Barev!

If you’ve decided to learn Armenian, you’re making an amazing choice. It’s a beautiful, ancient language with a rich history.

But as a beginner, you’ll run into this question:

Should I learn Eastern Armenian or Western Armenian?

Armenian is one language, but it has two main standard branches (or dialects). If you learn one, you’ll still be able to understand the other, but they do have different sounds, grammar rules, and vocabulary.

As an Armenian teacher, I always get asked which one is “better” to learn.

The truth is, neither is better!

It all depends on your goals, your family background, and who you want to talk to.

Keep reading, and I’ll explain the differences simply so you can make the best choice.

What are Eastern and Western Armenian?

Hundreds of years ago, the Armenian people lived across a very large area. Eventually, the land was split between two massive empires: the Russian Empire in the east and the Ottoman Empire in the west.

Because the people were separated, the language naturally grew into two distinct standard forms over time.

Today, both dialects use the exact same 39-letter Armenian alphabet, and they share most of the same root words. Think of it like the difference between American English and British English, but slightly more noticeable.

Where is each dialect spoken?

The easiest way to understand the two dialects is to look at where they are spoken today.

Eastern Armenian is the official language of the Republic of Armenia. You will hear it if you travel to the capital city, Yerevan. It is also spoken by Armenians living in Iran, Russia, and Georgia, as well as recent immigrants from these countries.

Western Armenian is the language of the Armenian Diaspora. After the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Armenians from the Ottoman Empire fled all over the world. Today, Western Armenian is spoken by Armenian communities in the United States, France, Lebanon, Syria, Argentina, Canada, and Australia.

Pronunciation and sounds

The biggest difference you will notice right away is how certain letters are pronounced.

Over time, Western Armenian experienced a “consonant shift.” This means that hard sounds became soft, and soft sounds became hard.

For example, the letter Բ is the second letter of the alphabet. In Eastern Armenian, it makes a “B” sound. In Western Armenian, it makes a “P” sound!

Here is a simple table showing the most common sound differences:

Because of this sound swap, the same exact word can sound very different depending on who is speaking.

For instance, the word for “father” is spelled պապ (or պապիկ). An Eastern speaker says pap, but a Western speaker says bab.

Grammar and vocabulary differences

Aside from pronunciation, there are a few differences in grammar and vocabulary.

The easiest grammar difference to spot is how we say action words in the present tense (things happening right now).

Eastern Armenian uses a suffix (an ending) that sounds like -um. Western Armenian uses a prefix (a beginning) that sounds like ge- or g-.

Here is how you say “I speak Armenian” in both dialects:

There are also some everyday vocabulary words that are totally different. Eastern Armenian borrowed some words from Russian, while Western Armenian borrowed some from French, Arabic, or Turkish. Sometimes, they just use different native Armenian root words.

Here are a few common vocabulary differences:

Which dialect should you choose?

Now that you know the differences, how do you pick? I always tell my students to ask themselves three simple questions.

1. What is your family background?

If you have Armenian heritage, find out where your grandparents or great-grandparents came from. If they came from Lebanon, Syria, or Western Turkey, you should probably learn Western Armenian to connect with your family roots. If they came from Armenia, Iran, or Russia, Eastern Armenian is the way to go.

2. Do you plan to travel to Armenia?

If your main goal is to visit the modern Republic of Armenia, volunteer there, or do business in Yerevan, you absolutely must learn Eastern Armenian. It is the official language of the country, the government, and the schools.

3. Who are you going to talk to locally?

Look at the community around you. If you live in Los Angeles, you will hear a mix of both! But in places like Glendale, CA, Eastern Armenian is very common. In places like Boston or Fresno, Western Armenian has historically been more common. Learn the dialect that your local friends and community speak.

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Choosing between Eastern and Western Armenian is an important first step, but do not stress over it too much!

If you learn one, your ears will eventually adjust, and you will be able to understand the other. The most important thing is to pick one dialect, stick to it, and start practicing your conversation skills.