Month 10. Waiting for the guests
Levan has invited friends for dinner. Manana and I lay the table, Bebo bakes in the kitchen, and every five minutes I ask if the guests are here.
Today: "already", "still", "only", "almost".
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.
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1Sam’s diary
2Dialogue
Sam
სტუმრები უკვე მოვიდნენ?st'umrebi uk've movidnen?Have the guests arrived already?
Manana
არა, ჯერ არავინ არის. ჯერ ადრეა, მხოლოდ ექვსი საათია.ara, jer aravin aris. jer adrea, mkholod ekvsi saatia.No, nobody's here yet. It's still early, it's only six o'clock.
Sam
სუფრა თითქმის მზად არის.supra titkmis mzad aris.The table is almost ready.
Manana
კიდევ ორი თეფში მოიტანე, თუ შეიძლება. ლევანმა კიდევ ორი სტუმარი დაპატიჟა.k'idev ori tepshi moit'ane, tu sheidzleba. levanma k'idev ori st'umari dap'at'izha.Bring two more plates, please. Levan has invited two more guests.
Sam
ჯერ თეფშებს მოვიტან, მერე ჭიქებს.jer tepshebs movit'an, mere ch'ikebs.First I'll bring the plates, then the glasses.
Manana
ბებო ისევ სამზარეულოშია?bebo isev samzareuloshia?Is Bebo still in the kitchen?
Sam
კი, ჯერ კიდევ ხაჭაპურს აცხობს. ახლახან მითხრა: „თითქმის მზადაა!“k'i, jer k'idev khach'ap'urs atskhobs. akhlakhan mitkhra: „titkmis mzadaa!“Yes, she's still baking khachapuri. She's just told me: "It's almost ready!"
Manana
ზარია! ძლივს მოვიდნენ!zaria! dzlivs movidnen!The doorbell! They're here at last!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ჯერ არ | jer ar | not yet |
| ადრეა | adrea | it's early |
| თითქმის | titkmis | almost |
| დაპატიჟა | dap'at'izha | he/she invited |
| ჯერ კიდევ | jer k'idev | still |
| ახლახან | akhlakhan | just now, recently |
| ძლივს | dzlivs | at last; barely |
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
Already and not yet: უკვეuk've, ჯერ არjer ar
სტუმრები უკვე მოვიდნენ.st'umrebi uk've movidnen.The guests have already arrived.
ჯერ არავინ არის.jer aravin aris.Nobody's here yet.
ჯერ არ ვიცი.jer ar vitsi.I don't know yet.
Still: ჯერ კიდევjer k'idev, ისევisev
ბებო ჯერ კიდევ აცხობს.bebo jer k'idev atskhobs.Bebo is still baking.
ისევ წვიმს.isev ts'vims.It's still raining. / It's raining again.
First… then: ჯერjer… მერეmere
ჯერ თეფშებს მოვიტან, მერე ჭიქებს.jer tepshebs movit'an, mere ch'ikebs.First I'll bring the plates, then the glasses.
More, again: კიდევk'idev
კიდევ ორი თეფშიk'idev ori tepshitwo more plates
კიდევ ერთხელk'idev ertkhelonce more
Only, almost, just, at last
| word | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| მხოლოდmkholod | მხოლოდ ექვსი საათია.mkholod ekvsi saatia. | It's only six o'clock. |
| თითქმისtitkmis | თითქმის მზადაა.titkmis mzadaa. | It's almost ready. |
| ახლახანakhlakhan | ახლახან მითხრა.akhlakhan mitkhra. | She has just told me. |
| ძლივსdzlivs | ძლივს მოვიდნენ!dzlivs movidnen! | They've come at last! |
| ძლივსdzlivs | ძლივს გავიგე.dzlivs gavige. | I barely heard (it). |
5Good to know
ჯერjer has three faces: "first" (ჯერjer… მერეmere), "yet" (ჯერ არjer ar) and "still" (ჯერ კიდევjer k'idev). And ისევisev means both "again" and "still": the context decides.
The official B1 grammar lists ასევეaseve ("also, likewise"): შეგიძლიათ გაეცნოთ ამ კომპანიის ვაკანსიებსshegidzliat gaetsnot am k'omp'aniis vak'ansiebs, ასევე მოძებნოთ თქვენთვის საინტერესო პოზიციაaseve modzebnot tkventvis saint'ereso p'ozitsia.
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.
- "Have the guests arrived already?" is…
- "I don't know yet" is…
- "It's only six o'clock" is…
- "It's almost ready" is…
- "two more plates" is…
- "Bebo is still baking" is…
- "First I'll bring the plates, then the glasses" is…
- "She has just told me" is…
- "They've come at last!" is…
- ისევ წვიმსisev ts'vims can mean…
- What is a ზარიzari at the door?
Well done! Lesson 119 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'm already tired."
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უკვე დაღლილი ვარ.uk've daghlili var. - Say "It's still early."
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ჯერ ადრეა.jer adrea. - Say "Once more, please."
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კიდევ ერთხელ, თუ შეიძლება.k'idev ertkhel, tu sheidzleba. - Say "I have only one sister."
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მხოლოდ ერთი და მყავს.mkholod erti da mq'avs. - Say "You've come at last!"
Show the answer
ძლივს მოხვედი!dzlivs mokhvedi!
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