Month 16. A rainy Sunday
A grey Sunday: it has been raining since morning, Giorgi has disappeared, and Nino and I are stuck at home, dreaming of summer.
Today: "I wish" and "I wonder".
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
Sam
ისევ წვიმს! ნეტავ ზაფხული იყოს!isev ts'vims! net'av zapkhuli iq'os!It's raining again! I wish it were summer!
Nino
ნეტავ ზღვაზე ვიყოთ, ბათუმში!net'av zghvaze viq'ot, batumshi!I wish we were by the sea, in Batumi!
Sam
ნეტავ მანქანა მყავდეს... ახლავე წავიდოდით.net'av mankana mq'avdes... akhlave ts'avidodit.I wish I had a car... we'd go right now.
Nino
ნეტავ ვიცოდე, როდის შეწყდება წვიმა.net'av vitsode, rodis shets'q'deba ts'vima.I wish I knew when the rain will stop.
Sam
ნეტავ სად არის გიორგი? დილიდან არ მინახავს.net'av sad aris giorgi? dilidan ar minakhavs.I wonder where Giorgi is. I haven't seen him since this morning.
Nino
ალბათ მეგობრებთან არის. ნეტავ მეც მქონდეს მისი ენერგია!albat megobrebtan aris. net'av mets mkondes misi energia!He's probably with his friends. I wish I had his energy!
Sam
მაშინ ფილმი ვნახოთ. ნეტავ კარგი ფილმი ვიპოვოთ!mashin pilmi vnakhot. net'av k'argi pilmi vip'ovot!Then let's watch a film. I hope we find a good one!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ნეტავ | net'av | I wish, if only; I wonder |
| იყოს | iq'os | (that) it be |
| ვიყოთ | viq'ot | (that) we be |
| მყავდეს | mq'avdes | (that) I have (a person, a car) |
| ვიცოდე | vitsode | (that) I know |
| შეწყდება | shets'q'deba | it will stop |
| ენერგია | energia | energy |
| ვიპოვოთ | vip'ovot | (that) we find |
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
ნეტავnet'av + subjunctive: I wish
ნეტავnet'av (also ნეტავიnet'avi) with the subjunctive of lesson 142 expresses a wish:
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| ნეტავ ზაფხული იყოს!net'av zapkhuli iq'os! | I wish it were summer! |
| ნეტავ ზღვაზე ვიყოთ!net'av zghvaze viq'ot! | I wish we were by the sea! |
| ნეტავ მანქანა მყავდეს!net'av mankana mq'avdes! | I wish I had a car! |
| ნეტავ ვიცოდე!net'av vitsode! | I wish I knew! |
The official B1 grammar example: ნეტავ დიდი სახლი მქონდესnet'av didi sakhli mkondes! (I wish I had a big house!)
მინდაminda + subjunctive
The same forms follow მინდაminda for a wish about a state: > მინდაminda, ფოტოაპარატი მქონდესpot'oap'arat'i mkondes. | I'd like to have a camera. (official example) > ძალიან მინდაdzalian minda, ძმა მყავდესdzma mq'avdes. | I'd really like to have a brother. (official example)
Hope: ნეტავnet'av + optative
With an action, ნეტავnet'av + optative expresses a hope: ნეტავ კარგი ფილმი ვიპოვოთnet'av k'argi pilmi vip'ovot! (I hope we find a good film!)
ნეტავnet'av in questions: I wonder
ნეტავ სად არის?net'av sad aris?I wonder where he is.
ნეტავ რა მოხდა?net'av ra mokhda?I wonder what happened.
5Good to know
ნეტავ შენnet'av shen! means "lucky you!": what you say to a friend who is going to the sea while you stay at work.
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.
- "I wish it were summer!" is…
- "I wish I had a car!" is…
- "I wish I knew!" is…
- "I wish we were by the sea!" is…
- "I wonder where Giorgi is" is…
- "I'd like to have a brother" (official example) is…
- "I hope we find a good film!" is…
- "Lucky you!" is…
- "I wish I had his energy!" is…
- What does შეწყდებაshets'q'deba mean?
Well done! Lesson 143 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 wish it were Saturday!"
Show the answer
ნეტავ შაბათი იყოს!net'av shabati iq'os! - Say "I wish I had time!"
Show the answer
ნეტავ დრო მქონდეს!net'av dro mkondes! - Ask "I wonder what time it is?"
Show the answer
ნეტავ რომელი საათია?net'av romeli saatia? - Say "I wish I knew Georgian well!"
Show the answer
ნეტავ ქართული კარგად ვიცოდე!net'av kartuli k'argad vitsode! - Say to a friend going on holiday "Lucky you!"
Show the answer
ნეტავ შენ!net'av shen!
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