The language of Armenia is Eastern Armenian.
Eastern Armenian (commonly referred to as simply ‘Armenian’) is spoken by just about everybody living in Armenian and serves as the country’s lingua franca for daily communication.
Not only is Armenian the most spoken language in Armenia by far, but it’s also the country’s official language. Eastern Armenian in particular plays a central role in government affairs with education, signage, and official documentation being conducted in the language (although Western Armenian remains official too).
Here are a few key facts about the Armenian language:
| Key facts about Armenian | |
|---|---|
| 🗣 Name (English) | Armenian |
| 🗣 Name (Armenian) | հայերեն, hayeren [hɑjɛˈɾɛn] |
| 👨👩👧👦 Language Family | Indo-European (Armenian branch) |
| 🌍 Native to | Armenia |
| 📝 Writing System | Armenian alphabet |
| 👥 No. of Speakers | 5.4 million |
| 🔎 Difficulty | Difficult for English speakers (~1,100 class hours) |
| 📝 Word Order | SVO |
| 💎 Linguistic Quirk | Armenian script with 39 letters |
| 📖 Notable Literature | Verk Hayastani (“Wounds of Armenia”) by Khachatur Abovian |
| 💬 Related Languages | Armenian is the only member of its branch of the Indo-European family. The closest branch is believed to be the Indo-Iranian branch (which includes Farsi, Hindi, and hundreds of others), but there are significant differences. |
| ✅ Best Learning Resource | Pimsleur |
Other languages spoken in Armenia
Besides Armenian, other smaller languages are also spoken in Armenia, most notably Russian, which is the most common second language in the country as a result of Armenia having been part of the Soviet Union until 1991. About 40% of Armenians are fluent in Russian, and another 30% or so can speak some Russian, although the language’s use is known to be declining in favour of English, which is widely known especially among younger Armenians.
Minority languages in Armenia include Kurmanji (a northern dialect of Kurdish), Pontic Greek, Assyrian, Ukrainian, and Russian. Other languages commonly spoken among expats and foreign students in Armenia include French, Spanish, and German.
Interested in learning Armenian?
If you’re curious about what language is spoken in Armenia, there’s a good shot you’d be interested to learn Armenian!
Whether you plan to travel to the country, whether you’ve just met a new Armenian friend, or whether you’re just curious about Armenia’s fascinating and reclusive culture – learning Armenian can broaden your horizons and open many doors for you. Here are our picks for the top three apps to learn Armenian, depending on your learning style:
In-depth coursework: Pimsleur
Let’s start by having a look at Pimsleur, our personal favourite:
Pimsleur is a stellar language learning program if you’re seeking comprehensive coursework in Armenian. A longstanding company known for quality and depth, Pimsleur offers a rigorous and immersive experience that focuses on oral proficiency through dynamic lessons and real-life conversations. It also offers separate courses in both Western and Eastern Armenian.
- Pricing: $41.95 for ten 30-minute lessons, notes, and MP3
- Learning outcome: Basic reading and spoken competency in Armenian.
- Best for: In-depth learning with a critically acclaimed, tried and tested method.
Daily bite-sized lessons: Drops
Next up, we have Drops:
Drops is a top-notch language learning app that excels in providing daily bite-sized lessons, gamified exercises, and a routine-based approach, making it a perfect choice if you’re looking for fun language training that fits into your daily life. Drops can also help you get a head start in Armenian ahead of a holiday, for example, and provides a crash course without any serious commitment in terms of money or time.
- Pricing: Free, but Premium costs around €65 per year or €150 once off.
- Learning outcome: Solid foundations in Armenian (e.g., for a holiday, getting around, etc.).
- Best for: In-app daily learning and routinised, gamified language training.
Conversational lessons: italki
Last but not least, there’s italki for conversational learners:
Italki stands out as an exceptional language learning platform, offering one-on-one conversational lessons with native Armenian speakers, allowing you to experience immersive and personalized language practice that greatly enhances your fluency and cultural understanding! A particularly nifty perk about italki is that you can test out lessons with different teachers to find one that suits your learning style and goals.
- Pricing: Varies, but in general $4 to $30 per hour.
- Learning outcome: Spoken competency in Armenian, especially at a colloquial level.
- Best for: One-on-one conversational lessons with native Armenian speakers.