Month 14. Our living room
Nino and I have moved the furniture in the living room, and now she can't find anything. In Georgian, I can't just say "it's on the table": I have to say how it is there.
Today: stand, lie, sit and hang.
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, ჩემი წიგნი სად არის?sem, chemi ts'igni sad aris?Sam, where's my book?
Sam
მაგიდაზე დევს.magidaze devs.It's (lying) on the table.
Nino
და ჩემი ტელეფონი?da chemi t'eleponi?And my phone?
Sam
დივანზე დევს, ბალიშის ქვეშ.divanze devs, balishis kvesh.It's on the sofa, under the cushion.
Nino
ლამპა რატომ დგას იატაკზე?lamp'a rat'om dgas iat'ak'ze?Why is the lamp standing on the floor?
Sam
მაგიდაზე ადგილი აღარ არის. თაროზე კი წიგნები აწყვია.magidaze adgili aghar aris. taroze k'i ts'ignebi ats'q'via.There's no room left on the table. And the books are stacked on the shelf.
Nino
კედელზე რა ჰკიდია? ახალი სურათია?k'edelze ra hk'idia? akhali suratia?What's hanging on the wall? Is it a new picture?
Sam
კი, ბებოს ძველი ფოტოა. ქვემოთ წერია: „თბილისი“.k'i, bebos dzveli pot'oa. kvemot ts'eria: „tbilisi“.Yes, it's an old photo of Bebo. Underneath it says "Tbilisi".
Nino
ბუბუ კი, როგორც ყოველთვის, დივანზე წევს!bubu k'i, rogorts q'oveltvis, divanze ts'evs!And Bubu, as always, is lying on the sofa!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| დევს | devs | lies (a flat object) |
| ყრია | q'ria | are scattered (many things) |
| ბალიში | balishi | pillow, cushion |
| დგას | dgas | stands |
| ზიხარ | zikhar | you are sitting |
| აწყვია | ats'q'via | are stacked, are arranged |
| ჰკიდია | hk'idia | hangs |
| წევს | ts'evs | lies (a person or an animal) |
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
Where is it? Say how it is there
English often says "is"; Georgian prefers a verb that shows the position:
| verb | used for | example |
|---|---|---|
| დგასdgas | things standing upright, people standing | ლამპა იატაკზე დგასlamp'a iat'ak'ze dgas. (The lamp is on the floor.) |
| დევსdevs | flat things lying | წიგნი მაგიდაზე დევსts'igni magidaze devs. (The book is on the table.) |
| წევსts'evs | people and animals lying | ბუბუ დივანზე წევსbubu divanze ts'evs. (Bubu is lying on the sofa.) |
| ზისzis | people and animals sitting | ნინო სკამზე ზისnino sk'amze zis. (Nino is sitting on a chair.) |
| ჰკიდიაhk'idia | hanging | სურათი კედელზე ჰკიდიაsurati k'edelze hk'idia. (The picture is hanging on the wall.) |
| წერიაts'eria | written | ქვემოთ წერიაkvemot ts'eria „თბილისიtbilisi“. ("Tbilisi" is written below.) |
| აწყვიაats'q'via | many things stacked, in order | წიგნები თაროზე აწყვიაts'ignebi taroze ats'q'via. (The books are on the shelf.) |
| ყრიაq'ria | many things scattered | იატაკზე სათამაშოები ყრიაiat'ak'ze satamashoebi q'ria. (Toys are lying all over the floor.) |
People: persons and plural
| I | you | he/she | they |
|---|---|---|---|
| ვდგავარvdgavar | დგახარdgakhar | დგასdgas | დგანანdganan |
| ვზივარvzivar | ზიხარzikhar | ზისzis | სხედანskhedan |
| ვწევარvts'evar | წევხარts'evkhar | წევსts'evs | წვანანts'vanan |
"They sit" has another root: სხედანskhedan. Lesson 159 explains these plural verbs.
5Good to know
These verbs describe a state, not an action: ზისzis means "is sitting", not "sits down". To say "sit down!", "stand up!", Georgian uses other verbs: lesson 134.
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.
- "The book is (lying) on the table" is…
- "The lamp is standing on the floor" is…
- "Bubu is lying on the sofa" is…
- "The picture is hanging on the wall" is…
- "The books are on the shelf" (in a row) is…
- "Toys are all over the floor" is…
- "I'm standing" is…
- "They are sitting" is…
- "It says 'Tbilisi' underneath" is…
- What is a ბალიშიbalishi?
Well done! Lesson 133 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 "The phone is on the table."
Show the answer
ტელეფონი მაგიდაზე დევს.t'eleponi magidaze devs. - Say "Nino is sitting by the window."
Show the answer
ნინო ფანჯარასთან ზის.nino panjarastan zis. - Say "A map is hanging on the wall."
Show the answer
კედელზე რუკა ჰკიდია.k'edelze ruk'a hk'idia. - Say "The bottle is standing on the table."
Show the answer
ბოთლი მაგიდაზე დგას.botli magidaze dgas. - Say "I'm lying on the sofa."
Show the answer
დივანზე ვწევარ.divanze vts'evar.
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 14: Passive, states and positions B1
- 131For sale: passive verbs
- 132It's getting warm: change verbs in -დებაdeba
- 133It stands, it lies, it hangs
- 134Sit down! Stand up!
- 135Make someone do it: causatives
- 136Done and to be done: participles
- 137The writer, the reader
- 138Swimming, reading, learning: verbal nouns
- 139Building words
- 140Review: renting a flat