Month 17. The travel agency
I want to spend a week in Batumi, and I go to a small travel agency in Tbilisi. The agent has an opinion about everything: the train, the hotel and, of course, the food.
Today: asking for and giving advice.
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
ბათუმში მინდა წასვლა. რას მირჩევთ, მატარებელი თუ მანქანა?batumshi minda ts'asvla. ras mirchevt, mat'arebeli tu mankana?I want to go to Batumi. What do you recommend, the train or a car?
Agent
ჯობია, მატარებლით წახვიდეთ. უფრო კომფორტულია.jobia, mat'areblit ts'akhvidet. upro k'omport'ulia.It's better if you go by train. It's more comfortable.
Sam
ბილეთი წინასწარ ვიყიდო?bileti ts'inasts'ar viq'ido?Should I buy the ticket in advance?
Agent
კი, გირჩევთ, ბილეთი წინასწარ იყიდოთ. ზაფხულში ბევრი ხალხია.k'i, girchevt, bileti ts'inasts'ar iq'idot. zapkhulshi bevri khalkhia.Yes, I advise you to buy the ticket in advance. In summer there are lots of people.
Sam
სად დავრჩე? სასტუმროში თუ საოჯახო სასტუმროში?sad davrche? sast'umroshi tu saojakho sast'umroshi?Where should I stay? In a hotel or in a family guesthouse?
Agent
თქვენს ადგილას რომ ვიყო, საოჯახო სასტუმროში დავრჩებოდი. უფრო ქართულია!tkvens adgilas rom viq'o, saojakho sast'umroshi davrchebodi. upro kartulia!If I were you, I'd stay in a family guesthouse. It's more Georgian!
Sam
კარგი რჩევაა! კიდევ რას მირჩევთ?k'argi rchevaa! k'idev ras mirchevt?Good advice! What else do you recommend?
Agent
ბოტანიკური ბაღი აუცილებლად ნახეთ. და ნუ დაგავიწყდებათ: აჭარული ხაჭაპური!bot'anik'uri baghi autsileblad nakhet. da nu dagavits'q'debat: ach'aruli khach'ap'uri!Make sure you see the botanical garden. And don't forget: Adjarian khachapuri!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| რას მირჩევთ? | ras mirchevt? | what do you recommend? (polite) |
| ჯობია | jobia | it's better (that…) |
| წინასწარ | ts'inasts'ar | in advance |
| გირჩევთ | girchevt | I advise you (polite) |
| დავრჩე | davrche | (that) I stay |
| საოჯახო სასტუმრო | saojakho sast'umro | family guesthouse |
| თქვენს ადგილას რომ ვიყო | tkvens adgilas rom viq'o | if I were you (polite) |
| რჩევა | rcheva | advice |
| აჭარული ხაჭაპური | ach'aruli khach'ap'uri | Adjarian khachapuri (boat-shaped, with egg and butter) |
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
ჯობიაjobia + optative: it's better (that…)
ჯობია, მატარებლით წახვიდე.jobia, mat'areblit ts'akhvide.it's-better, by-train you-goYou'd better go by train.
ჯობია, სახლში დავრჩეთ.jobia, sakhlshi davrchet.We'd better stay at home.
ურჩევსurchevs: to advise
| present | aorist |
|---|---|
| გირჩევgirchev (I advise you) | გირჩიეgirchie (I advised you) |
| მირჩევსmirchevs (he advises me) | მირჩიაmirchia (he advised me) |
The advice itself is in the optative: გირჩევgirchev, ეს წიგნი წაიკითხოes ts'igni ts'aik'itkho (I advise you to read this book). The official B1 grammar has გავაკეთე ისgavak'ete is, რაც მირჩიესrats mirchies (I did what they advised me).
Asking for advice
| question | meaning |
|---|---|
| რას მირჩევ? / რას მირჩევთ?ras mirchev? / ras mirchevt? | What do you advise me? |
| ბილეთი წინასწარ ვიყიდო?bileti ts'inasts'ar viq'ido? | Should I buy the ticket in advance? |
| სად დავრჩე?sad davrche? | Where should I stay? |
| რა ვქნა?ra vkna? | What should I do? |
The optative alone, as a question, asks "should I…?".
If I were you
შენს ადგილას რომ ვიყო, …shens adgilas rom viq'o, …in-your place that I-were, …If I were you, …
5Good to know
Batumi's botanical garden, on the Green Cape by the Black Sea, opened in 1912 and gathers plants from many parts of the world. აჭარული ხაჭაპურიach'aruli khach'ap'uri is the boat-shaped khachapuri of Adjara, served with an egg and a piece of butter in the middle: you stir them into the hot cheese.
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.
- "You'd better go by train" is…
- "What do you recommend?" (polite) is…
- "Should I buy the ticket in advance?" is…
- "I advise you to read this book" is…
- "He advised me" is…
- "If I were you…" is…
- "Where should I stay?" is…
- "We'd better stay at home" is…
- "in advance" is…
- What is აჭარული ხაჭაპურიach'aruli khach'ap'uri?
Well done! Lesson 145 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 a friend "What do you advise me?"
Show the answer
რას მირჩევ?ras mirchev? - Say "You'd better take an umbrella."
Show the answer
ჯობია, ქოლგა წაიღო.jobia, kolga ts'aigho. - Ask "What should I do?"
Show the answer
რა ვქნა?ra vkna? - Say "If I were you, I'd go by train."
Show the answer
შენს ადგილას რომ ვიყო, მატარებლით წავიდოდი.shens adgilas rom viq'o, mat'areblit ts'avidodi. - Say "I advise you to learn Georgian."
Show the answer
გირჩევ, ქართული ისწავლო.girchev, kartuli ists'avlo.
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