Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Armenian uses a three-way system (S-D-N) to point at things based on their distance from the speaker and listener.
- Use 'Sa' (սա) for things right next to you, the speaker. (e.g., Սա իմն է - This is mine)
- Use 'Da' (դա) for things near the person you are talking to. (e.g., Դա քոնն է - That is yours)
- Use 'Na' (նա) for things far from both of you. (e.g., Նա հեռու է - That one is far)
Declension of Armenian Demonstrative Pronouns
| Case | This (Near Me) | That (Near You) | That (Far) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative (Subject)
|
Սա (Sa)
|
Դա (Da)
|
Նա (Na)
|
|
Genitive (Possessive)
|
Սրա (Sra)
|
Դրա (Dra)
|
Նրա (Nra)
|
|
Dative (To/For)
|
Սրան (Sran)
|
Դրան (Dran)
|
Նրան (Nran)
|
|
Ablative (From)
|
Սրանից (Sranits)
|
Դրանից (Dranits)
|
Նրանից (Nranits)
|
|
Instrumental (With)
|
Սրանով (Sranov)
|
Դրանով (Dranov)
|
Նրանով (Nranov)
|
|
Locative (In)
|
Սրանում (Sranum)
|
Դրանում (Dranum)
|
Նրանում (Nranum)
|
Plural Forms
| Type | These (Near Me) | Those (Near You) | Those (Far) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative Plural
|
Սրանք (Srank)
|
Դրանք (Drank)
|
Նրանք (Nrank)
|
|
Genitive Plural
|
Սրանց (Sranc)
|
Դրանց (Dranc)
|
Նրանց (Nranc)
|
Meanings
Demonstrative pronouns replace a noun to point out specific people or objects in space or time, categorized by their proximity to the speaker.
Proximal (Near Speaker)
Refers to an object or person within the immediate reach or personal space of the speaker.
“Սա շատ համեղ է: (This is very tasty.)”
“Սա ո՞ւմ հեռախոսն է: (Whose phone is this?)”
Medial (Near Listener)
Refers to an object or person near the listener, or something the listener just mentioned.
“Դա ի՞նչ է քո ձեռքում: (What is that in your hand?)”
“Դա լավ գաղափար է: (That is a good idea.)”
Distal (Far from both)
Refers to an object or person distant from both the speaker and the listener.
“Նա իմ տունն է: (That [over there] is my house.)”
“Նա ո՞վ է: (Who is that [person over there]?)”
Abstract Reference
Used to refer to previous statements, situations, or abstract concepts.
“Սա անընդունելի է: (This [situation] is unacceptable.)”
“Դա ճիշտ չէ: (That [which you said] is not right.)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Սա լավ է: (This is good.)
|
|
Negative
|
Pronoun + չ + Verb
|
Դա լավ չէ: (That is not good.)
|
|
Interrogative
|
Pronoun + Verb + ?
|
Սա քո՞նն է: (Is this yours?)
|
|
Plural Affirmative
|
Plural Pronoun + են
|
Սրանք իմն են: (These are mine.)
|
|
Plural Negative
|
Plural Pronoun + չեն
|
Դրանք թանկ չեն: (Those are not expensive.)
|
|
Possessive
|
Genitive Pronoun + Noun
|
Սրա գույնը սև է: (The color of this is black.)
|
|
Ablative (Origin)
|
Ablative Pronoun + Verb
|
Դրանից վախենում եմ: (I am afraid of that.)
|
|
Instrumental
|
Instrumental Pronoun + Verb
|
Սրանով գրի՛ր: (Write with this.)
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Ի՞նչ է դա: (Asking about an object)
Դա ի՞նչ է: (Asking about an object)
Էդ ի՞նչ ա: (Asking about an object)
Էտ ի՞նչ ա որ: (Asking about an object)
The S-D-N Spatial Map
Zone S (Speaker)
- Սա This one (Me)
- Սրանք These ones
Zone D (Listener)
- Դա That one (You)
- Դրանք Those ones
Zone N (Remote)
- Նա That one (Far)
- Նրանք Those ones
Pronouns vs. Adjectives
Which one should I use?
