Month 21. The train had already left
I was supposed to take the evening train from Batumi to Tbilisi. I call Nino from the empty platform to explain everything that had already gone wrong.
Today: "had done", the pluperfect.
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
2Dialogue
Nino
სემ, სად ხარ? მატარებელში ხარ?sem, sad khar? mat'arebelshi khar?Sam, where are you? Are you on the train?
Sam
არა! როცა სადგურზე მივედი, მატარებელი უკვე წასულიყო.ara! rotsa sadgurze mivedi, mat'arebeli uk've ts'asuliq'o.No! When I got to the station, the train had already left.
Nino
როგორ? ბილეთი ხომ წინასწარ გეყიდა!rogor? bileti khom ts'inasts'ar geq'ida!How? You had bought the ticket in advance!
Sam
კი, მაგრამ ტაქსი ვერ ვიპოვე. მერე მძღოლს მისამართი არასწორად ჩაეწერა.k'i, magram t'aksi ver vip'ove. mere mdzghols misamarti arasts'orad chaets'era.Yes, but I couldn't find a taxi. And then the driver had written the address down wrong.
Nino
ვაიმე! და ახლა რას აპირებ?vaime! da akhla ras ap'ireb?Oh no! So what are you going to do now?
Sam
ხვალინდელი ბილეთი ვიყიდე. ღამე აქ დავრჩები.khvalindeli bileti viq'ide. ghame ak davrchebi.I've bought a ticket for tomorrow. I'll stay here tonight.
Nino
ბებოს უკვე ვახშამი მოემზადებინა შენთვის!bebos uk've vakhshami moemzadebina shentvis!Bebo had already made dinner for you!
Sam
ბებოს უთხარი, ხვალ ორმაგ ვახშამს შევჭამ-თქო!bebos utkhari, khval ormag vakhshams shevch'am-tko!Tell Bebo I'll eat a double dinner tomorrow!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| წასულიყო | ts'asuliq'o | he/she/it had left |
| გეყიდა | geq'ida | you had bought |
| ჩაეწერა | chaets'era | he/she had written down |
| არასწორად | arasts'orad | wrongly, incorrectly |
| ხვალინდელი | khvalindeli | tomorrow's |
| მოემზადებინა | moemzadebina | he/she had prepared |
| ორმაგი | ormagi | double |
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
The pluperfect: "had done"
The pluperfect belongs to series III, like the perfect. Intransitive verbs keep a nominative subject; transitive verbs have a dative doer, shown with მm-, გg-, ეe-:
| intransitive | transitive |
|---|---|
| მატარებელი წასულიყოmat'arebeli ts'asuliq'o. (the train had left) | მძღოლს მისამართი ჩაეწერაmdzghols misamarti chaets'era. (the driver had written down the address) |
| სტუმრები მოსულიყვნენst'umrebi mosuliq'vnen. (the guests had come) | ბებოს ვახშამი მოემზადებინაbebos vakhshami moemzadebina. (Bebo had made dinner) |
Persons
| "go" (intransitive) | "write" (transitive) | |
|---|---|---|
| I | წავსულიყავიts'avsuliq'avi | დამეწერაdamets'era |
| you | წასულიყავიts'asuliq'avi | დაგეწერაdagets'era |
| he/she | წასულიყოts'asuliq'o | დაეწერაdaets'era |
| we | წავსულიყავითts'avsuliq'avit | დაგვეწერაdagvets'era |
| they | წასულიყვნენts'asuliq'vnen | დაეწერათdaets'erat |
The transitive pluperfect looks like an inversion verb: მე დამეწერაme damets'era, შენ დაგეწერაshen dagets'era, მას დაეწერაmas daets'era. Some verbs add -ინin-: გაეკეთებინაgaek'etebina (had done), მოემზადებინაmoemzadebina (had prepared).
When?
The pluperfect shows an action before another past action, often with უკვეuk've: > როცა სადგურზე მივედიrotsa sadgurze mivedi, მატარებელი უკვე წასულიყოmat'arebeli uk've ts'asuliq'o. | When I got to the station, the train had already left.
In everyday speech, Georgians often say simply მატარებელი უკვე წავიდაmat'arebeli uk've ts'avida. The pluperfect is used most of all in its other meanings: "should have" (lesson 162), "if I had…" (163) and "I wish I had…" (170).
5Good to know
-თქოtko (lesson 118) is perfect for a phone call like this one: ბებოს უთხარიbebos utkhari, ხვალ ორმაგ ვახშამს შევჭამ-თქოkhval ormag vakhshams shevch'am-tko! = "Tell Bebo I'll eat a double dinner tomorrow!"
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.
- "The train had already left" is…
- "You had bought the ticket" is…
- "The driver had written down the address wrong" is…
- "Bebo had made dinner" is…
- "I had gone" is…
- "I had written" is…
- "They had come" is…
- Which series does the pluperfect belong to?
- "tomorrow's ticket" is…
- What does არასწორადarasts'orad mean?
Well done! Lesson 161 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 "When I arrived, Nino had already left."
Show the answer
როცა მივედი, ნინო უკვე წასულიყო.rotsa mivedi, nino uk've ts'asuliq'o. - Say "I had bought the tickets."
Show the answer
ბილეთები მეყიდა.biletebi meq'ida. - Say "Giorgi had already eaten."
Show the answer
გიორგის უკვე ეჭამა.giorgis uk've ech'ama. - Say "The guests had come."
Show the answer
სტუმრები მოსულიყვნენ.st'umrebi mosuliq'vnen. - Say "Mum had made dinner."
Show the answer
დედას ვახშამი მოემზადებინა.dedas vakhshami moemzadebina.
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
Unit 17: Had, should have, as if B2
- 161The pluperfect: I had done
- 162I should have: უნდაunda + pluperfect
- 163If I had known...
- 164As if, almost, nearly
- 165Never ever: ვერავინ ვერveravin ver, ნურაფერს ნუnurapers nu
- 166Despite, instead of, except
- 167So that: რათაrata, იმისათვისimisatvis, რომrom
- 168His own: თავისიtavisi, and the word თავიtavi
- 169Each other: ერთმანეთიertmaneti
- 170Review: a missed chance