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B1 · IntermediateUnit 13: The perfect: experience and hearsayLesson 123 of 200

Lesson 123Never, not yet: არar + the perfect

Goal: you will say what you have never done.

Course progress: lesson 123 / 200

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1Sam’s diary

ეს არასოდესმიჭამია
ეს არასოდეს მიჭამიაes arasodes mich'amia

Month 11. The picky eater

My friend Ben has come from Montreal for a week. Manana wants to feed him everything, but Ben is a very picky eater.

Today: "never", "not yet" and "didn't".

2Dialogue

Manana
ბენ, ხინკალი გიჭამია?ben, khink'ali gich'amia?Ben, have you ever eaten khinkali?
Ben
არა, არასოდეს არ მიჭამია.ara, arasodes ar mich'amia.No, I've never eaten it.
Sam
ბენს ბევრი რამ არ უჭამია. ძალიან ჭირვეულია!bens bevri ram ar uch'amia. dzalian ch'irveulia!Ben hasn't eaten lots of things. He's very picky!
Ben
ხაჭაპური მიჭამია, მონრეალში. მაგრამ ჩაქაფული ჯერ არ მიჭამია.khach'ap'uri mich'amia, monrealshi. magram chakapuli jer ar mich'amia.I've eaten khachapuri, in Montreal. But I haven't eaten chakapuli yet.
Manana
ჯერ არ გიჭამია? მაშინ დღეს აუცილებლად გასინჯე!jer ar gich'amia? mashin dghes autsileblad gasinje!You haven't had it yet? Then you must try it today!
Ben
კარგი... და ქვევრის ღვინო არასოდეს არ დამილევია.k'argi... da kvevris ghvino arasodes ar damilevia.OK... And I've never drunk qvevri wine.
Levan
ეგ არაფერი! ახლავე მოგიტან.eg araperi! akhlave mogit'an.That's nothing! I'll bring you some right now.
Ben
...გემრიელია! სემ, რატომ არ მითხარი?...gemrielia! sem, rat'om ar mitkhari?...It's delicious! Sam, why didn't you tell me?
Sam
ხომ გითხარი!khom gitkhari!I did tell you!

3New words

GeorgianPronunciationEnglish
ჭირვეულიch'irveulipicky, fussy
ჩაქაფულიchakapulichakapuli (lamb stew with tarragon)
ჯერ არ მიჭამიაjer ar mich'amiaI haven't eaten (it) yet
გასინჯე!gasinje!taste it! try it!
დამილევიაdamileviaI have drunk
ეგ არაფერი!eg araperi!that's nothing! no problem!
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

Never, not yet: არar + perfect

არასოდეს არ მიჭამია.arasodes ar mich'amia.never not I-have-eatenI've never eaten it.
ჯერ არ მიჭამია.jer ar mich'amia.yet not I-have-eatenI haven't eaten it yet.
ბენს ბევრი რამ არ უჭამია.bens bevri ram ar uch'amia.Ben(DAT) many things not has-eatenBen hasn't eaten many things.

The official B1 example: არასოდეს არ მიჭამია ეს ხილიarasodes ar mich'amia es khili (I have never eaten this fruit).

"Didn't": არar + perfect

In Georgian, a plain "didn't" about the past is usually the perfect with არar, not the aorist. The official B1 grammar gives გიას არაფერი არ უჭამია დილასgias araperi ar uch'amia dilas (Gia didn't eat anything in the morning): > დღეს არაფერი არ მიჭამიაdghes araperi ar mich'amia. | I haven't eaten anything today. / I didn't eat anything today. > ეს წერილი მე არ დამიწერიაes ts'erili me ar damits'eria. | I didn't write this letter. (it wasn't me)

არar + aorist: a firm "I did not"

არar with the aorist is a categorical "no", often a refusal. The official B1 grammar calls it a "categorical negation of a past action": ეს წიგნი არ წავიკითხეes ts'igni ar ts'avik'itkhe.

არar + perfectარar + aorist
ეს წიგნი არ წამიკითხავს.es ts'igni ar ts'amik'itkhavs.ეს წიგნი არ წავიკითხე.es ts'igni ar ts'avik'itkhe.
I haven't read this book. (neutral)I did not read this book. (firm: I didn't, I wouldn't)

ვერver + aorist means "couldn't": ეს წიგნი ვერ წავიკითხეes ts'igni ver ts'avik'itkhe (I couldn't read this book).

5Good to know

ჩაქაფულიchakapuli is a spring dish: lamb or veal stewed with tarragon, green plums and lots of herbs. ეგ არაფერიeg araperi! ("that's nothing!") is a friendly way to say "no problem, that's easily fixed".

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.

  1. "I've never eaten it" is…
  2. "I haven't eaten it yet" is…
  3. "Ben hasn't eaten lots of things" is…
  4. "I've never drunk qvevri wine" is…
  5. "Gia didn't eat anything in the morning" (official example) is…
  6. "I didn't write this letter" (it wasn't me) is…
  7. "I couldn't read this book" is…
  8. ეს წიგნი არ წავიკითხეes ts'igni ar ts'avik'itkhe sounds…
  9. What does ჭირვეულიch'irveuli mean?
  10. "Then try it today!" is…

Well done! Lesson 123 is ticked on your course map.

Say it, then write it

Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.

  1. Say "I've never eaten khinkali."
    Show the answerხინკალი არასოდეს არ მიჭამია.khink'ali arasodes ar mich'amia.
  2. Say "I haven't read this book yet."
    Show the answerეს წიგნი ჯერ არ წამიკითხავს.es ts'igni jer ar ts'amik'itkhavs.
  3. Say "I haven't eaten anything today."
    Show the answerდღეს არაფერი არ მიჭამია.dghes araperi ar mich'amia.
  4. Say "Giorgi hasn't seen this film."
    Show the answerგიორგის ეს ფილმი არ უნახავს.giorgis es pilmi ar unakhavs.
  5. Say "I couldn't come."
    Show the answerვერ მოვედი.ver movedi.

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

Unit 13: The perfect: experience and hearsay B1

  1. 121Have you ever been...? ვყოფილვარvq'opilvar
  2. 122I have read, I have seen: the perfect
  3. 123Never, not yet: არar + the perfect
  4. 124It seems he has gone
  5. 125Apparently: თურმეturme
  6. 126Was writing, wrote, has written
  7. 127A Georgian folk tale
  8. 128Travel stories: Svaneti
  9. 129Polyphonic songs and dances
  10. 130Review: a travel blog

See the 20 units and all 200 lessons →

🎧 Download the Georgian audio course