Is it near you (the speaker)?
Is it near the person you are talking to?
Case Usage Examples
Possession
- • Սրա (of this)
- • Դրա (of that)
- • Նրա (of that)
Movement
- • Սրանից (from this)
- • Դրանից (from that)
- • Նրանից (from that)
수준별 예문
Սա ի՞նչ է:
What is this?
Դա գրիչ է:
That is a pen.
Նա իմ տունն է:
That is my house.
Սրանք իմ ընկերներն են:
These are my friends.
Սա վերցրո՛ւ, դա մի՛ վերցրու:
Take this one, don't take that one.
Դրանք շատ սիրուն են:
Those (near you) are very beautiful.
Սա ո՞ւմն է:
Whose is this?
Նրանք այստեղ չեն ապրում:
They/Those ones don't live here.
Սրա գինը որքա՞ն է:
What is the price of this?
Դրա մասին չեմ ուզում խոսել:
I don't want to talk about that.
Նրանցից մեկը ինձ տո՛ւր:
Give me one of those (far away).
Սրանով հնարավոր չէ աշխատել:
It is impossible to work with this.
Դա այն է, ինչ ես փնտրում էի:
That is exactly what I was looking for.
Սրանք այն խնդիրներն են, որոնք պետք է լուծվեն:
These are the problems that must be solved.
Նրա և սրա միջև մեծ տարբերություն կա:
There is a big difference between that and this.
Դրանից հետո ամեն ինչ փոխվեց:
After that, everything changed.
Սա լոկ սկիզբն է այն ամենի, ինչ սպասվում է:
This is but the beginning of all that is expected.
Դրանում ոչ մի կասկած չկա:
There is no doubt in that.
Նրանցում առկա են որոշակի հակասություններ:
There are certain contradictions present in them.
Սրանով իսկ հաստատվում է մեր վարկածը:
By this very means, our hypothesis is confirmed.
Սա այն հիմնաքարն է, որի վրա խարսխված է մեր մշակույթը:
This is the cornerstone upon which our culture is anchored.
Դրանից բխող հետևանքները կարող են անկանխատեսելի լինել:
The consequences arising from that can be unpredictable.
Նրանց իսկական էությունը դեռևս բացահայտված չէ:
Their true essence has not yet been revealed.
Սրանք սոսկ պատրանքներ են, որոնք հալվում են լույսի ներքո:
These are merely illusions that melt under the light.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners use 'Sa' as an adjective (e.g., Sa girk'y).
The word is identical for both functions.
Learners hear 'Ed' in movies but see 'Da' in books.
자주 하는 실수
Սա գիրքը լավ է:
Այս գիրքը լավ է:
Սա ի՞նչ է: (pointing to something in the listener's hand)
Դա ի՞նչ է:
Սա են իմ գրքերը:
Սրանք են իմ գրքերը:
Նա է իմ գրիչը: (holding the pen)
Սա է իմ գրիչը:
Ես սա սիրում եմ: (referring to a previous sentence)
Ես դա սիրում եմ:
Սա գույնը կարմիր է:
Սրա գույնը կարմիր է:
Դրանք մարդիկ են:
Նրանք մարդիկ են:
Խոսում ենք սրա մասին: (referring to a distant object)
Խոսում ենք նրա մասին:
Սրանից հետո... (meaning 'after that')
Դրանից հետո...
Սրանում կայանում է խնդիրը:
Դրանում է կայանում խնդիրը:
문장 패턴
Սա ___ է:
Դա ___ չէ:
Սրանք ___ են, իսկ դրանք՝ ___:
Սրա ___ շատ ___ է:
Real World Usage
Սա որքա՞ն արժե: (How much is this one?)
Սրանից եմ ուզում: (I want [some] of this.)
Դա կարևոր հարց է: (That is an important question.)
