Month 10. An empty fridge
Manana is in the village for two days, and Giorgi and I are alone at home. At ten in the evening, we open the fridge.
Today: nobody, nothing, nowhere, never.
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
Giorgi
სემ, მაცივარში არაფერი არ არის!sem, matsivarshi araperi ar aris!Sam, there's nothing in the fridge!
Sam
არც პური? არც ყველი?arts p'uri? arts q'veli?No bread? No cheese?
Giorgi
არც პური, არც ყველი. დედა სოფელშია, და სახლში არავინ არ არის.arts p'uri, arts q'veli. deda sopelshia, da sakhlshi aravin ar aris.No bread, no cheese. Mum's in the village, and there's no one at home.
Sam
მაღაზიაში წავიდეთ?maghaziashi ts'avidet?Shall we go to the shop?
Giorgi
გვიანია, ჩვენი მაღაზია უკვე დაკეტილია.gviania, chveni maghazia uk've dak'et'ilia.It's late, our shop is already closed.
Sam
მაშინ პიცა შევუკვეთოთ!mashin p'itsa shevuk'vetot!Then let's order a pizza!
Giorgi
კარგი იდეაა! დედას არაფერს არ ვეტყვით. ის ფიქრობს, რომ პიცას არასოდეს არ ვჭამთ!k'argi ideaa! dedas arapers ar vet'q'vit. is pikrobs, rom p'itsas arasodes ar vch'amt!Good idea! We won't tell Mum anything. She thinks we never eat pizza!
Sam
აღარაფერს ვიტყვი!agharapers vit'q'vi!I won't say another word!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მაცივარი | matsivari | fridge |
| არც… არც | arts… arts | neither… nor |
| არავის | aravis | nobody (dative), to nobody |
| შევუკვეთოთ | shevuk'vetot | let's order |
| არასოდეს | arasodes | never |
| აღარაფერი | agharaperi | nothing more |
| არსად | arsad | nowhere |
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
Double negation
Georgian negative words come together with არar. Two negatives do not cancel each other: they make the "no" stronger. The official B1 grammar gives these examples:
| negative word | official example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| არავინ არaravin ar | ამ კითხვაზე არავინ არ გამცა პასუხი.am k'itkhvaze aravin ar gamtsa p'asukhi. | Nobody answered this question for me. |
| არაფერი არaraperi ar | არაფერი არ გააფუჭო!araperi ar gaapuch'o! | Don't spoil anything! |
| არსად არarsad ar | შაბათს არსად არ მივდივარ, შინ ვიქნები.shabats arsad ar mivdivar, shin viknebi. | On Saturday I'm not going anywhere, I'll be at home. |
| არასოდეს არarasodes ar | არასოდეს არ მინახავს ასეთი ლამაზი ძაღლი.arasodes ar minakhavs aseti lamazi dzaghli. | I have never seen such a beautiful dog. |
არასოდესarasodes and არასდროსarasdros both mean "never".
Cases
| nominative and ergative | dative |
|---|---|
| არავინaravin | არავისaravis |
| არაფერიaraperi (ergative არაფერმაaraperma) | არაფერსarapers |
არავის არ უნდა.aravis ar unda.to-nobody not it-is-wantedNobody wants it.
დედას არაფერს არ ვეტყვით.dedas arapers ar vet'q'vit.to-Mum nothing not we'll-tellWe won't tell Mum anything.
Neither… nor: არცarts… არცarts
არც პური, არც ყველი.arts p'uri, arts q'veli.neither bread nor cheese
არც მე ვიცი.arts me vitsi.I don't know either.
No longer: აღარaghar
აღარ მშია.aghar mshia.I'm not hungry any more.
ნინო აქ აღარ ცხოვრობს.nino ak aghar tskhovrobs.Nino doesn't live here any more.
5Good to know
You will also hear the shorter არავინ მოვიდაaravin movida (nobody came), without the second არar, but the double form is the one the official grammar teaches, and it always sounds right.
აღარaghar combines with the negative words too: აღარავინagharavin (no one any more), აღარაფერიagharaperi (nothing more).
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.
- "Nobody came" is…
- "There's nothing in the fridge" is…
- "I'm not going anywhere" is…
- "neither bread nor cheese" is…
- "Nobody wants it" is…
- "I'm not hungry any more" is…
- "I never eat this" is…
- "We won't tell Mum anything" is…
- What is a მაცივარიmatsivari?
- "I don't know either" is…
Well done! Lesson 117 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 "There's nobody at home."
Show the answer
სახლში არავინ არ არის.sakhlshi aravin ar aris. - Say "I don't want anything."
Show the answer
არაფერი არ მინდა.araperi ar minda. - Say "I never drink coffee."
Show the answer
ყავას არასოდეს არ ვსვამ.q'avas arasodes ar vsvam. - Say "Neither tea nor coffee."
Show the answer
არც ჩაი, არც ყავა.arts chai, arts q'ava. - Say "Nino doesn't live here any more."
Show the answer
ნინო აქ აღარ ცხოვრობს.nino ak aghar tskhovrobs.
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