How To Give A Traditional Armenian Toast (Kenats)
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If you ever attend an Armenian dinner, party, or wedding, you’ll notice one thing: we love to give toasts!
In Armenian culture, drinking isn’t just about emptying your glass.
It’s a highly organized, beautiful tradition that brings people together. This tradition revolves around the kenats, or the Armenian toast.
Whether you’re drinking water, juice, wine, or Armenian brandy, knowing how to properly give and receive a toast is a huge part of learning the language and culture.
Keep reading, and I’ll teach you exactly how to navigate an Armenian feast like a pro.
Table of Contents:
What is a kenats?
The word for “toast” in Armenian is kenats (կենաց).
Interestingly, this word comes from the root word kyank (կյանք), which means “life.” So, every time you are giving a toast in Armenian, you are literally drinking “to the life” of someone or something.
A traditional kenats isn’t just a quick “cheers.” It is often a thoughtful, heartfelt mini-speech. The person speaking will share good wishes, tell a short story, or express deep gratitude before everyone clinks their glasses.
Who is the tamada?
You can’t talk about the kenats without talking about the tamada (թամադա).
The tamada is the toastmaster. They are like the director of the dinner table. Usually, the tamada is an older, well-respected person, or simply someone who is very good at speaking and telling stories.
The tamada is in charge of proposing the main toasts. They also give permission to other guests to speak. You generally shouldn’t interrupt the tamada or give a major toast without them giving you the floor first!
The order of traditional Armenian toasts
Armenian toasts follow a very specific, unwritten order. If you pay attention at a dinner party, you will notice that the topics almost always follow this sequence:
- The occasion: The very first toast is always for the reason everyone is gathered (a birthday, a wedding, a holiday, or just being together).
- The parents: We always drink to the health and long life of our parents.
- Peace: A very important toast in Armenian culture is drinking to peace in the world and in the homeland.
- The hosts: Thanking the people who cooked the food and opened their home.
- The children/future: Drinking to the bright future of the younger generation.
Common phrases for toasting
To help you out at your next Armenian gathering, here is a helpful vocabulary table with the most important words you need to know.
| Armenian | Transliteration | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Կենաց | kenats | Toast |
| Բաժակ | bazhak | Glass |
| Խմել | khmel | To drink |
| Թամադա | tamada | Toastmaster |
| Առողջություն | aroghjutyun | Health |
Now, let’s look at some simple phrases you can use when you want to join in on the toasting.
If you want to say “cheers” or “to your health” to one person, use this short phrase:
Կենացդ:
If you are toasting a group of people, or speaking formally to an elder, you add an “ner” and say:
Կենացներդ:
When proposing a toast to a specific topic, we usually say “Let’s drink the toast of…” Here are a few great examples:
Խմենք մեր ծնողների կենացը:
Խմենք խաղաղության կենացը:
Տանտերերի կենացը:
Regional variations and etiquette tips
Armenian is a rich language with two main branches: Eastern Armenian (spoken in Armenia) and Western Armenian (spoken by the diaspora).
Here are a few tips to help you sound natural, no matter who you are sitting with!
The K vs. G sound:
In Eastern Armenian, the word for toast is pronounced kenats with a hard “K”. However, in Western Armenian, the letter Կ makes a “G” sound. So, Western Armenians will pronounce it genats.
A sweet variation:
When drinking together, Western Armenians also love to use a special, beautiful phrase after clinking glasses:
Անուշ ըլլա / Անուշ լինի:
Eye contact is required:
When you clink glasses with someone during a kenats, it is considered rude to look away! You must look the person directly in the eyes as your glasses touch.
Stand up for important toasts:
If the tamada is giving a toast to parents, peace, or someone who has passed away, it is a sign of deep respect to stand up from your chair while holding your glass.
Toasting in Armenian is about much more than the drink in your glass. It is a way to show respect, share love, and connect with the people around you.
Next time you are at an Armenian table, don’t be shy! Raise your bazhak (glass), look your friends in the eye, and say Kenatsd!
