Month 18. Rugby with Giorgi
Giorgi has invited me to a rugby training session with his team. I work out every morning, so I think I'm ready. The next morning, I'm not so sure.
Today: sport, training and a healthy life.
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
Giorgi
სემ, ხვალ ჩვენთან ერთად ვარჯიშზე მოხვალ?sem, khval chventan ertad varjishze mokhval?Sam, will you come to training with us tomorrow?
Sam
რაგბი? მე რაგბი არასოდეს არ მითამაშია!ragbi? me ragbi arasodes ar mitamashia!Rugby? I've never played rugby!
Giorgi
არაუშავს. ჯერ სირბილი გვაქვს, მერე ბურთით ვითამაშებთ.araushavs. jer sirbili gvakvs, mere burtit vitamashebt.No problem. First we run, then we play with the ball.
Sam
კარგი. მე ყოველ დილით ვვარჯიშობ, სპორტდარბაზში.k'argi. me q'ovel dilit vvarjishob, sp'ort'darbazshi.OK. I work out every morning, at the gym.
Giorgi
ყოჩაღ! ჯანსაღი ცხოვრება მთავარია. ბევრ წყალს სვამ?q'ochagh! jansaghi tskhovreba mtavaria. bevr ts'q'als svam?Well done! A healthy life is the main thing. Do you drink a lot of water?
Sam
ვსვამ, მაგრამ ხაჭაპურზე უარს ვერ ვამბობ!vsvam, magram khach'ap'urze uars ver vambob!I do, but I can't say no to khachapuri!
Sam
ვაი, ყველაფერი მტკივა: ფეხები, ხელები, ზურგი...vai, q'velaperi mt'k'iva: pekhebi, khelebi, zurgi...(the next morning) Ouch, everything hurts: my legs, my arms, my back...
Giorgi
ეს კარგი ნიშანია! ხვალ ისევ მოდი ვარჯიშზე!es k'argi nishania! khval isev modi varjishze!That's a good sign! Come to training again tomorrow!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ვარჯიში | varjishi | training, exercise |
| სირბილი | sirbili | running |
| სპორტდარბაზი | sp'ort'darbazi | gym |
| ჯანსაღი | jansaghi | healthy (food, life) |
| მთავარია | mtavaria | it's the main thing |
| უარს ვამბობ | uars vambob | I refuse, I say no |
| ნიშანი | nishani | sign |
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
Doing sport
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| ვვარჯიშობ.vvarjishob. | I train, I work out. |
| ვარჯიშზე მივდივარ.varjishze mivdivar. | I'm going to training. |
| ფეხბურთს ვთამაშობ.pekhburts vtamashob. | I play football. |
| ვცურავ.vtsurav. | I swim. |
| დავრბივარ.davrbivar. | I go running (regularly). |
| სპორტით კავდება.sp'ort'it k'avdeba. | He/she does sport. |
ვარჯიშობსvarjishobs (trains) has the future ვივარჯიშებvivarjisheb (I'll train) and the aorist ივარჯიშაivarjisha (he trained), like the verbs of dance and play.
Healthy: ჯანსაღიjansaghi or ჯანმრთელიjanmrteli?
| word | used for | example |
|---|---|---|
| ჯანმრთელიjanmrteli | a healthy person | ჯანმრთელი ბავშვიjanmrteli bavshvi (a healthy child) |
| ჯანსაღიjansaghi | something that is good for health | ჯანსაღი საკვებიjansaghi sak'vebi (healthy food), ჯანსაღი ცხოვრების წესიjansaghi tskhovrebis ts'esi (a healthy lifestyle) |
It hurts
მტკივაmt'k'iva (lesson 97) takes the painful part as its subject: ფეხი მტკივაpekhi mt'k'iva (my leg hurts), ფეხები მტკივაpekhebi mt'k'iva (my legs hurt), ყველაფერი მტკივაq'velaperi mt'k'iva (everything hurts).
Refusing: უარს ამბობსuars ambobs
ხაჭაპურზე უარს ვერ ვამბობ.khach'ap'urze uars ver vambob.khachapuri-on refusal I-can't-sayI can't say no to khachapuri.
The thing you refuse takes -ზეze.
5Good to know
Rugby is one of Georgia's favourite sports, and many people connect it with ლელო ბურთიlelo burti, an old village game in which two teams fight to carry a heavy ball to their side. Georgia has also won many Olympic medals in wrestling, judo and weightlifting.
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 work out every morning" is…
- "Will you come to training?" is…
- "I play football" is…
- "healthy food" is…
- "a healthy child" is…
- "Everything hurts" is…
- "I can't say no to khachapuri" is…
- "I've never played rugby" is…
- What is ზურგიzurgi?
- What is ლელო ბურთიlelo burti?
Well done! Lesson 149 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 go to the gym every day."
Show the answer
ყოველდღე სპორტდარბაზში დავდივარ.q'oveldghe sp'ort'darbazshi davdivar. - Say "My back hurts."
Show the answer
ზურგი მტკივა.zurgi mt'k'iva. - Say "I play football on Saturdays."
Show the answer
შაბათობით ფეხბურთს ვთამაშობ.shabatobit pekhburts vtamashob. - Say "Healthy food is important."
Show the answer
ჯანსაღი საკვები მნიშვნელოვანია.jansaghi sak'vebi mnishvnelovania. - Ask "Do you like sport?"
Show the answer
სპორტი გიყვარს?sp'ort'i giq'vars?
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