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B1 · IntermediateUnit 13: The perfect: experience and hearsayLesson 124 of 200

Lesson 124It seems he has gone

Goal: you will use the perfect of intransitive verbs.

Course progress: lesson 124 / 200

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1Sam’s diary

თურმე წასულა
თურმე წასულაturme ts'asula

Month 11. The empty house

I come home in the afternoon: the house is silent. No car, no coats, no dog. Like a detective, I look for clues to find out where everyone has gone.

Today: "he has gone", "they must have left".

2Dialogue

Sam
ალო? ვინმე სახლშია? ... არავინ არ არის.alo? vinme sakhlshia? ... aravin ar aris.Hello? Is anyone home? ... Nobody's here.
Sam
ლევანის მანქანა ეზოში არ არის. ლევანი სამსახურში წასულა.levanis mankana ezoshi ar aris. levani samsakhurshi ts'asula.Levan's car isn't in the courtyard. Levan must have gone to work.
Sam
ბებოს ქუდი და ქურთუკი არ არის. ბებოც გასულა.bebos kudi da kurtuk'i ar aris. bebots gasula.Bebo's hat and coat aren't here. Bebo has gone out too.
Sam
მაგიდაზე ჩაი თბილია. ვიღაც ახლახან ყოფილა აქ.magidaze chai tbilia. vighats akhlakhan q'opila ak.The tea on the table is warm. Someone has been here just now.
Sam
ბუბუც არ არის! ნინო ბუბუსთან ერთად სასეირნოდ წასულა.bubuts ar aris! nino bubustan ertad saseirnod ts'asula.Bubu isn't here either! Nino must have taken Bubu for a walk.
Giorgi
სემ, აქ ვარ! მე არსად არ წავსულვარ.sem, ak var! me arsad ar ts'avsulvar.Sam, I'm here! I haven't gone anywhere.
Sam
გიორგი! შენ სახლში ყოფილხარ?giorgi! shen sakhlshi q'opilkhar?Giorgi! You were at home all along?
Giorgi
კი, ჩამეძინა. დანარჩენები ჯერ არ დაბრუნებულან?k'i, chamedzina. danarchenebi jer ar dabrunebulan?Yes, I dozed off. Haven't the others come back yet?

3New words

GeorgianPronunciationEnglish
წასულაts'asulahe/she has gone; he/she must have gone
გასულაgasulahe/she has gone out
სასეირნოდsaseirnodfor a walk
წავსულვარts'avsulvarI have gone
ჩამეძინაchamedzinaI dozed off, I fell asleep
დანარჩენებიdanarchenebithe others, the rest
დაბრუნებულანdabrunebulanthey have come back
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

The perfect of intransitive verbs

Verbs that never take the ergative ("go", "come", "return", "stay") build the perfect from their participle and the endings of "I am, you are", like ვყოფილვარvq'opilvar in lesson 121:

person"go"meaning
მეmeწავსულვარts'avsulvarI have gone
შენshenწასულხარts'asulkharyou have gone
ისisწასულაts'asulahe/she has gone
ჩვენchvenწავსულვართts'avsulvartwe have gone
თქვენtkvenწასულხართts'asulkhartyou have gone
ისინიisiniწასულანts'asulanthey have gone

The subject stays in the nominative: ლევანი წასულაlevani ts'asula, დანარჩენები დაბრუნებულანdanarchenebi dabrunebulan.

The same pattern: მოსულაmosula (has come), გასულაgasula (has gone out), დაბრუნებულაdabrunebula (has come back), დარჩენილაdarchenila (has stayed), ყოფილაq'opila (has been).

"Must have": a conclusion from clues

The speaker did not see the action; he concludes it from what he sees. The car is not there, so ლევანი წასულაlevani ts'asula: "Levan must have gone, it seems Levan has gone".

The negative: არar + perfect

არსად არ წავსულვარ.arsad ar ts'avsulvar.I haven't gone anywhere.
ჯერ არ დაბრუნებულან.jer ar dabrunebulan.They haven't come back yet.

5Good to know

ჩამეძინაchamedzina ("I dozed off") is an inversion verb, like მშიაmshia: sleep came over me. Compare დავიძინეdavidzine ("I went to sleep", on purpose).

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. "Levan must have gone to work" is…
  2. "I haven't gone anywhere" is…
  3. "They haven't come back yet" is…
  4. "Bebo has gone out" is…
  5. "Someone has been here" is…
  6. "You have gone" is…
  7. "I dozed off" is…
  8. "Nino must have taken Bubu for a walk" uses…
  9. "They have come" is…
  10. What is a ქურთუკიkurtuk'i?

Well done! Lesson 124 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 "Nino must have gone to work."
    Show the answerნინო სამსახურში წასულა.nino samsakhurshi ts'asula.
  2. Say "Giorgi hasn't come back yet."
    Show the answerგიორგი ჯერ არ დაბრუნებულა.giorgi jer ar dabrunebula.
  3. Say "Someone has been here."
    Show the answerვიღაც ყოფილა აქ.vighats q'opila ak.
  4. Say "I haven't gone anywhere."
    Show the answerარსად არ წავსულვარ.arsad ar ts'avsulvar.
  5. Say "They must have stayed at home."
    Show the answerსახლში დარჩენილან.sakhlshi darchenilan.

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