գլխի ընկնել
Literally to fall into the head
Means to suddenly understand or realize something
English idiom to catch on
Example Մի քանի րոպե անց նոր գլխի ընկա, թե ինչ էր ուզում ասել։
It was only a few minutes later that I caught on to what he meant.
An idiom is a phrase you cannot translate word for word. Here are the 25 most common Armenian idioms, ranked by how often you will actually meet them, each with its literal translation, real meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation, so you know what natives actually mean.
Common Armenian idioms are everyday expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. For example, գլխի ընկնել literally means "to fall into the head" but is used to mean to suddenly understand or realize something. This free page ranks the 25 most common Armenian idioms by how often you meet them, each with its literal translation, meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation.
All 25 idioms, most common first.
Guess the meaning, then tap a card to check.
Idiom list verified as of August 2026.
գլխի ընկնել
Literally to fall into the head
Means to suddenly understand or realize something
English idiom to catch on
Example Մի քանի րոպե անց նոր գլխի ընկա, թե ինչ էր ուզում ասել։
It was only a few minutes later that I caught on to what he meant.
ձեռք առնել
Literally to take in hand
Means to make fun of someone, to tease
English idiom to pull someone's leg
Example Լուրջ եմ ասում, քեզ ձեռք չեմ առնում։
I mean it, I am not pulling your leg.
Note The same two words also mean to take something up or set about it, so the context decides which sense you get.
ցավդ տանեմ
Literally let me carry your pain
Means an affectionate way of addressing someone, roughly my dear
Example Ցավդ տանեմ, մի քիչ էլ կեր, դեռ ոչինչ չես կերել։
My dear, eat a little more, you have hardly eaten anything.
Note It comes from offering to take another person's pain onto yourself; older relatives use it constantly, and it also softens a request.
գլուխ գովել
Literally to praise one's head
Means to brag about oneself
English idiom to blow one's own trumpet
Example Նա շատ է սիրում գլուխ գովել, բայց գործի ժամանակ ոչինչ չի անում։
He loves to blow his own trumpet, but when there is work to do he does nothing.
քիթը կախել
Literally to hang one's nose
Means to sulk, to look gloomy or upset
English idiom to be down in the dumps
Example Ինչո՞ւ ես քիթդ կախել, ի՞նչ է պատահել։
Why the long face, what happened?
աչքով տալ
Literally to give with the eye
Means to bring someone bad luck by admiring or envying them too openly
English idiom to give someone the evil eye
Example Երեխային այդքան մի գովիր, աչքով կտաս։
Do not praise the child so much, you will give him the evil eye.
Note The evil eye is taken half seriously in Armenia; blue eye charms hang in cars and homes, and the phrase comes up in ordinary conversation.
հոգին հանել
Literally to take out someone's soul
Means to wear someone out with constant nagging or demands
English idiom to drive someone up the wall
Example Այս երեխաները հարցերով հոգիս հանեցին։
These children drove me up the wall with their questions.
Note Very informal and fairly strong, so keep it for family and close friends.
ձեռքից գալ
Literally to come from someone's hand
Means to be within one's power or skill to do
Example Ինչ որ իմ ձեռքից գա, կանեմ քեզ համար։
Whatever is in my power, I will do it for you.
գլուխը կորցնել
Literally to lose one's head
Means to panic and lose one's composure
English idiom to lose one's head
Example Վտանգի պահին նա գլուխը չկորցրեց ու անմիջապես օգնություն կանչեց։
At the moment of danger he did not lose his head and called for help right away.
խելքը գլուխը հավաքել
Literally to gather one's mind into one's head
Means to come to one's senses and start acting sensibly
English idiom to pull oneself together
Example Ժամանակն է, որ խելքդ գլուխդ հավաքես ու լուրջ գործ գտնես։
It is time you pulled yourself together and found a serious job.
Note Said to someone younger or close to you; from a stranger it lands as a scolding.
սիրտը լցվել
Literally the heart to fill up
Means to be overcome with emotion, often close to tears
English idiom to get choked up
Example Երգը լսելիս սիրտս լցվեց։
I got choked up while listening to the song.
փորը մեջքին կպչել
Literally the belly to stick to the back
Means to be extremely hungry
English idiom to be so hungry one could eat a horse
Example Առավոտից ոչինչ չեմ կերել, փորս մեջքիս կպել է։
I have not eaten since morning, I could eat a horse.
Note Colloquial and a bit blunt, natural at home but not at a formal table.
աչքի լույսի պես պահել
Literally to keep like the light of the eye
Means to look after something with the greatest possible care
English idiom to guard something like the apple of one's eye
Example Տատիկս այդ նամակները աչքի լույսի պես էր պահում։
My grandmother guarded those letters like the apple of her eye.
քիթը խոթել
Literally to shove one's nose in
Means to meddle in things that are none of one's business
English idiom to stick one's nose in
Example Ամեն տեղ քիթդ մի խոթիր, դա քո գործը չէ։
Do not stick your nose in everywhere, it is none of your business.
Note Blunt; said to someone's face it is a real reproach, not light teasing.
