Armenian is a unique and ancient language with a rich linguistic history. One of the key aspects of mastering Armenian is understanding verb conjugations, particularly for common verbs. In this article, we will focus on the verb “to have” in Armenian grammar. This verb is crucial not just because of its frequent use, but also because it serves as a foundation for constructing various tenses and forms. Let’s dive into the intricacies of this essential verb and explore how it is conjugated across different tenses and contexts.
The Verb “To Have” in Armenian
The verb “to have” in Armenian is “ունեմ” (unem). It is an important verb, used not only to indicate possession but also in a variety of grammatical constructions. Like in English, “to have” can indicate possession (I have a book) and can also be used as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, “ունեմ” (unem) is conjugated as follows:
– **Ես ունեմ** (Yes unem) – I have
– **Դու ունես** (Du unes) – You have (singular, informal)
– **Նա ունի** (Na uni) – He/She/It has
– **Մենք ունենք** (Menk unenq) – We have
– **Դուք ունեք** (Duk unek) – You have (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունեն** (Nrank unen) – They have
Understanding this pattern is key to using the verb correctly in everyday conversations. Notice how the root “ուն-” (un-) remains consistent, while the endings change according to the subject pronoun.
Past Tense Conjugation
The past tense of “ունեմ” (unem) is “ունեի” (unei). Here’s how it’s conjugated:
– **Ես ունեի** (Yes unei) – I had
– **Դու ունեիր** (Du uneir) – You had (singular, informal)
– **Նա ուներ** (Na uner) – He/She/It had
– **Մենք ունեինք** (Menk uneinq) – We had
– **Դուք ունեիք** (Duk uneiq) – You had (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունեին** (Nrank unein) – They had
Just as in the present tense, the root “ուն-” (un-) remains, but the endings differ.
Future Tense Conjugation
For the future tense, “ունեմ” (unem) changes to “ունենալու եմ” (unenalu em). This is a compound form, similar to “I will have” in English:
– **Ես ունենալու եմ** (Yes unenalu em) – I will have
– **Դու ունենալու ես** (Du unenalu es) – You will have (singular, informal)
– **Նա ունենալու է** (Na unenalu e) – He/She/It will have
– **Մենք ունենալու ենք** (Menk unenalu enq) – We will have
– **Դուք ունենալու եք** (Duk unenalu ek) – You will have (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունենալու են** (Nrank unenalu en) – They will have
Notice how the future tense involves the infinitive “ունենալ” (unenal) followed by the present tense of the verb “to be” (em, es, e, enq, ek, en).
Perfect Tenses
Perfect tenses in Armenian, like in English, are formed with the auxiliary verb “to have.” For example, the present perfect tense is constructed using the present tense of “to have” with the past participle of the main verb.
– **Ես ունեցել եմ** (Yes unetsel em) – I have had
– **Դու ունեցել ես** (Du unetsel es) – You have had (singular, informal)
– **Նա ունեցել է** (Na unetsel e) – He/She/It has had
– **Մենք ունեցել ենք** (Menk unetsel enq) – We have had
– **Դուք ունեցել եք** (Duk unetsel ek) – You have had (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունեցել են** (Nrank unetsel en) – They have had
Similarly, the past perfect tense involves the past tense of “to have”:
– **Ես ունեցել էի** (Yes unetsel ei) – I had had
– **Դու ունեցել էիր** (Du unetsel eir) – You had had (singular, informal)
– **Նա ունեցել էր** (Na unetsel er) – He/She/It had had
– **Մենք ունեցել էինք** (Menk unetsel einq) – We had had
– **Դուք ունեցել էիք** (Duk unetsel eiq) – You had had (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունեցել էին** (Nrank unetsel ein) – They had had
The future perfect tense follows a similar pattern:
– **Ես ունենալու եմ ունեցել** (Yes unenalu em unetsel) – I will have had
– **Դու ունենալու ես ունեցել** (Du unenalu es unetsel) – You will have had (singular, informal)
– **Նա ունենալու է ունեցել** (Na unenalu e unetsel) – He/She/It will have had
– **Մենք ունենալու ենք ունեցել** (Menk unenalu enq unetsel) – We will have had
– **Դուք ունենալու եք ունեցել** (Duk unenalu ek unetsel) – You will have had (plural, formal)
– **Նրանք ունենալու են ունեցել** (Nrank unenalu en unetsel) – They will have had
Using “To Have” in Questions and Negations
Just like in English, forming questions and negations with “to have” in Armenian involves a few changes.
Questions
To form a question, you typically place the question word at the beginning and then follow with the verb. For example:
– **Do I have?** – **Ես ունե՞մ** (Yes une՞m)
– **Do you have?** – **Դու ունե՞ս** (Du une՞s)
– **Does he/she/it have?** – **Նա ունե՞ի** (Na une՞i)
– **Do we have?** – **Մենք ունե՞նք** (Menk une՞nq)
– **Do you (plural) have?** – **Դուք ունե՞ք** (Duk une՞k)
– **Do they have?** – **Նրանք ունե՞ն** (Nrank une՞n)
The question particle “՞” (the Armenian question mark) is added to the verb to indicate a question.
Negations
Negating “to have” involves the particle “չ” (ch) before the verb. Here’s how it looks in the present tense:
– **I don’t have** – **Ես չունեմ** (Yes chunem)
– **You don’t have** – **Դու չունես** (Du chunes)
– **He/She/It doesn’t have** – **Նա չունի** (Na chuni)
– **We don’t have** – **Մենք չունենք** (Menk chunenq)
– **You (plural) don’t have** – **Դուք չունեք** (Duk chunek)
– **They don’t have** – **Նրանք չունեն** (Nrank chunen)
In the past tense, the pattern is similar:
– **I didn’t have** – **Ես չունեի** (Yes chunei)
– **You didn’t have** – **Դու չունեիր** (Du chuneir)
– **He/She/It didn’t have** – **Նա չուներ** (Na chuner)
– **We didn’t have** – **Մենք չունեինք** (Menk chuneinq)
– **You (plural) didn’t have** – **Դուք չունեիք** (Duk chuneiq)
– **They didn’t have** – **Նրանք չունեին** (Nrank chunein)
Idiomatic Expressions with “To Have”
The verb “to have” is also used in various idiomatic expressions in Armenian, just as it is in English. Here are a few examples:
– **To have a headache** – **Գլուխ ունեմ** (Glukh unem)
– **To have a good time** – **Լավ ժամանակ ունեմ** (Lav zhamanak unem)
– **To have a problem** – **Խնդիր ունեմ** (Khndir unem)
These expressions are useful for everyday conversations and can make your speech sound more natural and fluent.
Summary
The verb “to have” is indispensable in Armenian, as it is in many other languages. Understanding its conjugation in different tenses, as well as how to use it in questions, negations, and idiomatic expressions, is fundamental for mastering Armenian grammar. Remember that practice is key; the more you use these forms in sentences, the more natural they will become.
By focusing on the verb “to have,” you can build a strong foundation for your Armenian language skills, enabling you to express possession, construct perfect tenses, and engage in more complex conversations. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find that using “ունեմ” (unem) becomes second nature. Happy learning!
