Month 7. Calling the bank
Disaster: I can't find my bank card. I call the bank's hotline, and then I try to call Nino, who doesn't answer.
Today: calling, asking and answering.
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
Operator
ცხელი ხაზი, გისმენთ.tskheli khazi, gisment.Hotline, how can I help you?
Sam
გამარჯობა. ბარათი დავკარგე. რა ვქნა?gamarjoba. barati davk'arge. ra vkna?Hello. I've lost my card. What should I do?
Operator
ერთი წუთით. რამდენიმე რამეს გკითხავთ.erti ts'utit. ramdenime rames gk'itkhavt.One moment. I'll ask you a few things.
Sam
კარგი, მკითხეთ.k'argi, mk'itkhet.OK, go ahead and ask me.
Operator
გმადლობთ. ბარათი დაბლოკილია. ახალ ბარათს ორ დღეში მიიღებთ.gmadlobt. barati dablok'ilia. akhal barats or dgheshi miighebt.Thank you. The card is blocked. You'll receive a new card in two days.
Sam
ნინოს ვურეკავ, მაგრამ არ მპასუხობს...ninos vurek'av, magram ar mp'asukhobs...(later) I'm calling Nino, but she isn't answering...
Nino
სემ, დამირეკე? ბოდიში, გაკვეთილი მქონდა.sem, damirek'e? bodishi, gak'vetili mkonda.Sam, did you call me? Sorry, I had a class.
Sam
ბარათი დავკარგე, მაგრამ ბანკში უკვე დავრეკე.barati davk'arge, magram bank'shi uk've davrek'e.I lost my card, but I've already called the bank.
Nino
კარგია. საღამოს დაგირეკავ!k'argia. saghamos dagirek'av!Good. I'll call you this evening!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ცხელი ხაზი | tskheli khazi | hotline (literally "hot line") |
| გკითხავთ | gk'itkhavt | I'll ask you (polite) |
| მკითხეთ! | mk'itkhet! | ask me! (polite) |
| დაბლოკილია | dablok'ilia | it is blocked |
| ვურეკავ | vurek'av | I'm calling him/her |
| არ მპასუხობს | ar mp'asukhobs | he/she isn't answering me |
| დამირეკე | damirek'e | call me!; you called me |
| დავრეკე | davrek'e | I called, I phoned |
| დაგირეკავ | dagirek'av | I'll call you |
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
Call someone: ურეკავსurek'avs
| present | future | aorist |
|---|---|---|
| ვურეკავvurek'av I'm calling him | დავურეკავdavurek'av I'll call him | დავურეკეdavurek'e I called him |
| მირეკავსmirek'avs he's calling me | დამირეკავსdamirek'avs he'll call me | დამირეკაdamirek'a he called me |
| გირეკავgirek'av I'm calling you | დაგირეკავdagirek'av I'll call you | დაგირეკეdagirek'e I called you |
Commands: დამირეკეdamirek'e! (call me!), დაურეკეdaurek'e! (call him/her!). დამირეკეdamirek'e is also the aorist "you called me": დამირეკეdamirek'e? = "Did you call me?"
To call a place, use -შიshi and the verb without a person: ბანკში დავრეკეbank'shi davrek'e (I called the bank).
Ask someone: ეკითხებაek'itkheba
| present | future | aorist |
|---|---|---|
| ვეკითხებიvek'itkhebi I ask him | ვკითხავvk'itkhav I'll ask him | ვკითხეvk'itkhe I asked him |
| მეკითხებაmek'itkheba he asks me | მკითხავსmk'itkhavs he'll ask me | მკითხაmk'itkha he asked me |
| გეკითხებიgek'itkhebi I'm asking you | გკითხავgk'itkhav I'll ask you | გკითხეgk'itkhe I asked you |
Commands: ჰკითხეhk'itkhe! (ask him!), მკითხეmk'itkhe! (ask me!). The ჰh- of "him" appears in ჰკითხაhk'itkha (he asked him) and disappears after ვv-: ვკითხეvk'itkhe.
Answer someone: პასუხობსp'asukhobs
| present | future | aorist |
|---|---|---|
| მპასუხობსmp'asukhobs he answers me | მიპასუხებსmip'asukhebs he'll answer me | მიპასუხაmip'asukha he answered me |
| ვპასუხობvp'asukhob I answer | ვუპასუხებvup'asukheb I'll answer him | ვუპასუხეvup'asukhe I answered him |
Command: მიპასუხეmip'asukhe! (answer me!) > ნინოს ვურეკავninos vurek'av, მაგრამ არ მპასუხობსmagram ar mp'asukhobs. | to-Nino I-call, but not she-answers-me | I'm calling Nino, but she isn't answering.
5Good to know
On the phone, Georgians often answer with ალოalo? and, in offices, with გისმენთgisment ("I'm listening to you").
Three verbs of this lesson have three different roots in the past and future: learn them as sets, like ჰკითხავსhk'itkhavs / ჰკითხაhk'itkha and უპასუხებსup'asukhebs / უპასუხაup'asukha.
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.
- "Call me!" is…
- "I'll call you this evening" is…
- "She isn't answering me" is…
- "Ask him!" is…
- "He asked me" is…
- "I'll ask you" (polite) is…
- "I called the bank" is…
- "Answer me!" is…
- "I'm calling Nino" is…
- დამირეკეdamirek'e? in a question means…
- What is a ცხელი ხაზიtskheli khazi?
Well done! Lesson 106 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 "Call me tomorrow!"
Show the answer
ხვალ დამირეკე!khval damirek'e! - Say "I'll call you this evening."
Show the answer
საღამოს დაგირეკავ.saghamos dagirek'av. - Say "Ask Giorgi!"
Show the answer
გიორგის ჰკითხე!giorgis hk'itkhe! - Say "He isn't answering me."
Show the answer
არ მპასუხობს.ar mp'asukhobs. - Say "Nino called me."
Show the answer
ნინომ დამირეკა.ninom damirek'a.
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