Armenians! You can’t just help but love them. They tend to find joy in everything and have successfully preserved most of their culture up till today. On top of that, they are downright humorous. No wonder there are tons of funny Armenian phrases that may sound a bit silly and funny when literally translated. Don’t believe me? Read on below to find out about my favorites!
Just imagine someone telling you they will “eat your liver!” The first thing that will come to mind is to run away as far as you can from the person, and you will come to the conclusion that the person is a psychopath that needs some checkup, right? But here’s the thing… in Armenia, this is considered a polite phrase for expressing deep and genuine love for someone. You see, typical Armenian idioms sound funny but hold deep meaning.
Well, to find out more Armenian funny phrases, let’s get started. You are in for a real laugh, so don’t e be angry with me if one or two tear drops from your eyes due to excess laughter. Let’s go!
Funny Armenian Phrases To Keep Close
Գլուխ արդուկել – Glugh Ardukel
Literal meaning: Ironing one’s head.
Glugh ardukel literal meaning is ironing the head, and it may sound funny at first because you’d wondering how someone can iron another person’s head that won’t lead to pain. This idiom is usually used to refer to someone that is beating around the push, saying meaningless things, or talking nonsense. So, if you find someone saying meaningless things, then the person is ironing your head.
Ջիգյարդ ուտեմ – Jigyard Utem
Literal meaning: I will eat your liver
This weird phrase may take you aback at first because you’d think you are dealing with a zombie, but this phrase is used to express one’s genuine love for someone. It means you can go to any extent to ensure the person is okay and safe. Jigyard utem is usually used by grandparents and parents to express their love for their children. It can also be used generally to express one’s love for someone.
Աչքից ընկնել – Achkits Ynknel
Literal meaning: Fall from the eyes
Someone falling from your eyes may sound impossible and weird, but in Armenian, this phrase is used to show one’s disappointment in someone. If you have so much trust in someone’s sense of judgment or character and do something contrary to your view of them, they have fallen from your eyes, which sort of makes sense.
Խելքիդ ձյուն գա – Khelqid Dziun Ga
Literal meaning: Let it snow on your brain
Imagine snow falling on your brain. It will be dead cold. This Armenian funny phrase is usually used when someone is saying something unreasonable, and you are trying to tell them they are saying something stupid and they should rethink or refresh their thoughts. So, for example, imagine someone tells you that he just saw three dragons raining fire on the other street. Well, they need some snow on their brain.
Քթի մազ – Qti Maz
Literal meaning: Nose hair
Imagine someone calling you nose hair. If you have a high sense of humor, it will make you laugh. If not, you will be super angry. Calling someone’s nose hair is a way of saying they are picky and delaying them from taking the next action. Imagine going out with a super picky friend to a restaurant, and they spend over 20 minutes deciding what they want when you are secretly dying of hunger. Ouch!
Քթից թռած – Qtits Trats
Literal meaning: Out of the nose
Yes, we are not done with the nose yet. Qtitis trats is often used to describe the similarity in appearance or character of two family members. So, for example, if a son looks so much like his father in appearance or character, Armenians will say he is out of his father’s nose. This idiom is similar to the English’s “a chip off the old block” idiom.
Ցավդ տանեմ – Tsavd Tanem
Literal meaning: Let me take your pain
Won’t we be happy if there is a person that can take our pain away and cheer us up whenever we are in a bad mood? Tsavd tanem is another Armenian phrase that expresses one’s deep love for someone else.
Սրտիդ մեռնեմ – Srtid Mernem
Literal meaning: Die on your body
If an Armenian elder tells you they want to die on your body, it means that they appreciate your young age and know you will live long. This idiom is common to the older generation, so it may sound a bit weird if a youngster is saying it to another youngster.
Պորտը տեղը դնել – Porty Teghy Dnel
Literal meaning: Put one’s belly button into its place.
Have someone done you wrong, and you are thinking of taking revenge or teaching them a lesson? Then you want to put their belly button into its place. This Armenian idiom is used when you want to/are doing something to teach a person a lesson.
There You Have It!
Whew! What a ride! I hope you were able to learn one or two Armenian expressions that will help you make rich conversations and sound more like a native. The Armenian expressions are used in daily conversations, so you won’t be out of place if you use them.
Now, suppose you are interested in learning the Armenian language. In that case, you need to start with the basics like greetings, introducing oneself, question words, the Armenian alphabet, etc. Most importantly, you need the right learning resources to help you navigate your way and move from a beginner to a fluent speaker. You need the Ling App.
Learn Armenian With Ling App
Ling App is a language learning App with a gamified experience that teaches you your target language while ensuring you have fun doing that. It has exceptional features that move you from a beginner to a fluent speaker in a short period.
You get access to in-depth grammar lessons (with sections for cultural points) depending on your proficiency level, quizzes, games for fun, audio recordings by natives, AI chatbots, flashcards, and much more. What is more astonishing is that you also get a daily reminder that tells you it is time to learn!
So, what are you waiting for? Download the Ling app today from Play Store and App Store to start learning Armenian and other languages!
