Day 6. Nino introduces her friends
Nino takes me to a café to meet her friends. Everybody talks at once, everybody laughs, and everybody wants to know one thing first: my name.
Today's question is the first one every Georgian will ask you.
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
Nino
ეს ჩემი მეგობარია.es chemi megobaria.This is my friend.
Ana
გამარჯობა! რა გქვია?gamarjoba! ra gkvia?Hello! What's your name?
Sam
სემი მქვია. შენ?semi mkvia. shen?My name is Sam. And you?
Ana
მე ანა მქვია.me ana mkvia.My name is Ana.
Sam
სასიამოვნოა, ანა.sasiamovnoa, ana.Nice to meet you, Ana.
Ana
მეც ძალიან სასიამოვნოა.mets dzalian sasiamovnoa.Very nice to meet you too.
Dato
გამარჯობათ! მე დათო ვარ.gamarjobat! me dato var.Hello, everyone! I'm Dato.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| რა გქვია? | ra gkvia? | what's your name? (to a friend) |
| რა გქვიათ? | ra gkviat? | what's your name? (polite) |
| მქვია | mkvia | my name is |
| ჰქვია | hkvia | his / her name is |
| სახელი | sakheli | name, first name |
| გვარი | gvari | surname, family name |
| მეგობარი | megobari | friend |
| ჩემი | chemi | my |
| მეც | mets | me too |
| სასიამოვნოა | sasiamovnoa | nice to meet you (literally "it is pleasant") |
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
"To me is called": მქვიაmkvia
Georgian does not say "my name is Sam" or "I am called Sam". It says something closer to "to me, Sam is called". The little letter at the start of the verb tells you whose name it is:
| me | you | he, she |
|---|---|---|
| მქვიაmkvia | გქვიაgkvia | ჰქვიაhkvia |
სემი მქვია.semi mkvia.Sam to-me-is-calledMy name is Sam.
რა გქვია?ra gkvia?what to-you-is-calledWhat's your name?
მას ნინო ჰქვია.mas nino hkvia.to-him/her Nino is-calledHer name is Nino.
You can add მეme (me) for emphasis: მე სემი მქვიაme semi mkvia. Both are correct.
Polite: add -თt
To a stranger, an older person or several people, add the polite -თt: რა გქვიათra gkviat? The answer stays მქვიაmkvia, because you are talking about yourself.
Other ways to say it
You can also say ჩემი სახელია სემიchemi sakhelia semi, "my name is Sam", or simply მე სემი ვარme semi var, "I am Sam". All three are natural.
Me too: -ცts
Stick -ცts to a word to say "too, also": მეme + ცts = მეცmets, "me too". Ana answers Sam's სასიამოვნოაsasiamovnoa with მეც ძალიან სასიამოვნოაmets dzalian sasiamovnoa: "very nice for me too".
5Good to know
Georgian surnames often tell you where a family comes from. Names ending in -შვილიshvili (child) and -ძეdze (son) are found all over the country: ბერიძეberidze, კაპანაძეk'ap'anadze, მაისურაძეmaisuradze, გელაშვილიgelashvili. Endings in -იაia and -ავაava are typical of Samegrelo in the west, and -ანიani of Svaneti in the mountains.
Very common first names: გიორგიgiorgi, დავითიdaviti, ლუკაluk'a, ლევანიlevani for men; ნინოnino, მარიამიmariami, ანაana, თამარიtamari for women. Saint George, წმინდა გიორგიts'minda giorgi, is the patron saint of Georgia, which explains why so many men are called Giorgi.
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.
- How do you ask a friend "What's your name?"
- How do you say "My name is Ana"?
- მას ნინო ჰქვიაmas nino hkvia means…
- How do you ask an older person their name politely?
- What does მეცmets mean?
- What does გვარიgvari mean?
- Someone says სასიამოვნოაsasiamovnoa to you. A good answer is…
- What does the surname ending -შვილიshvili mean?
- Which is NOT a way to give your name?
- ეს ჩემი მეგობარიაes chemi megobaria means…
Well done! Lesson 11 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Ask a new friend his or her name.
Show the answer
რა გქვია?ra gkvia? - Answer with your own name (example: Sam).
Show the answer
სემი მქვია.semi mkvia. - Ask an older lady her name, politely.
Show the answer
რა გქვიათ?ra gkviat? - Say "Nice to meet you."
Show the answer
სასიამოვნოა.sasiamovnoa. - Answer "Very nice to meet you too."
Show the answer
მეც ძალიან სასიამოვნოა.mets dzalian sasiamovnoa. - Introduce your friend Dato: "This is my friend Dato."
Show the answer
ეს ჩემი მეგობარია, დათო.es chemi megobaria, dato.
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