Էդ ո՞ւր ես: (Where is that [place] you are at?)
Նա իմ շենքն է: (That [over there] is my building.)
Սա հրաշալի է: (This is wonderful!)
The 'Da' Rule
No Nouns!
Pointing
Plurality
Smart Tips
Check your hands. If you aren't touching it, it might be 'Da' or 'Na'.
Always use 'Da'. It acts as a bridge between you and the speaker.
Switch from Sa/Da/Na to Ays/Ayd/Ayn.
Remember the 'ran' bridge: Sa -> S-ran-its, Da -> D-ran-ov.
발음
Stress
In Armenian, the stress almost always falls on the last syllable. For 'Srank', the stress is on 'rank'.
The 'N' sound
The 'n' in 'Na' and 'Nrank' is a clear dental nasal, similar to English 'no'.
Question Intonation
Սա քո՞նն է: (Rising pitch on the question mark)
Asking for confirmation
암기하기
기억법
S-D-N: Self, Duo (You), Non-present (Far).
시각적 연상
Imagine a circle around you (S), a circle around your friend (D), and the whole world outside those circles (N).
Rhyme
S is for me, D is for thee, N is for far as the eye can see.
Story
I hold 'Sa' in my hand. I point to 'Da' in your hand. We both look at 'Na' on the mountain top.
Word Web
챌린지
Look around your room. Point to 3 things near you and say 'Sa', 3 things near someone else (or where they would be) and say 'Da', and 3 things out the window and say 'Na'.
문화 노트
Standard Eastern Armenian (used in Armenia) strictly follows the S-D-N system in formal education.
Western Armenian (Diaspora) uses 'As, Ad, An' more frequently as demonstratives, but 'Sa, Da, Na' are still understood.
In daily speech, 'Da' often becomes 'Ed' (էդ) and 'Srank' becomes 'Sronk' or 'Edonk' in some dialects.
Derived from Proto-Indo-European demonstrative roots *so, *to, *no.
대화 시작하기
Սա ի՞նչ է քո ձեռքում:
Դրանք քո՞ կոշիկներն են:
Ի՞նչ ես կարծում սրա մասին:
Սրանցից ո՞րն է ավելի լավը:
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
___ իմ հեռախոսն է:
___ ո՞ւմ գրքերն են:
Find and fix the mistake:
Սա գիրքը լավն է:
What is the price of this?
Answer starts with: Սրա...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
___ իմը ___:
Pick the pronoun:
B: ___ հաց է:
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercises___ իմ հեռախոսն է:
___ ո՞ւմ գրքերն են:
Find and fix the mistake:
Սա գիրքը լավն է:
What is the price of this?
Match: 1. Սա, 2. Դա, 3. Նա
___ իմը ___:
Pick the pronoun:
B: ___ հաց է:
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Yes, but it's very informal or can be slightly rude. It's better to use 'Na' or 'Ays mardy' (this person).
'Na' is the standard 'he/she/that', while 'Inky' is more colloquial and often used for people already mentioned.
Use the genitive form 'Sra'. For example, 'Sra dury' (This one's door).
Mostly, but it's also the default for abstract ideas or things just mentioned in conversation.
'Es' is the colloquial/dialect version of 'Ays', but in fast speech, it often replaces 'Sa' as well.
No, Armenian has no grammatical gender. 'Na' can mean he, she, or it.
Yes, it means 'these people' or 'these ones'. It is neutral.
It is the Ablative case, meaning 'from this' or 'than this'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Este, Ese, Aquel
Armenian pronouns decline for case, Spanish ones only for gender/number.
Kore, Sore, Are
Japanese demonstratives don't change form for cases like Armenian.
This, That
English lacks the specific 'near the listener' pronoun.
Dies, Das
Armenian is much more spatially specific in its pronouns.
Hadha, Dhalika
Armenian does not have grammatical gender in its pronouns.
Zhe (这), Na (那)
Armenian's 3-way system requires more precision from the speaker.
