Month 18. The Black Sea at Batumi
I've made it to Batumi, on the Black Sea. In the evening I call Nino to tell her everything, and she asks questions like a real examiner.
Today: the big B1 review.
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
Nino
სემ, როგორ ხარ? როგორია ბათუმი?sem, rogor khar? rogoria batumi?Sam, how are you? How's Batumi?
Sam
მშვენივრად! ზღვა თბილია, მზე ანათებს.mshvenivrad! zghva tbilia, mze anatebs.Wonderful! The sea is warm, the sun is shining.
Sam
დღეს ბულვარზე ვსეირნობდი და ალისა და ნინოს ქანდაკება ვნახე. ისინი მოძრაობენ!dghes bulvarze vseirnobdi da alisa da ninos kandak'eba vnakhe. isini modzraoben!Today I was walking on the boulevard and I saw the statue of Ali and Nino. They move!
Nino
ვიცი! ბოტანიკურ ბაღში ყოფილხარ?vitsi! bot'anik'ur baghshi q'opilkhar?I know! Have you been to the botanical garden?
Sam
ჯერ არა. ხვალ წავალ, თუ არ იწვიმებს. სააგენტოში მირჩიეს, დილით ადრე წავიდე.jer ara. khval ts'aval, tu ar its'vimebs. saagent'oshi mirchies, dilit adre ts'avide.Not yet. I'll go tomorrow, if it doesn't rain. At the agency they advised me to go early in the morning.
Nino
აჭარული ხაჭაპური გიჭამია?ach'aruli khach'ap'uri gich'amia?Have you eaten Adjarian khachapuri?
Sam
ორჯერ! ფული რომ მქონდეს, მთელ ზაფხულს აქ დავრჩებოდი.orjer! puli rom mkondes, mtel zapkhuls ak davrchebodi.Twice! If I had the money, I'd stay here all summer.
Nino
ნეტავ მეც იქ ვიყო! ჯობია, მალე დაბრუნდე, თორემ ბუბუ მოგენატრება!net'av mets ik viq'o! jobia, male dabrunde, torem bubu mogenat'reba!I wish I were there too! You'd better come back soon, or you'll miss Bubu!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ანათებს | anatebs | it shines |
| ბულვარი | bulvari | boulevard, seafront promenade |
| ვსეირნობდი | vseirnobdi | I was walking, I was strolling |
| ქანდაკება | kandak'eba | statue, sculpture |
| მოძრაობენ | modzraoben | they move |
| სააგენტო | saagent'o | agency |
| მოგენატრება | mogenat'reba | you'll miss (him/her) |
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
B1 in five units
| unit | key point | example |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | persons inside the verb | გამოგიგზავნიgamogigzavni (I'll send it to you) |
| 12 | linking sentences | ვიცი, რომ…; თუ…; როცა…; რომელიც…vitsi, rom…; tu…; rotsa…; romelits… |
| 13 | the perfect | ბოტანიკურ ბაღში ყოფილხარ?bot'anik'ur baghshi q'opilkhar? |
| 14 | passives, states, participles | ბინა ქირავდება; წიგნი დევს; დაწერილიbina kiravdeba; ts'igni devs; dats'erili |
| 15 | would, if, wish | ფული რომ მქონდეს, დავრჩებოდი; ნეტავ…puli rom mkondes, davrchebodi; net'av… |
The sentences of the dialogue
| sentence | grammar |
|---|---|
| სააგენტოში მირჩიეს, ადრე წავიდე.saagent'oshi mirchies, adre ts'avide. | advice (lesson 145): optative |
| ხვალ წავალ, თუ არ იწვიმებს.khval ts'aval, tu ar its'vimebs. | real condition: თუtu + future (114) |
| ფული რომ მქონდეს, დავრჩებოდი.puli rom mkondes, davrchebodi. | unreal condition (142) |
| ნეტავ მეც იქ ვიყო!net'av mets ik viq'o! | a wish (143) |
| ჯობია, მალე დაბრუნდე.jobia, male dabrunde. | advice: ჯობიაjobia + optative (145) |
| ბუბუ მოგენატრება.bubu mogenat'reba. | inversion verb with გg- (101–102) |
An official B1 sentence
The official functional grammar of Georgian uses Batumi's boulevard as an example of a "where" clause: > იქik, სადაც ბულვარიაsadats bulvaria, შეგიძლია ფეხით ისეირნოshegidzlia pekhit iseirno. | there, where boulevard-is, you-can on-foot that-you-walk | Where the boulevard is, you can go for a walk.
5Good to know
The moving sculpture ალი და ნინოali da nino on the Batumi seafront is by the Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze (2010). Every evening the two steel figures, inspired by the 1937 novel "Ali and Nino", slowly move towards each other, pass through each other and separate.
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'll send it to you" is…
- "Lika helped me" is…
- "I know that he's coming" is…
- "the man who repaired the car" is…
- "I'll go tomorrow, if it doesn't rain" is…
- "Have you been to the botanical garden?" is…
- "Have you eaten Adjarian khachapuri?" is…
- "The flat is for rent" is…
- "The book is lying on the table" is…
- "If I had money, I'd stay here" is…
- "I wish I were there!" is…
- "You'd better come back soon" is…
- "Apparently Lika has got married" is…
- "I'd like a coffee" (politely) is…
- "Nobody came" is…
- "She said she'd come late" is…
Well done! Lesson 150 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 "The sea is warm."
Show the answer
ზღვა თბილია.zghva tbilia. - Say "If it doesn't rain, I'll go to the beach."
Show the answer
თუ არ იწვიმებს, პლაჟზე წავალ.tu ar its'vimebs, p'lazhze ts'aval. - Say "I've never been to Batumi."
Show the answer
ბათუმში არასოდეს არ ვყოფილვარ.batumshi arasodes ar vq'opilvar. - Say "If I had time, I'd stay longer."
Show the answer
დრო რომ მქონდეს, უფრო დიდხანს დავრჩებოდი.dro rom mkondes, upro didkhans davrchebodi. - Say "I wish you were here!"
Show the answer
ნეტავ აქ იყო!net'av ak iq'o! - Say "Send me the photos!"
Show the answer
ფოტოები გამომიგზავნე!pot'oebi gamomigzavne!
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