Month 22. A secret
Giorgi pulls me into the courtyard with a huge grin. He has a secret, and I'm the only one who can know it before dinner.
Today: "nobody could", "don't tell anyone".
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, საიდუმლო უნდა გითხრა. ნურავის ნუ ეტყვი!sem, saidumlo unda gitkhra. nuravis nu et'q'vi!Sam, I have to tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone!
Sam
არავის არ ვეტყვი. რა მოხდა?aravis ar vet'q'vi. ra mokhda?I won't tell anyone. What happened?
Giorgi
ახალგაზრდულ ნაკრებში ამირჩიეს! რაგბის ნაკრებში!akhalgazrdul nak'rebshi amirchies! ragbis nak'rebshi!They've picked me for the youth national team! The rugby team!
Sam
ვაა! დედამ იცის?vaa! dedam itsis?Wow! Does Mum know?
Giorgi
ჯერ არა. ვერავის ვერ ვეუბნები, ძალიან ვნერვიულობ.jer ara. veravis ver veubnebi, dzalian vnerviulob.Not yet. I can't tell anyone, I'm too nervous.
Sam
ისე სწრაფად ლაპარაკობ, ვერაფერი ვერ გავიგე!ise sts'rapad lap'arak'ob, veraperi ver gavige!You're talking so fast, I didn't catch a thing!
Giorgi
კარგი, ნელა: ვახშამზე ყველას ვეტყვი. შენ კი ნურაფერს ნუ იტყვი!k'argi, nela: vakhshamze q'velas vet'q'vi. shen k'i nurapers nu it'q'vi!OK, slowly: I'll tell everyone at dinner. But you, don't say anything!
Sam
მაშინ ნურსად ნუ წახვალ ვახშმამდე... მე ვერ გავძლებ!mashin nursad nu ts'akhval vakhshmamde... me ver gavdzleb!Then don't go anywhere before dinner... I won't be able to hold out!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ნურავის ნუ ეტყვი! | nuravis nu et'q'vi! | don't tell anyone! |
| ნაკრები | nak'rebi | national team |
| ამირჩიეს | amirchies | they chose me |
| ვერავის ვერ | veravis ver | (I) can't … anyone |
| ვერაფერი ვერ | veraperi ver | (I) couldn't … anything |
| ნურაფერს ნუ იტყვი! | nurapers nu it'q'vi! | don't say anything! |
| ნურსად ნუ წახვალ! | nursad nu ts'akhval! | don't go anywhere! |
| ვერ გავძლებ | ver gavdzleb | I won't be able to hold out |
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
Three negations, three families
| არar: simple "not" | ვერver: "cannot" | ნუnu: "don't!" |
|---|---|---|
| არავინ არ მოვიდაaravin ar movida. (nobody came) | ვერავინ ვერ მოვიდაveravin ver movida. (nobody could come) | ნურავინ ნუ მოვაnuravin nu mova! (let nobody come!) |
The negative word takes the same prefix as the particle: არar- / ვერver- / ნურnur-.
ვერver: "can't", with negative words
The official B2 grammar gives these examples:
| word | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ვერავინ ვერveravin ver | ქალაქში ვერავინ ვერ ვნახე.kalakshi veravin ver vnakhe. | I couldn't see anyone in town. |
| ვერავის ვერveravis ver | მე აქ ვერავის ვერ ვხედავ.me ak veravis ver vkhedav. | I can't see anyone here. |
| ვერსად ვერversad ver | ვერსად ვერ ვიპოვე ეს წიგნი.versad ver vip'ove es ts'igni. | I couldn't find this book anywhere. |
| ვერაფერი ვერveraperi ver | ვერაფერი ვერ გავიგე.veraperi ver gavige. | I didn't understand a thing. |
| ვერაფერს ვერverapers ver | ვერაფერს ვერ გეტყვი.verapers ver get'q'vi. | I can't tell you anything. |
| ვერასოდეს ვერverasodes ver | ვერასოდეს ვერ ვნახე ეს მუზეუმი.verasodes ver vnakhe es muzeumi. | I never managed to see this museum. |
ნუnu: "don't!", with negative words
| word | official example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ნურავის ნუnuravis nu | ამ ამბავს ნურავის ნუ ეტყვი!am ambavs nuravis nu et'q'vi! | Don't tell anyone about this! |
| ნურსად ნუnursad nu | ნურსად ნუ წახვალ!nursad nu ts'akhval! | Don't go anywhere! |
| ნურაფერს ნუnurapers nu | ნურაფერს ნუ იტყვი!nurapers nu it'q'vi! | Don't say anything! |
| ნურასოდეს ნუnurasodes nu | ნურასოდეს ნუ იტყვი ტყუილს!nurasodes nu it'q'vi t'q'uils! | Never tell a lie! |
5Good to know
საიდუმლოsaidumlo (secret) has a famous phrase: ეს ჩვენს შორის დარჩესes chvens shoris darches ("let this stay between us"). Say it, and a Georgian friend knows to keep quiet.
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.
- "Don't tell anyone!" is…
- "I won't tell anyone" (a promise) is…
- "I can't tell anyone" is…
- "I didn't understand a thing" (official) is…
- "Don't go anywhere!" (official) is…
- "Never tell a lie!" (official) is…
- "I couldn't find this book anywhere" (official) is…
- "Nobody could come" is…
- "I won't be able to hold out" is…
- What is a ნაკრებიnak'rebi in sport?
Well done! Lesson 165 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 "Don't tell Mum anything!"
Show the answer
დედას ნურაფერს ნუ ეტყვი!dedas nurapers nu et'q'vi! - Say "I couldn't see anyone."
Show the answer
ვერავინ ვერ ვნახე.veravin ver vnakhe. - Say "I can't find my keys anywhere."
Show the answer
გასაღებებს ვერსად ვერ ვპოულობ.gasaghebebs versad ver vp'oulob. - Say "Never be late!" (to several people)
Show the answer
ნურასოდეს ნუ დააგვიანებთ!nurasodes nu daagvianebt! - Say "Let this stay between us."
Show the answer
ეს ჩვენს შორის დარჩეს.es chvens shoris darches.
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