Ways to say it
| Armenian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| քեռի | kʻeṙi | /kʰeˈri/ (Eastern Armenian) /keˈɾi/ (Western Armenian) |
| հորեղբայր | horeġbayr | /hoɾeχˈpɑjɾ/ (Eastern Armenian) /hoɾeχˈbɑjɾ/ (Western Armenian) |
քեռի specifically refers to a mother's brother, though in colloquial speech it is often used more broadly for an uncle.
What does it mean word for word?
հորեղբայր is a compound of հոր, meaning father's and the word for brother. մորեղբայր is built the same way with մոր, meaning mother's.
Which one should you use?
Armenian separates the two sides of the family. հորեղբայր (horeġbayr) is your father's brother. մորեղբայր is your mother's brother, and քեռի is the common, everyday word for the same relative.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the definite article suffix gives քեռին, meaning the uncle.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /kʰeˈri/, with k as in can, a trilled r like the Spanish rr in perro and i as in seat but short. Stress falls on the last syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use քեռի when you mean your father's brother in careful speech. Use հորեղբայր instead.
Did you know?
- The term քեռի carries an implicit sense of 'becoming' an uncle through a sister. It is not just a label for a relative, but a word that suggests the specific familial connection to the mother's side.
- The word քեռի descends from the Old Armenian form քեռի.
- The word քեռի is so versatile in casual Armenian that it often loses its strict maternal meaning entirely. In everyday conversation, people frequently use it to mean any uncle, regardless of which parent they are related to.
Examples in context
- Ես քեռի եմ դառնալու։I'm going to be an uncle.քեռի here means becoming an uncle, which with this word suggests through a sister.Tatoeba #12410423 by Proxima5, translation #2545411 by CK
- Քեռիս մեծ ընտանիք ունի։My uncle has a large family.Քեռիս adds a suffix meaning my, so it means my uncle.Tatoeba #13580526 by Proxima5, translation #65084 by CK
- Սա քո հորեղբայր Թոմն է։This is your uncle Tom.հորեղբայր is used for an uncle on the father's side.Tatoeba #13976172 by Proxima5, translation #13976147 by Ergulis
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Artash and Lilian are looking at an old family photograph.
- Արտաշ ArtashՈ՞վ է այս մարդը նկարում:Ov e ays marty nkarum?Who is this man in the photo?
- Լիլիան LilianՍա իմ քեռին է:Sa im kerrin e.This is my uncle.
- Արտաշ ArtashՆա ապրում է այս քաղաքում:Na aprum e ays kaghakum.Does he live in this city?
- Լիլիան LilianՈչ, քեռիս ապրում է ավարտված գյուղում:Voch, kerris aprum e avartvats gyughum.No, my uncle lives in a remote village.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries քեռի, հորեղբայր, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries հորեղբայր, քեռի, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
