նավակ
navak/nɑˈvɑk/
The Armenian word for boat is նավակ (navak). Wiktionary also lists մակույկ (makuyk).
Meaning: water craft (noun)
Ways to say it
| Armenian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| նավակ | navak | /nɑˈvɑk/ (Eastern Armenian) /nɑˈvɑɡ/ (Western Armenian) |
| մակույկ | makuyk | /mɑˈkujk/ (Eastern Armenian) /mɑˈɡujɡ/ (Western Armenian) |
Both նավակ and մակույկ can be used to mean a water craft.
Which one should you use?
The term նավակ typically refers to a smaller boat or skiff, whereas larger vessels are often referred to as նավ.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify 'the boat' rather than 'a boat', add the definite article suffix –ը to the end of the word. The plural genitive form of նավակ is նավակների.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is navak. The sounds are as follows: /n/ as in [n]est, /ɑ/ as in l[a]va, /v/ as in [v]an and /k/ as in s[c]an.
Did you know?
- The Armenian word for ship նավ is a cognate with the Latin 'navis' and the English 'navy', pointing to a very ancient Indo-European root for watercraft.
- In some traditional Armenian folk songs, the image of a boat նավակ is often used as a metaphor for the soul's journey or a longing for a distant homeland.
- The word նավակ is likely a linguistic sibling to the word լաք, which refers to 'lacquer' or 'varnish'.
Examples in context
- Ես նավակ եմ տեսնում։I see a boat.Tatoeba #13361663 by Proxima5, translation #8910274 by CK
- Հիշե՛ք, որ մենք բոլորս նույն նավակի մեջ ենք։Remember that we are all in the same boat.This sentence shows how to use նավակ in an idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #13614585 by Proxima5, translation #2212 by Dejo
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nane and Levon are at the lake.
- Նանե NaneԼևոն, արի վարձով նավակ վերցնենք:Levon, ari vardzov navak vertsnenq:Levon, let's rent a boat.
- Լևոն LevonԼավ գաղափար է, Նանե:Lav gaghapar e, Nane:That is a good idea, Nane.
- Նանե NaneՈ՞ր նավակը ավելի հարմար է:Vor navaky aveli harmar e:Which boat is more convenient?
- Լևոն LevonԱյն կապույտ նավակը լավն է:Ayn kapuyt navaky lavn e:That blue boat is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boat” translations and entries նավակ, մակույկ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries մակույկ, նավակ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
