LIMBALIMBAGeorgian course200 lessons
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B1 · IntermediateUnit 14: Passive, states and positionsLesson 138 of 200

Lesson 138Swimming, reading, learning: verbal nouns

Goal: you will use verbal nouns as subjects and objects.

Course progress: lesson 138 / 200

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1Sam’s diary

ცურვა მიყვარს
ცურვა მიყვარსtsurva miq'vars

Month 15. Hobbies

Giorgi and I compare our hobbies. He has a secret talent, and I discover that the rugby player of the family cannot swim.

Today: swimming, reading, learning: verbs used as nouns.

2Dialogue

Giorgi
სემ, თავისუფალ დროს რა გიყვარს?sem, tavisupal dros ra giq'vars?Sam, what do you like doing in your free time?
Sam
კითხვა და სეირნობა მიყვარს. ზაფხულში კი — ცურვა.k'itkhva da seirnoba miq'vars. zapkhulshi k'i — tsurva.I love reading and walking. And in summer — swimming.
Giorgi
მე ცურვა არ ვიცი! რაგბის თამაში და ხატვა მიყვარს.me tsurva ar vitsi! ragbis tamashi da khat'va miq'vars.I can't swim! I love playing rugby and drawing.
Sam
ხატვა? არ ვიცოდი! მეც მინდა ხატვის სწავლა.khat'va? ar vitsodi! mets minda khat'vis sts'avla.Drawing? I didn't know! I'd like to learn to draw too.
Giorgi
ხვალ ზღვაზე წასვლას ვაპირებთ. წამოხვალ? შენ მასწავლე ცურვა!khval zghvaze ts'asvlas vap'irebt. ts'amokhval? shen masts'avle tsurva!We're planning to go to the sea tomorrow. Will you come? You can teach me to swim!
Sam
სიამოვნებით! ცურვის სწავლა ადვილია.siamovnebit! tsurvis sts'avla advilia.With pleasure! Learning to swim is easy.
Giorgi
ჩემთვის არაფერია ადვილი... რაგბის გარდა!chemtvis araperia advili... ragbis garda!Nothing is easy for me... except rugby!

3New words

GeorgianPronunciationEnglish
თავისუფალი დროtavisupali drofree time
კითხვაk'itkhvareading
სეირნობაseirnobawalking, a stroll
ხატვაkhat'vadrawing
ვაპირებთvap'irebtwe're planning, we intend
წასვლაts'asvlagoing, leaving
მასწავლე!masts'avle!teach me!
-ის გარდა-is gardaexcept, apart from
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

Verbal nouns

Every Georgian verb has a noun form, the masdar. Most end in -აa; some in -ობაoba or -იi:

masdarmeaningverb
წერაts'erawritingწერსts'ers
კითხვაk'itkhvareadingკითხულობსk'itkhulobs
ცურვაtsurvaswimmingცურავსtsuravs
ხატვაkhat'vadrawingხატავსkhat'avs
სეირნობაseirnobawalkingსეირნობსseirnobs
მუშაობაmushaobaworkingმუშაობსmushaobs
თამაშიtamashiplayingთამაშობსtamashobs
წასვლაts'asvlagoingწავაts'ava

The official B1 grammar lists ზრუნვაzrunva, წერაts'era, ხატვაkhat'va, კითხვაk'itkhva, მუშაობაmushaoba as its examples.

The masdar is a noun

It takes cases like any noun: > ცურვა მიყვარსtsurva miq'vars. | swimming I-love | I love swimming. > ცურვა იციtsurva itsi? | swimming you-know? | Can you swim? > ზღვაზე წასვლას ვაპირებთzghvaze ts'asvlas vap'irebt. | sea-to going we-intend | We're planning to go to the sea.

With მინდაminda, გინდაginda, უნდაunda (official B1): მე მინდა ხილის ყიდვაme minda khilis q'idva. გინდა კინოში წასვლაginda k'inoshi ts'asvla?

Its object is in the genitive

ხატვის სწავლაkhat'vis sts'avlalearning to draw ("the learning of drawing")
ხის მოჭრაkhis moch'racutting down a tree (official example)
გარემოს დაცვაgaremos datsvaprotecting the environment (official example)

With postpositions

ცურვის შემდეგtsurvis shemdegafter swimming
კითხვისთვისk'itkhvistvisfor reading

5Good to know

-ის გარდაis garda means "except" or "besides": რაგბის გარდაragbis garda (except rugby). The official B1 grammar uses it at the start of a sentence: გარდა ამისაgarda amisa, … ("besides that, …").

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 love swimming" is…
  2. "Can you swim?" is…
  3. "We're planning to go to the sea" is…
  4. "learning to draw" is…
  5. "I want to buy fruit" (official example) is…
  6. "protecting the environment" is…
  7. "after swimming" is…
  8. "except rugby" is…
  9. "Teach me to swim!" is…
  10. What is the masdar of მუშაობსmushaobs?

Well done! Lesson 138 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 love reading."
    Show the answerკითხვა მიყვარს.k'itkhva miq'vars.
  2. Ask "Can you dance?"
    Show the answerცეკვა იცი?tsek'va itsi?
  3. Say "I want to learn Georgian."
    Show the answerმინდა ქართულის სწავლა.minda kartulis sts'avla.
  4. Say "We're planning to go to Batumi."
    Show the answerბათუმში წასვლას ვაპირებთ.batumshi ts'asvlas vap'irebt.
  5. Say "after work"
    Show the answerმუშაობის შემდეგmushaobis shemdeg

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

  1. 131For sale: passive verbs
  2. 132It's getting warm: change verbs in -დებაdeba
  3. 133It stands, it lies, it hangs
  4. 134Sit down! Stand up!
  5. 135Make someone do it: causatives
  6. 136Done and to be done: participles
  7. 137The writer, the reader
  8. 138Swimming, reading, learning: verbal nouns
  9. 139Building words
  10. 140Review: renting a flat

See the 20 units and all 200 lessons →

🎧 Download the Georgian audio course