Learning basic greetings is the most important first step when starting a new language.

Armenian is a rich language divided into two main branches: Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian.

Eastern Armenian is spoken mostly in the Republic of Armenia and Iran.

Western Armenian is spoken by the Armenian diaspora around the world.

I’ll show you how to introduce yourself using both dialects below.

Saying hello in Armenian

The most common way to say hello in Armenian is very simple.

In Eastern Armenian, you say barev.

In Western Armenian, the pronunciation shifts slightly to parev.

You can use this word with friends, family, and strangers.

If you want to be formal with an older person or a group, you can add dzez to the end.

Asking how someone is doing

After saying hello, it’s always polite to ask someone how they’re doing.

Eastern and Western Armenian use entirely different phrases for this.

In Eastern Armenian, you ask vonts es for casual situations.

In Western Armenian, you ask inchbes es.

To reply that you’re doing well, you just say lav em.

Introducing your name

Introducing yourself is easy once you understand the basic sentence structure.

The phrase translates directly to “my name is”.

Eastern Armenian speakers say im anunn e.

Western Armenian speakers say im anounus e.

You simply place your name right before the final word.

Saying nice to meet you

When you meet someone for the first time, you should tell them you’re happy to meet them.

The most common phrase literally translates to “I’m glad”.

Eastern Armenians pronounce this as urakh em.

Western Armenians pronounce this as ourakh em.

You can use this exact phrase in both formal and casual settings.

Saying goodbye in Armenian

There are a few different ways to gracefully end a conversation in Armenian.

The formal way to say goodbye is tsdesutyun (Eastern) or tsdesoutioun (Western).

A much easier and more common way to say goodbye is hajogh (Eastern) or hachogh (Western).

This shorter version literally means “good luck” and is used frequently among friends.

Summary table of Armenian greetings

Here’s a quick reference table comparing the Eastern and Western phrases.

Best tools for learning Armenian

Reading phrases is a great start, but you need to hear the language to truly internalize it.

I highly recommend using Talk In Armenian as your primary learning tool.

Our platform is the absolute best place to master both Eastern and Western Armenian.

We focus entirely on real, spoken dialogue so you can start conversing quickly.

You can also check out online tutors on iTalki for extra conversation practice.