Month 16. At the hotel desk
On a trip to Kutaisi, I arrive late at my hotel, and I have a list of problems. The receptionist is very kind, and I want to be just as polite.
Today: asking for things politely.
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
გამარჯობა. ხომ ვერ დამეხმარებით? ოთახის გასაღები დავკარგე.gamarjoba. khom ver damekhmarebit? otakhis gasaghebi davk'arge.Good evening. Could you help me? I've lost my room key.
Receptionist
რა თქმა უნდა. შეგიძლიათ მითხრათ თქვენი ოთახის ნომერი?ra tkma unda. shegidzliat mitkhrat tkveni otakhis nomeri?Of course. Could you tell me your room number?
Sam
ოცდაორი. და კიდევ: შეგიძლიათ ხვალ ჩემი ჩემოდანი შეინახოთ?otsdaori. da k'idev: shegidzliat khval chemi chemodani sheinakhot?Twenty-two. And also: could you keep my suitcase tomorrow?
Receptionist
კი, ბატონო. რამე კიდევ ხომ არ გნებავთ?k'i, bat'ono. rame k'idev khom ar gnebavt?Yes, sir. Would you like anything else?
Sam
იქნებ ტაქსი გამოიძახოთ ცხრა საათისთვის?ikneb t'aksi gamoidzakhot tskhra saatistvis?Perhaps you could call a taxi for nine o'clock?
Receptionist
აუცილებლად. ინებეთ, თქვენი ახალი გასაღები.autsileblad. inebet, tkveni akhali gasaghebi.Certainly. Here you are, your new key.
Sam
დიდი მადლობა. ძალიან თავაზიანი ხართ.didi madloba. dzalian tavaziani khart.Thank you very much. You're very kind.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ხომ ვერ დამეხმარებით? | khom ver damekhmarebit? | could you help me? (very polite) |
| მითხრათ | mitkhrat | (that) you tell me (polite) |
| შეინახოთ | sheinakhot | (that) you keep (polite) |
| კი, ბატონო | k'i, bat'ono | yes, sir (polite yes) |
| გნებავთ | gnebavt | you would like (polite) |
| იქნებ | ikneb | perhaps, maybe |
| გამოიძახოთ | gamoidzakhot | (that) you call (a taxi, a doctor) |
| თავაზიანი | tavaziani | polite, courteous |
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
Five ways to ask politely
| pattern | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| შეგიძლიათshegidzliat + optative | შეგიძლიათ მითხრათ…?shegidzliat mitkhrat…? | Could you tell me…? |
| ხომ ვერkhom ver + future | ხომ ვერ დამეხმარებით?khom ver damekhmarebit? | Could you help me? |
| იქნებikneb + optative | იქნებ ტაქსი გამოიძახოთ?ikneb t'aksi gamoidzakhot? | Perhaps you could call a taxi? |
| … თუ შეიძლება… tu sheidzleba | ერთი ყავა, თუ შეიძლება.erti q'ava, tu sheidzleba. | A coffee, please. |
| the conditional | ერთ ყავას დავლევდი.ert q'avas davlevdi. | I'd like a coffee. |
The official B1 grammar gives two models: შეგიძლიათ მითხრათshegidzliat mitkhrat, რა არის ესra aris es? and შეგიძლიათ მომაწოდოთ ჩემი პალტოshegidzliat momats'odot chemi p'alt'o? (Could you pass me my coat?)
The polite optative: -ოთot / -ათat
After შეგიძლიათshegidzliat and იქნებikneb, the verb is in the optative with თქვენtkven:
| command | after შეგიძლიათshegidzliat |
|---|---|
| მითხარითmitkharit! (tell me!) | შეგიძლიათ მითხრათ?shegidzliat mitkhrat? |
| დამეხმარეთdamekhmaret! (help me!) | შეგიძლიათ დამეხმაროთ?shegidzliat damekhmarot? |
| მომაწოდეთmomats'odet! (pass me!) | შეგიძლიათ მომაწოდოთ?shegidzliat momats'odot? |
ხომ ვერkhom ver…? the most Georgian way to ask
Literally "you can't…, can you?": > ხომ ვერ მეტყვითkhom ver met'q'vit, სადგური სად არისsadguri sad aris? | Could you tell me where the station is?
5Good to know
კიk'i, ბატონოbat'ono and კიk'i, ქალბატონოkalbat'ono are polite ways of saying "yes" to a man or a woman. Between friends, ბატონოbat'ono? also means "Pardon? Sorry?" when you didn't hear.
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.
- "Could you help me?" (very politely) is…
- "Could you tell me your name?" is…
- "Could you pass me my coat?" (official example) is…
- "Perhaps you could call a taxi?" is…
- "I'd like a coffee" (politely) is…
- "Would you like anything else?" is…
- "Yes, sir" is…
- "Could you tell me where the station is?" is…
- What is a გასაღებიgasaghebi?
- What does თავაზიანიtavaziani mean?
Well done! Lesson 144 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Ask very politely "Could you help me?"
Show the answer
ხომ ვერ დამეხმარებით?khom ver damekhmarebit? - Ask "Could you tell me the time?"
Show the answer
შეგიძლიათ მითხრათ, რომელი საათია?shegidzliat mitkhrat, romeli saatia? - Ask "Perhaps you could call a doctor?"
Show the answer
იქნებ ექიმი გამოიძახოთ?ikneb ekimi gamoidzakhot? - Say politely "I'd like a tea."
Show the answer
ერთ ჩაის დავლევდი.ert chais davlevdi. - Ask "Could you tell me where the museum is?"
Show the answer
ხომ ვერ მეტყვით, მუზეუმი სად არის?khom ver met'q'vit, muzeumi sad aris?
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