B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 44

Word Formation: Derivation & Compounding

6 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power of Armenian word building to express complex ideas with ease and precision.

  • Master common suffixes and prefixes to expand your vocabulary exponentially.
  • Construct compound words to describe objects and people naturally.
  • Apply verbal nouns and diminutives to add nuance to your daily conversations.
Build your vocabulary, piece by piece.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Explore how new words are formed in Armenian through suffixes, prefixes, and compounding. This chapter also covers verbal nouns and morphological processes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Derive new words using standard Armenian suffixes and prefixes.

Conseils et astuces (4)

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Guessing

If you see a word ending in -ություն, it is almost certainly a noun.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Suffixes: Changing Word Class
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Check the root

Always find the root word first to understand the prefix's effect.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prefixes: Modifying Meaning
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The Vowel Drop

If the first word ends in 'u', drop it before adding 'a'. Jur -> Jr-a-man.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Compound Nouns: Combining Words
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Auxiliary Verb

Always remember the auxiliary verb 'եմ' for continuous actions.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbal Nouns: -ում, -ել

Vocabulaire clé (5)

գրական literary (from 'գիր' - book) անհնար impossible (prefix 'ան' + 'հնար') լուսամուտ window (compound: light + eye/opening) ընթերցում reading (verbal noun) փոքրիկ tiny/little (diminutive)

Real-World Preview

home

Describing a new home

Review Summary

  • Root + Suffix
  • Prefix + Root

Erreurs courantes

Prefixes like 'ան-' don't always need additional suffixes when used as direct modifiers.

Wrong: Անհնարինը գործ է
Correct: Անհնար գործ է

Use verbal nouns (-ում) to sound more formal and academic.

Wrong: Նա գրում է գրքեր
Correct: Նա զբաղվում է գրքերի ընթերցմամբ

Diminutives already imply smallness; 'very' is redundant.

Wrong: Շատ փոքրիկ տուն
Correct: Փոքրիկ տուն

Next Steps

Congratulations on finishing this level! You have mastered the building blocks of the Armenian language. Keep practicing and exploring!

Read a short Armenian news article and highlight compound words.

Continue to: The Subjunctive Mood: Wishes & Possibilities

Pratique rapide (10)

Fill in the blank.

Սա ___ է (impossible).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: անհնար
ան- is the negation prefix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prefixes: Modifying Meaning

Choose the correct word.

Which word means 'excellent'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: գերազանց
գեր- is the intensity prefix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prefixes: Modifying Meaning

Combine 'Ծաղիկ' (Flower) and 'Աման' (Pot) using the linking vowel.

Սա գեղեցիկ ___ է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ծաղկաման
The 'i' in 'tsaghik' drops out, and the linking vowel 'a' is added.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Compound Nouns: Combining Words

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Is 'ան հնար' correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: No, it should be անհնար
No spaces allowed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prefixes: Modifying Meaning

Fill in the correct form.

Ես ___ եմ։ (to write)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: գրում
Continuous form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbal Nouns: -ում, -ել

Pick the diminutive.

Which is the diminutive of 'շուն'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: շնիկ
-իկ is the suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Diminutives and Augmentatives

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ես ուտում եմ
Needs auxiliary.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbal Nouns: -ում, -ել

Fill in the blank.

Սա ___ (science) գիրք է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: գիտական
Needs an adjective.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Suffixes: Changing Word Class

Choose the correct compound adjective.

Which word means 'long-legged'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: երկարաոտ
երկարաոտ means long-legged.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Compound Adjectives: Describing with Two Words

Correct the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Նա բարի-սիրտ է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Նա բարեսիրտ է։
Compound adjectives are single words without hyphens.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Compound Adjectives: Describing with Two Words

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Usually no, it makes the word clunky.
Yes, in modern Armenian, they are always attached directly without spaces or hyphens.
Rarely, but it is possible in very complex technical terms.
Technically yes, but only certain combinations are standard. Creating your own might sound like poetry or nonsense!
This is a historical phonological rule in Armenian where internal vowels weaken when the word gets longer.
A word formed by joining two roots with a connector.
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Discourse Markers & Connectors
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The Subjunctive Mood: Wishes & Possibilities
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