Understanding how adjectives agree with nouns is a crucial aspect of mastering Armenian, just as it is in many other languages. Adjective agreement with nouns ensures that sentences are grammatically correct and convey the intended meaning. In Armenian, adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in terms of gender, number, and case. This article will dive deep into the intricacies of adjective agreement in Armenian, providing you with the tools and knowledge necessary to use adjectives accurately and confidently.
Gender Agreement
In the Armenian language, nouns are classified into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives must agree with the gender of the nouns they describe. Unlike some languages, where adjectives might change form drastically, in Armenian, the changes are more systematic and predictable.
Masculine Nouns:
For masculine nouns, adjectives typically end with the suffix -ին (-in) in the nominative case. For example:
– մեծ մարդ (mets mard) – “big man”
– բարեկամ սիրտ (barekam sirt) – “friendly heart”
Feminine Nouns:
For feminine nouns, adjectives generally end with the suffix -ի (-i) in the nominative case. For example:
– մեծ կին (mets kin) – “big woman”
– բարեկամ աղջիկ (barekam aghjik) – “friendly girl”
Neuter Nouns:
Neuter nouns, though less common, also require adjective agreement. Adjectives for neuter nouns usually end in -ի (-i), similar to feminine nouns. For example:
– լավ գիրք (lav girk) – “good book”
– գեղեցիկ երգ (geghetsik yerg) – “beautiful song”
Number Agreement
Number agreement in Armenian involves making sure that adjectives agree with the noun in terms of singular and plural forms.
Singular Nouns:
When the noun is singular, the adjective remains in its base form, as described in the gender agreement section.
Plural Nouns:
For plural nouns, adjectives take on a plural form, often by adding the suffix -ներ (-ner) to the noun and adjusting the adjective accordingly. For example:
– մեծ մարդիկ (mets mardik) – “big men”
– բարեկամ սրտեր (barekam srter) – “friendly hearts”
– մեծ կանայք (mets kanayk) – “big women”
– բարեկամ աղջիկներ (barekam aghjikner) – “friendly girls”
In the case of neuter nouns:
– լավ գրքեր (lav grker) – “good books”
– գեղեցիկ երգեր (geghetsik yerger) – “beautiful songs”
Case Agreement
Armenian nouns decline based on their grammatical role in the sentence, and adjectives must agree with these cases. The main cases in Armenian are nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, instrumental, and locative.
Nominative Case:
This is the base form of the noun and adjective, used for the subject of the sentence.
– մեծ մարդ (mets mard) – “big man”
– մեծ մարդիկ (mets mardik) – “big men”
Genitive Case:
Used to show possession, the adjective must agree with the noun’s genitive form.
– մեծ մարդու տուն (mets mardu tun) – “the big man’s house”
– մեծ մարդկանց տուն (mets mardkants tun) – “the big men’s house”
Dative Case:
Often used to indicate the indirect object of a verb, the adjective agrees with the noun in the dative case.
– մեծ մարդուն ասացի (mets mardun asatsi) – “I told the big man”
– մեծ մարդկանց ասացի (mets mardkants asatsi) – “I told the big men”
Accusative Case:
Used for the direct object of a verb, adjectives must match the noun’s accusative form.
– մեծ մարդուն տեսա (mets mardun tesa) – “I saw the big man”
– մեծ մարդկանց տեսա (mets mardkants tesa) – “I saw the big men”
Ablative Case:
Indicates movement away from something, requiring the adjective to agree with the noun in the ablative case.
– մեծ մարդուց հեռացա (mets marduts heratsa) – “I moved away from the big man”
– մեծ մարդկանցից հեռացա (mets mardkantsits heratsa) – “I moved away from the big men”
Instrumental Case:
Used to indicate the means or tool by which something is done, with the adjective agreeing in the instrumental case.
– մեծ մարդով գնացի (mets mardov gnatsi) – “I went with the big man”
– մեծ մարդկանցով գնացի (mets mardkantsov gnatsi) – “I went with the big men”
Locative Case:
Indicates location, and the adjective must match the noun in the locative case.
– մեծ մարդում եմ (mets mardum em) – “I am in the big man”
– մեծ մարդկանցում եմ (mets mardkantsum em) – “I am in the big men”
Special Considerations
Understanding Armenian adjective agreement also involves recognizing some special cases and exceptions.
Irregular Adjectives:
Some adjectives may not follow the regular patterns and might have unique forms for different genders or cases. Learning these irregular adjectives by practice and exposure is essential.
Compound Adjectives:
In cases where compound adjectives are used, each part of the compound adjective may need to agree with the noun individually. For example:
– սև-սպիտակ գիրք (sev-spitak girk) – “black-and-white book”
– սև-սպիտակ գրքեր (sev-spitak grker) – “black-and-white books”
Adjective Placement:
In Armenian, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. However, for emphasis or stylistic reasons, they can also precede the noun. Regardless of placement, the agreement rules remain the same.
Examples and Practice
To solidify your understanding of Armenian adjective agreement, let’s look at some more examples and practice exercises.
Example Sentences:
1. Մեծ ծառ (mets tsar) – “big tree” (singular, nominative)
2. Մեծ ծառեր (mets tsarer) – “big trees” (plural, nominative)
3. Մեծ ծառի ճյուղեր (mets tsari juyrer) – “branches of the big tree” (singular, genitive)
4. Մեծ ծառերի ճյուղեր (mets tsareri juyrer) – “branches of the big trees” (plural, genitive)
5. Մեծ ծառին մոտեցա (mets tsarin motetsa) – “I approached the big tree” (singular, dative)
6. Մեծ ծառերին մոտեցա (mets tsarerin motetsa) – “I approached the big trees” (plural, dative)
Practice Exercises:
1. Translate the following sentences into Armenian, ensuring correct adjective agreement:
– The friendly dog
– The beautiful flowers
– I gave the book to the smart student
– She talked to the old teacher
– We moved away from the small village
2. Identify the gender, number, and case in the following Armenian sentences and explain the adjective agreement:
– Մեծ ընտանիք (mets yntaniq)
– Փոքրիկ երեխա (p’vokrik yerexa)
– Բարձր շենքեր (bardzr shenker)
– Կարմիր գնդակը (karmir gndaky)
– Լավ եղանակին (lav yeghanakin)
By practicing these exercises and analyzing example sentences, you can become more familiar with the patterns and rules of adjective agreement in Armenian.
Conclusion
Mastering adjective agreement with nouns in Armenian is a fundamental step in achieving fluency and accuracy in the language. By understanding and applying the rules of gender, number, and case agreement, you can construct grammatically correct and meaningful sentences. Practice regularly, pay attention to exceptions, and immerse yourself in the language to reinforce your learning. With time and dedication, you will find that adjective agreement in Armenian becomes second nature, enhancing your overall language skills and communication abilities.
