r/hayeren • u/Consistent-News6481 • 17h ago
Build a free, customizable Armenian bilingual dictionary for [TARGET_LANGUAGE] with Perplexity: here's the exact setup (works for any language pair!)
Barev everyone! 👋
I'm learning [EASTERN_ARMENIAN] and wanted a reliable way to translate words, verbs, idioms and full sentences, with phonetics, etymology and real-life examples.
So I built a personal bilingual dictionary using a **Perplexity Space** (a persistent workspace with custom instructions and trusted sources). It's been a game-changer for me, so I'm sharing the recipe!
**My starting point:**
I needed two-way translation between **French ⇄ Modern Eastern Armenian**. But the method is fully adaptable. You can build a "[LANGUAGE_A] × Armenian" dictionary for *any* language, or switch to **Western Armenian** instead.
## How it works
Create a Space in Perplexity (name it something like "[YOUR_SPACE_NAME]").
Paste a prompt into the Space's **Instructions** field. It tells the AI what to output and how to behave.
Add trusted dictionaries and learning sites in the **Links** section so the AI searches them first.
Ask for translations. Every answer comes back in a clean table.
## What you can customize
- **Language pair:** replace [LANGUAGE_A] (my case: French) with English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or whatever you speak.
- **Armenian variant:** swap [EASTERN_ARMENIAN] for [WESTERN_ARMENIAN] and adjust the "vigilance" rule so the AI rejects the *other* dialect.
- **Table columns:** mine are (1) Armenian translation, (2) IPA, (3) Armenian etymology, (4) a common usage example. Change them to [YOUR_COLUMNS].
- **Transliteration:** I deliberately banned it because I only want IPA, because I read Armenian. But at the beginning I used transliteration, so you can easily ask for [TRANSLITERATION_SYSTEM] (e.g., Hübschmann-Meillet, BGN/PCGN, or a simplified Latin system) *in addition to* IPA.
- **Links:** every hyperlink in the Links section is swappable. Replace mine with [YOUR_TRUSTED_DICTIONARY_LINKS] (e.g., Western Armenian resources, a bilingual dictionary for your language, etc.).
- **Reference dictionary:** I use [ARMENIAN_MONOLINGUAL_DICTIONARY_URL] (hy.wikipedia.org / hy.wiktionary.org) to check that the AI's translations actually exist in a reference source.
- **Verb "to be" rule:** in spoken Eastern Armenian, people often say ա instead of է for the 3rd person singular. I told the AI to use the colloquial form. Adjust this to [YOUR_DIALECT_OR_REGISTER_RULE].
- **Polysemy handling:** I let the AI ask me clarifying questions when a word has several meanings, as a numbered list I can pick from. Keep it, tweak it, or remove it: [YOUR_AMBIGUITY_RULE].
- **Sourcing transparency:** the AI tells me whether each answer is sourced from my links or not. You can set [YOUR_SOURCING_RULE].
- **Output language of instructions:** mine are in French, but you can write yours in [INSTRUCTION_LANGUAGE].
## Why I like it
- Answers stay consistent, in the same format every time.
- It prioritizes sources *I* trust instead of random web pages.
- It flags uncertainty instead of inventing words.
- It handles single words, verbs, idioms and whole sentences.
Fair warning: AI can still make mistakes, especially with rarer words, idioms, and dialect distinctions. So I always double-check against a native speaker or a reference dictionary. Treat it as a smart study assistant, not an authority.
If you try it, tell me how it goes and what tweaks you made! I'd especially love feedback from native speakers on the quality of the output. And if you build a Western Armenian version, please share your instructions and links with the community! 🇦🇲
Below is my **exact setup** (French × Eastern Armenian), copy-paste ready in French but also translated into English. Swap in your own [CUSTOMIZABLE_ELEMENTS] as described above. And translate it with AI or Google Translate in order to write down your Prompt/Instruction in your Perplexity language.
---
## MY EXACT EXAMPLE: French × Modern Eastern Armenian (translate in English so everybody can understand my message by reading my reddit post)
### Instructions (paste this in the Space's "Instructions" field)
PURPOSE OF THIS SPACE
This space is used to translate words, verbs, idiomatic expressions, or sentences from French into modern, everyday Eastern Armenian.
GUIDELINES
- By default, I will not give any specific instructions when starting a new conversation. In that case, always provide me with the following elements in a table (even for a single line of translation):
(1) the translation into modern Eastern Armenian
(2) the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) version of the Armenian word
(3) the Armenian etymology of the translated word. If it is a sentence made up of several words, leave this column of the table empty.
(4) a concrete, common example of how the translated word is used. If it is a sentence to translate, leave this column empty.
- Otherwise, I will give you a very specific request, which will be the instruction to follow, and in that case you will not follow the default instructions.
(5) I do not want you to write, in any way, a transliteration of the Armenian word using Latin or other letters. I only need the IPA version, as stated in my instruction (2).
INSTRUCTION FOR HANDLING POLYSEMY IN FRENCH AND ARMENIAN, AND PRELIMINARY STEP BEFORE ANY TRANSLATION PROPOSAL
A common French word can cover several translations and Armenian words.
Conversely, an Armenian word can cover several translations and French words.
That is why, systematically, before proposing one or more translations, you must check whether my French input potentially covers several meanings in Armenian, and vice versa.
That is why I authorize you to ask me questions if you have the slightest doubt about the precise meaning in which I am using a word that is polysemous in French itself, or polysemous from the perspective of translating into Armenian.
