Lesson 164: As if, almost, nearly

LIMBA audio course · Georgian

Hear it, then say it: learn to speak Georgian

37 audio lessons
about 13 minutes each
explained in simple English

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1Sam’s diary

კინაღამ დავეციk'inagham davetsi

Month 22. A near miss on the ice

January in Tbilisi: a rare snowfall, then ice everywhere. Nino walks with me to the bakery, and I spend more time sliding than walking.

Today: "nearly", "almost" and "as if".

2Dialogue

Samვაი! კინაღამ დავეცი! ყინულია!vai! k'inagham davetsi! q'inulia!Whoa! I nearly fell! It's ice!
Ninoფრთხილად! თითქოს ყინულზე პირველად დადიხარ!prtkhilad! titkos q'inulze p'irvelad dadikhar!Careful! It's as if you were walking on ice for the first time!
Samკანადაში ყოველ ზამთარს ყინულია, მაგრამ აქ იშვიათად თოვს, ამიტომ დამავიწყდა!k'anadashi q'ovel zamtars q'inulia, magram ak ishviatad tovs, amit'om damavits'q'da!In Canada there's ice every winter, but here it rarely snows, so I forgot!
Ninoცა ისეთია, თითქოს ისევ თოვლი მოვა.tsa isetia, titkos isev tovli mova.The sky looks as if it's going to snow again.
Samშენი ქურთუკი თითქმის ისეთივეა, როგორიც ჩემი!sheni kurtuk'i titkmis isetivea, rogorits chemi!Your jacket is almost the same as mine!
Ninoჰო, თითქმის. ჩემი ცოტა უფრო გრძელია.ho, titkmis. chemi tsot'a upro grdzelia.Yes, almost. Mine is a little longer.
Samვაიმე! ისევ კინაღამ დავეცი!vaime! isev k'inagham davetsi!Oh no! I nearly fell again!
Ninoსიცილისგან მეც კინაღამ დავეცი!sitsilisgan mets k'inagham davetsi!I nearly fell over laughing too!

3New words

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
კინაღამ	k'inagham	nearly (but it didn't happen)
ვკანკალებ	vk'ank'aleb	I'm shivering
ფრთხილად!	prtkhilad!	careful!
თითქოს	titkos	as if
ისეთივეა, როგორიც…	isetivea, rogorits…	it's just like…
სიცილისგან	sitsilisgan	from laughing

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

კინაღამk'inagham: nearly (but it didn't happen)

კინაღამk'inagham goes with the aorist: the action almost happened. > კინაღამ დავეციk'inagham davetsi. | I nearly fell. (I didn't fall) > კინაღამ დავაგვიანეk'inagham davagviane. | I was nearly late.

The official B2 example: სიცილისაგან კინაღამ სკამიდან გადმოვვარდიsitsilisagan k'inagham sk'amidan gadmovvardi (I nearly fell off my chair laughing).

თითქმისtitkmis: almost (a degree)

თითქმისtitkmis measures how close something is to a whole: > თითქმის მზადააtitkmis mzadaa. | It's almost ready. > თითქმის ყველა მოვიდაtitkmis q'vela movida. | Almost everyone came.

The official B2 example: ეს კაბა თითქმის ისეთივეაes k'aba titkmis isetivea, როგორიც მე მაქვსrogorits me makvs (this dress is almost the same as the one I have).

თითქოსtitkos: as if

თითქოსtitkos introduces an impression, something that only seems so: > თითქოს ყინულზე პირველად დადიხარtitkos q'inulze p'irvelad dadikhar. | It's as if you were walking on ice for the first time.

The official B2 example: ცა თითქოს საწვიმრად ემზადებოდაtsa titkos sats'vimrad emzadeboda (the sky seemed to be getting ready to rain).

Don't mix them up

word	meaning	example
კინაღამk'inagham	nearly happened	კინაღამ დავეცი.k'inagham davetsi.
თითქმისtitkmis	almost all, almost done	თითქმის ყველა.titkmis q'vela.
თითქოსtitkos	as if, it seems	თითქოს არაფერი მომხდარაtitkos araperi momkhdara. (as if nothing had happened)

5Good to know

"From laughing" is სიცილისგანsitsilisgan (or, in a more literary style, სიცილისაგანsitsilisagan, as in the official example): -ისგანisgan gives the cause of a physical reaction: სიცივისგან ვკანკალებsitsivisgan vk'ank'aleb (I'm shivering with cold).

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 nearly fell" is…
"Almost everyone came" is…
"As if nothing had happened" is…
"This dress is almost the same as mine" (official) is…
"I nearly fell off my chair laughing" (official) is…
"The sky seemed to be getting ready to rain" (official) is…
"I was nearly late" is…
"It's almost ready" is…
"Careful!" is…
What is ყინულიq'inuli?

Well done! Lesson 164 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 nearly forgot!"
Show the answer
კინაღამ დამავიწყდა!k'inagham damavits'q'da!
Say "It's almost nine o'clock."
Show the answer
თითქმის ცხრა საათია.titkmis tskhra saatia.
Say "He talks as if he knew everything."
Show the answer
ისე ლაპარაკობს, თითქოს ყველაფერი იცის.ise lap'arak'obs, titkos q'velaperi itsis.
Say "Careful, it's ice!"
Show the answer
ფრთხილად, ყინულია!prtkhilad, q'inulia!
Say "Almost everyone is here."
Show the answer
თითქმის ყველა აქ არის.titkmis q'vela ak aris.

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

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Unit 17: Had, should have, as if B2

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