Lesson 157: Say and tell: the complete verbs

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.

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1Sam’s diary

რა თქვი?ra tkvi?

Month 20. An interview

For my blog, I'm recording an interview with Bebo about her youth. The microphone makes her a little shy at first, and then the stories come one after another.

Today: say, tell and tell a story, in every tense.

2Dialogue

Samბებო, ჩანაწერი დავიწყე. მითხარი, როგორი იყო თბილისი, როცა ახალგაზრდა იყავი?bebo, chanats'eri davits'q'e. mitkhari, rogori iq'o tbilisi, rotsa akhalgazrda iq'avi?Bebo, I've started recording. Tell me, what was Tbilisi like when you were young?
Beboრა გითხრა, შვილო... ბევრი რამ შეიცვალა.ra gitkhra, shvilo... bevri ram sheitsvala.What can I tell you, dear... A lot has changed.
Samბაბუამ რა გითხრა, როცა პირველად შეგხვდა?babuam ra gitkhra, rotsa p'irvelad shegkhvda?What did Grandpa say to you when he first met you?
Beboმითხრა: „შენ ჩემი ცოლი იქნები“. მე ვუთხარი: „ვნახოთ, თუ შეძლებ!“mitkhra: „shen chemi tsoli iknebi“. me vutkhari: „vnakhot, tu shedzleb!“He told me: "You will be my wife." I told him: "We'll see if you can!"
Samდა რა თქვეს შენმა მშობლებმა?da ra tkves shenma mshoblebma?And what did your parents say?
Beboმამაჩემს არაფერი უთქვამს. დედაჩემმა კი თქვა, კარგი ბიჭიაო.mamachems araperi utkvams. dedachemma k'i tkva, k'argi bich'iao.My father didn't say a word. But my mother said he was a good boy.
Samეს ამბავი არავის მოუყევი?es ambavi aravis mouq'evi?Haven't you told this story to anyone?
Beboარა, პირველად ვყვები. შენ კი ყველას მოუყევი!ara, p'irvelad vq'vebi. shen k'i q'velas mouq'evi!No, I'm telling it for the first time. But you, tell it to everyone!

3New words

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
ჩანაწერი	chanats'eri	recording
რა გითხრა…	ra gitkhra…	what can I tell you… (literally "what shall I tell you")
შეიცვალა	sheitsvala	it has changed
შეძლებ	shedzleb	you'll manage, you'll be able to
თქვეს	tkves	they said
მოუყევი	mouq'evi	you told (a story) to him/her; tell (it) to him/her!
ვყვები	vq'vebi	I'm telling (a story)

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

Say: ამბობსambobs

series	forms	meaning
I	ამბობს, ამბობდა, იტყვის, იტყოდაambobs, ambobda, it'q'vis, it'q'oda	says, was saying, will say, would say
II	თქვა, თქვასtkva, tkvas	said, (that he) say
III	უთქვამს, ეთქვაutkvams, etkva	has said, had said

Tell someone: ეუბნებაeubneba

series	forms	meaning
I	ეუბნება, ეუბნებოდა, ეტყვის, ეტყოდაeubneba, eubneboda, et'q'vis, et'q'oda	tells him, was telling, will tell, would tell
II	უთხრა, უთხრასutkhra, utkhras	told him, (that he) tell him
III	მისთვის უთქვამსmistvis utkvams	has told him (the person told takes -თვისtvis)

Tell a story: უყვებაuq'veba

form	meaning
ვყვებიvq'vebi	I'm telling (a story)
მოგიყვებიmogiq'vebi	I'll tell you
მოუყვაmouq'va	he/she told him/her
მომიყევი!momiq'evi!	tell me!

რა გითხრაra gitkhra? two meanings

გითხრაgitkhra is both the aorist "he told you" and the optative "(that) I tell you": > რა გითხრა ბაბუამra gitkhra babuam? | What did Grandpa tell you? (aorist) > რა გითხრაra gitkhra, შვილოshvilo… | What can I tell you, dear… (optative)

5Good to know

რა გითხრაra gitkhra… at the start of an answer, often with a sigh, means "where do I begin…": you will hear it from every Georgian grandmother asked about the old days.

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.

"What did Grandpa tell you?" is…
"My father didn't say a word" is…
"They said" is…
"I'll tell you a story" is…
"Tell me!" (a story) is…
"I told him" is…
"He would say" is…
In რა გითხრაra gitkhra, შვილოshvilo…, the verb is…
"I'm telling it for the first time" is…
What is a ჩანაწერიchanats'eri?

Well done! Lesson 157 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 "What did Nino say?"
Show the answer
რა თქვა ნინომ?ra tkva ninom?
Say "I'll tell you everything."
Show the answer
ყველაფერს გეტყვი.q'velapers get'q'vi.
Say "Tell me a story!"
Show the answer
ამბავი მომიყევი!ambavi momiq'evi!
Say "Giorgi hasn't said anything."
Show the answer
გიორგის არაფერი უთქვამს.giorgis araperi utkvams.
Say "He told me that he would come."
Show the answer
მითხრა, რომ მოვიდოდა.mitkhra, rom movidoda.

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

Download the Georgian audio courseOrder form · your download link arrives by email

▶ Listen to lesson 1 for free

Unit 16: The verb system in full B2

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