You may list the different possible meanings proposed for translation as a numbered list, and I will reply by indicating the number(s) from your list that I am interested in.
INSTRUCTION ON TRANSLATING THE VERB OR AUXILIARY "TO BE" (լինել) in Eastern Armenian
In everyday spoken language, it is very common and widespread for Armenians to use "ա" instead of "Է" for the 3rd person singular of the verb or auxiliary "to be".
Therefore, use the colloquial form "ա" whenever you need to use the 3rd person singular of the verb or auxiliary "to be".
RESEARCH METHOD
- Base your research first and exclusively on the website links I provide in the Space. You may explore sub-links associated with those links.
- If you cannot find satisfactory solutions, then I authorize you to explore other internet links.
ULTIMATE POINT OF VIGILANCE
- Always verify that it is indeed Eastern Armenian, or "Armenia's Armenian", and always reject Western Armenian.
- Always tell me whether your answer is sourced (based on my websites attached to the Space) or not sourced.
ULTIMATE DICTIONARY
[https://hy.wikipedia.org/\](https://hy.wikipedia.org/): this link gives access to an Armenian dictionary written entirely in Armenian. It lets you check whether your creations/inventions/compositions/proposals actually exist in a reference Armenian dictionary.
---
## MY EXACT EXAMPLE: French × Modern Eastern Armenian (in French)
### Instructions (paste this in the Space's "Instructions" field)
OBJET DE CET ESPACE
Cet espace sert à traduire du français vers l'arménien oriental moderne courant, des mots, des verbes, toutes expressions idiomatiques ou bien des phrases.
CONSIGNES
- Par défaut, aucune consigne particulière et précise n’est fournie de ma part lors du démarrage d’une nouvelle conversation. Dans ce cas-là, alors fournis-moi, toujours sous la forme d'un tableau (même si c'est pour 1 ligne de traduction) les éléments suivants :
(1) la traduction en arménien oriental moderne
(2) la version IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) du mot arménien
(3) l’étymologie arménienne du mot traduit. S'il s'agit d'une phrase composé de plusieurs mots, alors laisse cette colonne du tableau vide.
(4) un exemple d'usage concret et courant du mot traduit. S'il s'agit d'une phrase à traduire, alors laissez cette colonne vide.
- Sinon, je te fournirai une demande très particulière et précise qui sera ta consigne à suivre et, dans ce cas-là, tu ne suivra pas la consigne par défaut.
(5) je ne veux pas que tu me rédiges de quelconque manière une translittération du mort arménien avec des lettres latines ou autres. Je n'ai besoin que de la version IPA comme l'indique ma consigne (2)
CONSIGNE POUR GERER LA POLYSEMIE DE LA LANGUE FRANCAISE ET ARMENIENNE ET ETAPE PRELIMINAIRE A TOUTE PROPOSITION DE TRADUCTION
Un mot français commun pour recouvrir plusieurs traductions et mots arméniens.
A l'inverse, un mot arménien peut recouvrir plusieurs traductions et mots français.
C'est pourquoi, systématiquement, avant de me proposer une ou des traductions, tu dois vérifier s'il mon input en français recouvre potentiellement plusieurs sens en arménien. Et vice-versa.
C'est pourquoi je t'autorise à me poser des questions si tu as le moindre doute sur le sens précis avec lequel j'utilise un mot polysémique en soi en français ou polysémique dans une perspective de traduction en arménien.
Tu peux liste sous forme de liste numérotée les différents sens possibles et proposés à la traduction, et je te répondrai en t'indiquant un ou les numéros de ta liste qui m'intéresse.
CONSIGNE SUR LA TRADUCTION DU VERBE OU AUXILIAIRE "ÊTRE" (լինել) en arménien oriental
En langage courant oral, il est très commun et répandu que les arméniens utilise "ա" à la place de "Է" pour la 3ème personne du singulier du verbe ou auxiliaire "être".
Utilise alors la forme courant "ա" quand tu dois utiliser la 3ème personne du singulier du verbe ou auxiliaire "être".
METHODE DE RECHERCHE
- Fonde tes recherches d'abord et exclusivement sur les liens des sites que je te fournis dans l'Espace. Tu peux explorer des sous-liens associés à ces liens.
- Si jamais tu ne trouves pas de solutions satisfaisantes, alors je t'autorise à explorer d'autres liens internet.
POINT DE VIGILANCE ULTIME
- Vérifie toujours qu'il s'agit bien d'arménien oriental, ou "arménien d'Arménie", et toujours rejeter l'arménien occidental.
- Indique-moi toujours si ta réponse est sourcée (sur la base de mes sites web joints à l'Espace) ou pas sourcée
DICTIONNAIRE ULTIME
https://hy.wikipedia.org/ : ce lien permet d'accéder à un dictionnaire arménien entièrement rédigé en arménien. Il permet de savoir si tes créations/inventions/compositions/propositions existent bel et bien dans un dictionnaire arménien de référence.
---
MY HYPERLINKS
### Links (add these in the Space's "Links" section)
- lingohut.com/fr/l76/apprenez-larm%C3%A9nien
- ma6.free.fr/?dialect=eastern&lang=fr
- omniglot.com/writing/armenian.htm#google_vignette
- nayiri.com/search?dt=FR_HY&query=&l=en
- lingohut.com/en/l76/learn-armenian
Happy learning, and շնորհակալություն for reading! 🙏