Getting around in Armenian
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Armenian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Armenian phrases in this lesson
- Որտե՞ղ է զուգարանըvor-TEGH e zoo-ga-RA-nuh
- Where is the toilet?
- Ինչպե՞ս հասնեմ...-ինinch-PES has-NEM ...-in
- How do I get to...?
- Դեպի ձախde-PEE dzakh
- To the left
- Դեպի աջde-PEE aj
- To the right
- Ուղիղoo-GHIGH
- Straight ahead
- Այստեղays-TEGH
- Here
- Կայարանka-ya-RAN
- Train station
- Ավտոբուսav-to-BOOS
- Bus
- Օդանավակայանo-da-na-va-ka-YAN
- Airport
- Մեկ տոմս, խնդրեմmek toms, khun-DREM
- One ticket, please
Public toilets exist near major landmarks and markets and usually cost 100 dram. In cafes it is polite to buy something before asking. The sign on doors is often just M (men) and K (women) in Armenian letters.
The place takes -ին (-in): "ինչպե՞ս հասնեմ կայարանին", how do I get to the station?
The Ձ is the "dz" in "adds". Pair it with a pointing hand.
The double gh is a voiced uvular fricative, similar to the French "r" but softer. If the sound is too difficult, miming walking straight forward while saying it will always communicate the idea.
Yerevan has one main train station serving domestic routes and occasional international services to Tbilisi. The metro is called մետրո (me-TRO) and is fast, cheap, and easy to navigate.
Most routes are run by marshrutkas, minibuses with the route number in the window.
Zvartnots airport is about twenty minutes from central Yerevan.
Metro tickets in Yerevan use a token system purchased at the station. For buses you often pay the driver directly in cash. Saying մեկ տոմս works at any formal ticket window.