Month 9. A story with a twist
Nino asks me if I remember my first day in Georgia. Of course I do: it was raining, and the story has a twist.
Today: "when", "before" and "after".
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
სემ, გახსოვს, როცა საქართველოში ჩამოხვედი?sem, gakhsovs, rotsa sakartveloshi chamokhvedi?Sam, do you remember when you came to Georgia?
Sam
როგორ არა! როცა თვითმფრინავიდან გამოვედი, წვიმდა.rogor ara! rotsa tvitmprinavidan gamovedi, ts'vimda.Of course! When I got off the plane, it was raining.
Sam
სანამ ტაქსს ვიპოვიდი, სულ დავსველდი.sanam t'akss vip'ovidi, sul davsveldi.Before I found a taxi, I got soaked.
Sam
მას შემდეგ, რაც სახლში მივედი, მანანამ ცხელი ჩაი გამიკეთა.mas shemdeg, rats sakhlshi mivedi, mananam tskheli chai gamik'eta.After I got home, Manana made me a hot tea.
Nino
და მერე?da mere?And then?
Sam
როცა ჩაი დავლიე, აღმოვაჩინე, რომ ჩემოდანი ტაქსში დამრჩა!rotsa chai davlie, aghmovachine, rom chemodani t'aksshi damrcha!When I'd drunk the tea, I realised I had left my suitcase in the taxi!
Nino
ვაიმე! და იპოვე?vaime! da ip'ove?Oh no! And did you find it?
Sam
კი, მძღოლმა მოიტანა, სანამ დავიძინებდი. ძალიან კეთილი კაცი იყო.k'i, mdzgholma moit'ana, sanam davidzinebdi. dzalian k'etili k'atsi iq'o.Yes, the driver brought it before I went to sleep. He was a very kind man.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| როგორ არა! | rogor ara! | of course! (literally "how not!") |
| გამოვედი | gamovedi | I came out, I got off |
| სანამ | sanam | before; until |
| დავსველდი | davsveldi | I got wet |
| მას შემდეგ, რაც | mas shemdeg, rats | after (+ a clause) |
| აღმოვაჩინე | aghmovachine | I discovered, I realised |
| ჩემოდანი | chemodani | suitcase |
| დამრჩა | damrcha | I left (it) behind (literally "it remained to me") |
| ვაიმე! | vaime! | oh no! |
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
როცაrotsa: when
როცა თვითმფრინავიდან გამოვედი, წვიმდა.rotsa tvitmprinavidan gamovedi, ts'vimda.when plane-from I-came-out, it-was-rainingWhen I got off the plane, it was raining.
The official A2 grammar example: მე სახლში ვიყავიme sakhlshi viq'avi, როცა ის მოვიდაrotsa is movida (I was at home when he came). როდესაცrodesats means the same, a little more formally.
For a future event, Georgian uses the future after როცაrotsa, where English uses the present: > როცა ჩამოხვალrotsa chamokhval, დამირეკეdamirek'e! | when you-will-arrive, call-me | Call me when you arrive!
სანამsanam: before, until
| situation | form after სანამsanam | example |
|---|---|---|
| future | future | სანამ წახვალsanam ts'akhval, დამირეკეdamirek'e. (Before you go, call me.) |
| past | conditional (ending -დიdi, -დაda) | სანამ დავიძინებდიsanam davidzinebdi, მძღოლმა ჩემოდანი მოიტანაmdzgholma chemodani moit'ana. (Before I went to sleep, the driver brought the suitcase.) |
| "until" | სანამ … არsanam … ar | დაგელოდებიdagelodebi, სანამ არ მოხვალsanam ar mokhval. (I'll wait for you until you come.) |
After: მას შემდეგmas shemdeg, რაცrats
მას შემდეგ, რაც სახლში მივედი, მანანამ ჩაი გამიკეთა.mas shemdeg, rats sakhlshi mivedi, mananam chai gamik'eta.After I got home, Manana made me tea.
With a noun, use -ის შემდეგis shemdeg (after), -ის წინis ts'in and -მდეmde (before): სადილის შემდეგsadilis shemdeg (after lunch), სადილის წინsadilis ts'in (before lunch), სადილამდეsadilamde (until lunch).
As soon as: -ისთანავეistanave
The official B2 grammar gives this example with a verbal noun: > სახლში მისვლისთანავე დაგირეკავsakhlshi misvlistanave dagirek'av. | home-in arriving-as-soon-as I'll-call-you | I'll call you as soon as I get home.
5Good to know
დამრჩაdamrcha is the everyday way to say "I left it behind": ქოლგა კაფეში დამრჩაkolga k'apeshi damrcha (I left my umbrella in the café). The thing is the subject, and მm- shows the unlucky owner.
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.
- "When I arrived, it was raining" is…
- "Call me when you arrive!" is…
- "Before you go, call me" is…
- "I'll wait for you until you come" is…
- "After I got home…" is…
- "after lunch" is…
- "until lunch" is…
- "Before I went to sleep, …" (in a story) is…
- "I left my suitcase in the taxi" is…
- "I'll call you as soon as I get home" is…
Well done! Lesson 113 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 "When I was a child, I lived in Montreal."
Show the answer
როცა ბავშვი ვიყავი, მონრეალში ვცხოვრობდი.rotsa bavshvi viq'avi, monrealshi vtskhovrobdi. - Say "Call me when you arrive!"
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როცა ჩამოხვალ, დამირეკე!rotsa chamokhval, damirek'e! - Say "Before you go, drink a coffee."
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სანამ წახვალ, ყავა დალიე.sanam ts'akhval, q'ava dalie. - Say "I'll wait until you come."
Show the answer
დაგელოდები, სანამ არ მოხვალ.dagelodebi, sanam ar mokhval. - Say "after the lesson"
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გაკვეთილის შემდეგgak'vetilis shemdeg
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