ականջին օղ անել
Literally to make it an earring for one's ear
Means to take advice to heart and remember it for good
Example Մորս խոսքերը ականջիս օղ արեցի ու երբեք չմոռացա։
I took my mother's words to heart and never forgot them.
Note The image is an earring, a reminder you carry on you, and it usually comes up when older people give advice.
սիրտը տեղը գալ
Literally the heart to come back to its place
Means to calm down and feel at ease again after worrying
English idiom to breathe a sigh of relief
Example Երբ զանգեց ու ասաց, որ ամեն ինչ լավ է, սիրտս տեղը եկավ։
When he called and said everything was fine, I breathed a sigh of relief.
աչքից ընկնել
Literally to fall from someone's eye
Means to lose someone's respect or good opinion
English idiom to fall out of favor
Example Իր ստի պատճառով նա ընկերների աչքից ընկավ։
Because of his lie he fell out of favor with his friends.
ջուրն ընկնել
Literally to fall into the water
Means for a plan or an effort to come to nothing
English idiom to fall through
Example Անձրևի պատճառով մեր բոլոր ծրագրերը ջուրն ընկան։
Because of the rain all our plans fell through.
լեզու գտնել
Literally to find a language
Means to reach an understanding with someone and get along
English idiom to find common ground
Example Նոր գործընկերներիս հետ արագ լեզու գտա։
I quickly found common ground with my new colleagues.
ականջները սրել
Literally to sharpen one's ears
Means to start listening very attentively
English idiom to prick up one's ears
Example Երեխաները ականջները սրած՝ լսում էին տատիկի հեքիաթը։
The children pricked up their ears and listened to their grandmother's tale.
քթի տակ ծիծաղել
Literally to laugh under one's nose
Means to laugh quietly to oneself at someone or something
English idiom to laugh up one's sleeve
Example Նա ոչինչ չասաց, միայն քթի տակ ծիծաղեց։
He said nothing, he just laughed up his sleeve.
ականջը զնգալ
Literally for one's ear to ring
Means to sense that other people are talking about you
English idiom one's ears are burning
Example Մենք անընդհատ քո մասին ենք խոսում, երևի դրա համար ականջդ է զնգում։
We keep talking about you, that is probably why your ears are burning.
ձեռքը բաց լինել
Literally for one's hand to be open
Means to be generous with money and help
English idiom to be open-handed
Example Պապս միշտ ձեռքը բաց է եղել կարիքավորների հանդեպ։
My grandfather was always open-handed towards people in need.
աչքերը կպչել
Literally for the eyes to stick together
Means to be so sleepy one can barely stay awake
Example Այնքան հոգնած եմ, որ աչքերս կպչում են։
I am so tired that my eyes are closing.
քամուն տալ
Literally to give to the wind
Means to waste money or resources on nothing
English idiom to throw money down the drain
Example Նա ամբողջ ժառանգությունը մի քանի տարում քամուն տվեց։
He threw the whole inheritance down the drain in a few years.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is fixed by convention, not built from its words. That is why a word-for-word translation fails: Գլխի ընկնել comes out as "to fall into the head", which makes no sense until you know it means to suddenly understand or realize something.
Learn a few at a time, not a whole list. Pick the ones you keep running into, say them out loud in a real sentence, and you will remember them far longer than by drilling flashcards.
The most reliable way to absorb idioms is to meet them in context, again and again, in things you actually read. Parallel text and audio let you catch an idiom in a real Armenian sentence and check what it means without breaking your reading. That is what reading in Lingo7 is built for.
Start reading Armenian with Lingo7 →
Find Armenian books at your level (A1 to C1) →
Not sure of your level? Take the CEFR test (A1-C2) →
The most common Armenian idioms, ranked by everyday frequency, start with գլխի ընկնել, ձեռք առնել, ցավդ տանեմ, գլուխ գովել, քիթը կախել. Each one means something you could not guess from the words alone, which is exactly why learners have to meet them in context. This page lists 25 of them with meanings and example sentences.
In Armenian, "գլխի ընկնել" translates literally as "to fall into the head", but it actually means to suddenly understand or realize something. The closest English idiom is "to catch on". Example: Մի քանի րոպե անց նոր գլխի ընկա, թե ինչ էր ուզում ասել։ ("It was only a few minutes later that I caught on to what he meant.")
The Armenian equivalent is "գլխի ընկնել", literally "to fall into the head". Example: Մի քանի րոպե անց նոր գլխի ընկա, թե ինչ էր ուզում ասել։ ("It was only a few minutes later that I caught on to what he meant.")
In Armenian, an idiom is called դարձվածք, and a proverb is առած. Armenians call a fixed figurative phrase a դարձվածք, while an առած is a whole saying that states a piece of folk wisdom, usually listed alongside ասացվածք (a common saying).
Idioms are non-compositional: their meaning is fixed by convention, not built from the individual words. Գլխի ընկնել translates literally as "to fall into the head", yet it means to suddenly understand or realize something. Translate word for word and you get nonsense, so idioms have to be learned as whole units.
The fastest way is to meet them in context and reuse them, not to memorize a list. Learn a handful at a time, notice them while reading and listening, and try them in your own sentences. Reading real Armenian with tap-to-translate, the way Lingo7 works, turns every page into idiom practice.