This is what every person should know.
Sa ayn e, vorin dzgtum en bolory.
This is what everyone strives for.
Da ayn e, vorin menq petq e harganqov motenanq.
That is what we must approach with respect.
Na ayn e, inch karogh e phoxel mer kyanqy.
That is what can change our lives.
Sa ayn e, inch kochvum e tchisht yntrutyun.
This is what is called the right choice.
سهل الخلط
Learners mix up 'this' and 'that near you'.
Learners mix up 'that near you' and 'that far away'.
Learners use 'sa' for people.
أخطاء شائعة
Sa girq
Sa girq e
Na im girq
Na im girq e
Da girq e
Sa girq e
Sa girq che
Sa girq e
Sa tner e
Sa tner en
Na girq-ner
Na girq-ner en
Da im e
Da imn e
Sa ayn girq vor...
Sa ayn girq e, vor...
Na mardik en
Na mardik en
Da im gaghaphar che
Da im gaghaphar che
Sa ayn e vor...
Sa ayn e, vor...
Da ayn e inch...
Da ayn e, inch...
Na ayn e vor...
Na ayn e, vor...
أنماط الجُمل
Sa ___ e.
Da ___ e?
Na ___ e, vor menq tesanq.
Sa ayn ___ e, vorin menq spasum einq.
Real World Usage
Sa im nor nkar e!
Da inch e?
Sa im ashxatanqayin phordz e.
Na heru sar e?
Sa im patver e.
Sa inch arzhe?
Use your hands
Don't forget the verb
Use 'da' for discourse
Be polite
Smart Tips
Use 'da' as it is the most neutral.
Ensure you include the 'e' verb.
Use 'da' to refer to the previous sentence.
Pluralize the noun, not the demonstrative.
النطق
Vowel reduction
In informal speech, 'e' often becomes 'a'.
Question intonation
Sa girq e↗?
Rising pitch at the end for questions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Sa-Da-Na: S-D-N. 'S' is for 'Self' (near me), 'D' is for 'Dude' (near you), 'N' is for 'No-man's land' (far away).
ربط بصري
Imagine holding a book (Sa), pointing to your friend's book (Da), and pointing to a book on a shelf across the room (Na).
Rhyme
Sa is near, Da is near you, Na is far, that is true.
Story
I hold a pen (Sa). You hold a pen (Da). The teacher holds a pen far away (Na). We all have pens.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Point to three things in your room and say the correct Armenian demonstrative for each in 30 seconds.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Armenians are very precise about spatial distance. Using the wrong demonstrative can sound unnatural.
The demonstratives 'sa', 'da', 'na' are inherited from Old Armenian.
بدايات محادثة
Sa inch e?
Da qo grich e?
Sa lav or e, che?
Na heru sar e, te mot?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
___ im girq e (holding it).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Na im grich.
Sa im tun e.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Sa / e / girq / im
A: Da qo grich e? B: ___.
Can 'sa' be used for things far away?
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercises___ im girq e (holding it).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Na im grich.
Sa im tun e.
Match: Sa, Da, Na
Sa / e / girq / im
A: Da qo grich e? B: ___.
Can 'sa' be used for things far away?
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Yes, if you are pointing to them. Otherwise, use personal pronouns.
It is the verb 'to be'. Without it, the sentence is incomplete.
Yes, or for things just mentioned in conversation.
Use 'da' as a safe middle ground.
Yes, but the demonstrative stays the same; the noun changes.
Yes, they are standard in all registers.
No, Armenian does not have grammatical gender.
Use 'sa' with a plural noun.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
este, ese, aquel
Spanish has gender agreement; Armenian does not.
kore, sore, are
Japanese uses different words for things vs places vs people.
this, that
English lacks the medial 'da' category.
dieser, jener
German is binary; Armenian is ternary.
hatha, thalika
Arabic is binary; Armenian is ternary.
zhe, na
Chinese is binary; Armenian is ternary.
