Month 17. At the university
Giorgi comes home from the university with a huge smile: he had his history exam this morning. And I have my own exam soon: the B1 test in Georgian.
Today: studies, lectures and exams.
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
გიორგი, როგორ ჩაიარა გამოცდამ?giorgi, rogor chaiara gamotsdam?Giorgi, how did the exam go?
Giorgi
ჩავაბარე! მაღალი ქულა მივიღე!chavabare! maghali kula mivighe!I passed! I got a high mark!
Sam
გილოცავ! რა საგანი იყო?gilotsav! ra sagani iq'o?Congratulations! What subject was it?
Giorgi
ისტორია. მთელი კვირა ვმეცადინეობდი. ზამთარში მათემატიკაში ჩავიჭერი, ახლა კი ყველაფერი კარგადაა.ist'oria. mteli k'vira vmetsadineobdi. zamtarshi matemat'ik'ashi chavich'eri, akhla k'i q'velaperi k'argadaa.History. I studied all week. In winter I failed maths, but now everything's fine.
Sam
რომელ ფაკულტეტზე სწავლობ?romel pak'ult'et'ze sts'avlob?Which faculty are you in?
Giorgi
ჰუმანიტარულ ფაკულტეტზე. მეორე კურსზე ვარ.humanit'arul pak'ult'et'ze. meore k'ursze var.The faculty of humanities. I'm in my second year.
Sam
მეც მაქვს გამოცდა: ქართულის B1 დონე! ძალიან ვნერვიულობ.mets makvs gamotsda: kartulis B1 done! dzalian vnerviulob.I have an exam too: Georgian, level B1! I'm really nervous.
Giorgi
შენ ლექციებს არასოდეს აცდენ. დარწმუნებული ვარ, რომ ჩააბარებ!shen lektsiebs arasodes atsden. darts'munebuli var, rom chaabareb!You never miss lectures. I'm sure you'll pass!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| როგორ ჩაიარა? | rogor chaiara? | how did it go? |
| ჩავაბარე | chavabare | I passed (an exam) |
| ქულა | kula | mark, score, point |
| საგანი | sagani | (school) subject |
| ვმეცადინეობდი | vmetsadineobdi | I was studying (doing my homework, revising) |
| ჩავიჭერი | chavich'eri | I failed (an exam) |
| ფაკულტეტი | pak'ult'et'i | faculty |
| კურსი | k'ursi | year of study; course |
| დონე | done | level |
| აცდენ | atsden | you miss, you skip (classes) |
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
Exams
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| გამოცდას ვაბარებ.gamotsdas vabareb. | I'm taking an exam. |
| გამოცდა ჩავაბარე.gamotsda chavabare. | I passed the exam. |
| გამოცდაში ჩავიჭერი.gamotsdashi chavich'eri. | I failed the exam (colloquial). |
| გამოცდისთვის ვემზადები.gamotsdistvis vemzadebi. | I'm preparing for the exam. |
| მაღალი ქულა მივიღე.maghali kula mivighe. | I got a high mark. |
ჩააბარებსchaabarebs (will pass) is a transitive verb: in the aorist, მან გამოცდა ჩააბარაman gamotsda chaabara (he passed the exam).
At university
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| რომელ ფაკულტეტზე სწავლობ?romel pak'ult'et'ze sts'avlob? | Which faculty are you in? |
| მეორე კურსზე ვარ.meore k'ursze var. | I'm in the second year. |
| ლექციას ვესწრები.lektsias vests'rebi. | I attend the lecture. |
| ლექციებს აცდენს.lektsiebs atsdens. | He/she skips lectures. |
| მეცადინეობს.metsadineobs. | He/she studies, does homework. |
Note -ზეze for the faculty and the year: ფაკულტეტზეpak'ult'et'ze, კურსზეk'ursze.
How did it go?
როგორ ჩაიარა გამოცდამ?rogor chaiara gamotsdam?how it-passed exam(ERG)?How did the exam go?
The subject of ჩაიარაchaiara takes the ergative: გამოცდამgamotsdam, საღამომsaghamom, მოგზაურობამmogzaurobam.
5Good to know
Tbilisi State University, named after the historian Ivane Javakhishvili, was founded in 1918: it is Georgia's oldest university. Its main building stands on Chavchavadze Avenue.
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 passed the exam" is…
- "I failed the exam" (colloquial) is…
- "How did the exam go?" is…
- "I'm preparing for the exam" is…
- "I'm in the second year" is…
- "I got a high mark" is…
- "You never skip lectures" is…
- "I'm sure you'll pass!" is…
- What is a საგანიsagani?
- When was Tbilisi State University founded?
Well done! Lesson 148 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 passed the exam!"
Show the answer
გამოცდა ჩავაბარე!gamotsda chavabare! - Ask "How did the exam go?"
Show the answer
როგორ ჩაიარა გამოცდამ?rogor chaiara gamotsdam? - Say "I'm preparing for the exam."
Show the answer
გამოცდისთვის ვემზადები.gamotsdistvis vemzadebi. - Say "I'm in the first year."
Show the answer
პირველ კურსზე ვარ.p'irvel k'ursze var. - Ask "Which faculty are you in?"
Show the answer
რომელ ფაკულტეტზე სწავლობ?romel pak'ult'et'ze sts'avlob?
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