The Armenian language is very hard to learn. However, there are some phrases and words that must be learned if you come to Armenia or happen to have an Armenian friend. Armenian people are known for their warmth and hospitality, they have the huge respect towards elderly people and women. So you can expect to hear the word Djan, which is equivalent to the English word dear and Tsavd Tanem, which indicates caring attitude. You can say djan even to strangers and this is common in Armenia.
When greeting, Armenians hug and kiss if they are close with people like friends relatives, etc. When greeting a stranger or when getting acquainted a handshake is considered a polite gesture. You will say Barev or Barev Dzez when you want to say Hello to someone. The next question to follow is Vonts es? In English, that’s translated as How are you. The answer to this would be Lavem, meaning I am fine.
The hardest part is there are words that are extremely hard to pronounce in Armenian. An example would be if you want to thank someone you should say Shnorhakalutyun, which is sometimes hard to say even for Armenians, that’s why a more common way to say thank you is Merci, such as the well know French word.
In the same manner, you may find it hard to pronounce the word for goodbye, which will sound like Tstesutyun. If you are in an official environment, you can skip this word simply by saying Hadjogh or with very close friends poka (from the Russian word). However in an official environment and when speaking to people who you barely know, tstesutyun is acceptable.
In Armenia, it’s very easy to find good friends who will take care of you and make sure that you are feeling happy with them in their country. Armenian hospitality sometimes has no limits, and this is the greatest advantage of the people in the tiny land called Armenia, or Hayastan!
Online Armenian lessons for kids: dinolingo.com