B1 · Intermediate Chapter 39

Participles: Adjective-Verbs

6 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of describing actions and states using powerful Armenian participles.

  • Form active and passive participles using suffixes.
  • Transform verbs into descriptive adjectives.
  • Construct complex sentences using compound tenses and adverbial phrases.
Turn verbs into descriptions and unlock fluent storytelling.

What You'll Learn

Explore present (-ող) and past (-ած) participles and their dual function as verbs and adjectives. This chapter covers participle phrases and their use in compound tenses.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use -ող and -ած to describe ongoing and completed actions.

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The 'Who' Shortcut

Whenever you want to say 'The person who...', just use the -ող form. It makes you sound like a native speaker instantly.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Present Participles: -ող (Doing)
🎯

The 'Status' Check

If you can put the word 'currently' in front of the English translation (e.g., 'currently closed'), use -ած.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Participles: -ած (Done)
🎯

The 'Stative' Exception

Remember that for 'standing,' 'sitting,' and 'lying,' Armenian uses the -ած form because it views these as states you have entered.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using Participles as Adjectives: The running water
💡

Think Adjectives

Always treat these as adjectives. They can be pluralized or made definite just like any other adjective.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participle Phrases: Modifying Nouns

Key Vocabulary (5)

վազող running կարդացած read (past) երգող singing կորած lost ստացված received

Real-World Preview

camera

Describing a scene

Review Summary

  • Verb stem + ող
  • Verb stem + ած
  • Participle + Auxiliary (եմ/ես...)

Common Mistakes

You cannot use the past participle for an ongoing action. Use -ող for active participants.

Wrong: Նա վազած է դպրոց: (He is run to school.)
Correct: Նա վազող է դպրոցում: (He is the one running at school.)

Don't confuse future intent (-ելու) with past completion (-ած).

Wrong: Սա գրելու նամակն է: (This is the writing letter.)
Correct: Սա գրված նամակն է: (This is the written letter.)

Ensure the participle matches the tense requirement.

Wrong: Ես կարդացել եմ գիրքը. (I have read the book - omitting the participle form correctly.)
Correct: Ես կարդացած եմ գիրքը: (I have read the book - formal perfect.)

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job! Keep practicing these forms in your daily writing.

Write a diary entry describing yesterday using at least five -ած verbs.

Continue to: Advanced Use of Postpositions & Prepositions

Quick Practice (10)

Select the correct form for the verb 'կարդալ' (to read).

Գիրք ___ տղան իմ ընկերն է:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: կարդացող
-ալ verbs take the -ացող ending.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Present Participles: -ող (Doing)

Which one means 'Fried potatoes'?

___ կարտոֆիլ:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Տապակած
Food preparation usually uses the resultative -ած form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using Participles as Adjectives: The running water

Correct the error in this sentence: 'Ես ուտելիս եմ հիմա:'

Find and fix the mistake:

Ես ուտելիս եմ հիմա:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ես ուտում եմ հիմա:
You cannot use -elis as a main conjugated verb; you must use the present continuous.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbial Participles: While doing, Having done

Fill in the blank.

Այս խնդիրը ___ է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: լուծելի
The problem is solvable.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participle Phrases: Modifying Nouns

Correct the sentence: 'Այնտեղ կանգնող մարդը եղբայրս է:'

Find and fix the mistake:

Այնտեղ կանգնող մարդը եղբայրս է:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: կանգնած
For the state of 'standing,' Armenian uses the -ած form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using Participles as Adjectives: The running water

Fill in the blank with the correct participle.

Սա իմ ___ (գրել) նամակն է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: գրված
The letter was written by me (passive).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participle Phrases: Modifying Nouns

Correct the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Վազելող տղան իմ ընկերն է։

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: վազող
Remove the infinitive ending.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participle Phrases: Modifying Nouns

Fill in the correct form of 'կարդալ' (to read) for 'while reading'.

Գիրքը ___, ես շատ բան սովորեցի:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: կարդալիս
We need the simultaneous participle '-elis' for 'while reading'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbial Participles: While doing, Having done

Fill in the correct auxiliary verb for the Perfect tense.

Ես արդեն կարդացել ___ այս գիրքը:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: եմ
The subject is 'Ես' (I), so the auxiliary must be 'եմ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participles in Compound Tenses: Perfect, Pluperfect

Fix the word order in this negative sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ես գրել չեմ նամակը:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ես չեմ գրել նամակը:
In negative sentences, the auxiliary 'չեմ' must come before the participle.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Participles in Compound Tenses: Perfect, Pluperfect

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No, -ող is only for the subject (the doer). For the object (the thing being acted upon), use the past participle -ած.
It is neutral and used in all registers, from daily speech to formal literature.
Not directly, but you can say 'փակված կլինի' (it will be closed).
In Eastern Armenian, 'կերել եմ' is 'I have eaten' (action), while 'կերած եմ' is 'I am full/in the state of having eaten'.
Yes, if the object is performing an action, like փայլող աստղ (shining star).
Not always. For some verbs, it describes a state (like քնած - sleeping) rather than a passive action.
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Reported Speech: Telling What Was Said
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Advanced Use of Postpositions & Prepositions
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