Month 6. Buying souvenirs
I go to the Dry Bridge market with Nino to buy souvenirs for my family in Canada. Every seller has a story about every object.
Today: buying for yourself and for someone else.
LIMBA audio course · Georgian
Hear it, then say it: learn to speak Georgian
- 37 audio lessons
- about 13 minutes each
- explained in simple English
This written course gives you the grammar, the words and the script. The LIMBA audio course trains your ear and your mouth: you listen, you repeat, you answer — the perfect complement to these lessons.
Download the Georgian audio courseOrder form · your download link arrives by email▶ Listen to lesson 1 for free
1Sam’s diary
2Dialogue
Sam
ეს ყანწი მინდა. მამას ვუყიდი.es q'ants'i minda. mamas vuq'idi.I want this drinking horn. I'll buy it for my dad.
Nino
კარგი არჩევანია! დედას რას უყიდი?k'argi archevania! dedas ras uq'idi?Good choice! And what will you buy for your mum?
Sam
ხალიჩას... არა, ძალიან დიდია. მინანქარს ვუყიდი.khalichas... ara, dzalian didia. minankars vuq'idi.A carpet... no, it's too big. I'll buy her some enamel jewellery.
Nino
შენთვის რას იყიდი?shentvis ras iq'idi?And what will you buy for yourself?
Sam
ჩემთვის? ჩურჩხელას ვიყიდი!chemtvis? churchkhelas viq'idi!For myself? I'll buy churchkhela!
Nino
მეც მიყიდე ერთი!mets miq'ide erti!Buy me one too!
Sam
რა თქმა უნდა, ორს გიყიდი!ra tkma unda, ors giq'idi!Of course, I'll buy you two!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ყანწი | q'ants'i | drinking horn |
| ვუყიდი | vuq'idi | I'll buy (it) for him/her |
| არჩევანი | archevani | choice |
| უყიდი | uq'idi | you'll buy for him/her |
| ხალიჩა | khalicha | carpet |
| მიმზადებს | mimzadebs | he/she prepares (it) for me |
| იყიდი | iq'idi | you'll buy (for yourself) |
| მიყიდე! | miq'ide! | buy me…! |
| გიყიდი | giq'idi | I'll buy for you |
| სუვენირი | suveniri | souvenir |
How to read the pronunciation
The pronunciation is written in English letters, following Georgia’s official romanization. Say every letter: a as in father, e as in pet, i as in machine, o as in port, u as in rule; r is rolled; g is always hard; kh as in Scottish loch; gh a soft gargled g, like a French r; sh as in shop; zh like the s in pleasure; ch as in church; ts as in cats; dz as in adze; j as in jam. An apostrophe marks a “popped” consonant, said with a little click in the throat and no puff of air: k’, p’, t’, ts’, ch’, q’ (q’ is made deep in the throat). Without an apostrophe, k, p, t, ts, ch have a small puff of air. Use the Pronunciation button at the top to hide or show it.
4Grammar and explanations
Who is it for? The vowel before the root
Many Georgian verbs have a vowel just before the root, and this vowel tells you who the action is for. Grammars call it "version". The official grammar for learners uses this example:
| form | meaning |
|---|---|
| სახლს აშენებსsakhls ashenebs | he builds a house (no one in particular) |
| სახლს იშენებსsakhls ishenebs | he builds a house for himself |
| სახლს უშენებს მეზობელსsakhls ushenebs mezobels | he builds a house for his neighbour |
So: აa- neutral, იi- for oneself, უu- for him/her.
For me, for you: იi- again
When the action is for me, you or us, the vowel is always იi-, after the person prefix of lesson 102:
| form | meaning |
|---|---|
| ვიყიდიviq'idi | I'll buy (for myself) |
| ვუყიდიvuq'idi | I'll buy for him/her |
| მიყიდე!miq'ide! | buy me…! (მm- + იi-) |
| გიყიდიgiq'idi | I'll buy you… (გg- + იi-) |
| უყიდაuq'ida | he bought for him/her |
| მიყიდაmiq'ida | he bought for me |
The person you buy for is in the dative: დედას ვუყიდიdedas vuq'idi. In the aorist and in commands, the thing bought is in the nominative: დედას ხალიჩა ვუყიდეdedas khalicha vuq'ide, ჩურჩხელა მიყიდეchurchkhela miq'ide!
ბებო საუზმეს მიმზადებს.bebo sauzmes mimzadebs.Bebo breakfast prepares-for-meBebo makes me breakfast.
ყავას გაგიკეთებ.q'avas gagik'eteb.coffee I'll-make-for-youI'll make you a coffee.
რას იყიდი?ras iq'idi?what you'll-buy-for-yourselfWhat will you buy (for yourself)?
5Good to know
ყანწიq'ants'i is the drinking horn of the Georgian feast: you cannot put it down until it is empty, so it is filled only for big toasts. მინანქარიminankari is Georgian cloisonné enamel, an art known in Georgia since the Middle Ages and now a favourite souvenir.
6Exercises
Choose an answer for each question, then press Check my answers. Score 70% or more and the lesson is ticked on your course map.
- "I'll buy it for Mum" is…
- "Buy me one!" is…
- "I'll buy you two" is…
- სახლს იშენებსsakhls ishenebs means…
- "Bebo makes me breakfast" is…
- Which vowel means "for him/her"?
- "What will you buy for yourself?" is…
- "I'll make you a coffee" is…
- "He bought it for me" is…
- What is a ყანწიq'ants'i?
Well done! Lesson 103 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Say "I'll buy souvenirs for Nino."
Show the answer
ნინოს სუვენირებს ვუყიდი.ninos suvenirebs vuq'idi. - Say to a friend "Buy me a coffee!"
Show the answer
ყავა მიყიდე!q'ava miq'ide! - Say "I'll make you a coffee."
Show the answer
ყავას გაგიკეთებ.q'avas gagik'eteb. - Say "Grandma makes me breakfast."
Show the answer
ბებო საუზმეს მიმზადებს.bebo sauzmes mimzadebs. - Ask "What will you buy for yourself?"
Show the answer
შენთვის რას იყიდი?shentvis ras iq'idi?
Lesson finished? Now train your ear
Speak Georgian with the 37 LIMBA audio lessons
- 37 audio lessons
- about 13 minutes each
- explained in simple English
This written course gives you the grammar, the words and the script. The LIMBA audio course trains your ear and your mouth: you listen, you repeat, you answer — the perfect complement to these lessons.
Download the Georgian audio courseOrder form · your download link arrives by email▶ Listen to lesson 1 for free