LIMBALIMBAGeorgian course200 lessons
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B2 · Upper intermediateUnit 17: Had, should have, as ifLesson 168 of 200

Lesson 168His own: თავისიtavisi, and the word თავიtavi

Goal: you will distinguish "his own" from "his" and use თავიtavi.

Course progress: lesson 168 / 200

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1Sam’s diary

თავისი წიგნი
თავისი წიგნიtavisi ts'igni

Month 23. The borrowed book

My friend Ben flew back to Montreal and left half his things at our house. Now Giorgi is wearing Ben's jacket, and Bebo explains whose is whose, very precisely.

Today: "his own", "his" and "oneself".

2Dialogue

Sam
ბებო, გიორგიმ თავისი ქურთუკი ჩაიცვა?bebo, giorgim tavisi kurtuk'i chaitsva?Bebo, did Giorgi put on his own jacket?
Bebo
არა, შვილო, მისი ქურთუკი ჩაიცვა — შენი მეგობრის, ბენის!ara, shvilo, misi kurtuk'i chaitsva — sheni megobris, benis!No, dear, he put on HIS jacket — your friend Ben's!
Sam
ბენმა თავისი ქურთუკი აქ დატოვა?benma tavisi kurtuk'i ak dat'ova?Ben left his jacket here?
Bebo
კი. ბენმა ბევრი რამ დატოვა: თავისი ქუდი, თავისი წიგნი...k'i. benma bevri ram dat'ova: tavisi kudi, tavisi ts'igni...Yes. Ben left lots of things: his hat, his book...
Sam
თავს კარგად გრძნობ, ბებო? ცოტა დაღლილი ჩანხარ.tavs k'argad grdznob, bebo? tsot'a daghlili chankhar.Do you feel all right, Bebo? You look a bit tired.
Bebo
თავი ცოტა მტკივა. თავს ნუ შეიწუხებ, შვილო, მალე გამივლის.tavi tsot'a mt'k'iva. tavs nu sheits'ukheb, shvilo, male gamivlis.I have a bit of a headache. Don't trouble yourself, dear, it'll pass soon.
Sam
ჩაი მოგიტანო? საკუთარ თავზე უნდა იზრუნო!chai mogit'ano? sak'utar tavze unda izruno!Shall I bring you tea? You must take care of yourself!
Bebo
შენ ჩემზე მეტად ზრუნავ ჩემს თავზე!shen chemze met'ad zrunav chems tavze!You take more care of me than I do!

3New words

GeorgianPronunciationEnglish
თავისიtavisihis/her own
ჩაიცვაchaitsvahe/she put on (clothes)
დატოვაdat'ovahe/she left (behind)
თავს კარგად გრძნობ?tavs k'argad grdznob?do you feel well?
ჩანხარchankharyou look, you seem
თავს ნუ შეიწუხებtavs nu sheits'ukhebdon't trouble yourself
გამივლისgamivlisit will pass (for me)
საკუთარი თავიsak'utari tavioneself
იზრუნოizruno(that) you take care
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

თავისიtavisi or მისიmisi?

wordmeaningexample
თავისიtavisihis/her OWN (it belongs to the subject)ბენმა თავისი ქურთუკი დატოვაbenma tavisi kurtuk'i dat'ova. (Ben left his own jacket.)
მისიmisihis/her (it belongs to someone else)გიორგიმ მისი ქურთუკი ჩაიცვაgiorgim misi kurtuk'i chaitsva. (Giorgi put on his [Ben's] jacket.)

The official B2 grammar explains it with one pair: ლელამ თავისიlelam tavisi (საკუთარიsak'utari) წიგნი მათხოვაts'igni matkhova (Lela lent me her own book) – ლელამ მისიlelam misi (სხვისიskhvisi) წიგნი მათხოვაts'igni matkhova (Lela lent me her [someone else's] book). თავისიtavisi = საკუთარიsak'utari (own), მისიmisi = სხვისიskhvisi (someone else's).

With plural owners: თავიანთიtavianti (their own): ბავშვებმა თავიანთი სათამაშოები აიღესbavshvebma tavianti satamashoebi aighes (the children took their own toys).

თავიtavi: head and self

phrasemeaning
თავი მტკივა.tavi mt'k'iva.I have a headache. ("my head hurts")
თავს კარგად ვგრძნობ.tavs k'argad vgrdznob.I feel well.
ჩემი თავი / ჩემს თავსchemi tavi / chems tavsmyself
შენი თავი გააცანი!sheni tavi gaatsani!Introduce yourself! (lesson 134)
თავს ნუ შეიწუხებ.tavs nu sheits'ukheb.Don't trouble yourself.
საკუთარ თავზე იზრუნე!sak'utar tavze izrune!Take care of yourself!
თავისთავადtavistavadby itself, naturally

5Good to know

ჩანსchans ("seems, is visible") has a "you" form ჩანხარchankhar (you seem): დაღლილი ჩანხარdaghlili chankhar = "you look tired". And გამივლისgamivlis ("it will pass me") is the classic answer to any small pain.

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.

  1. "Ben left his own jacket here" is…
  2. "Giorgi put on his (Ben's) jacket" is…
  3. თავისიtavisi is the same as…
  4. "The children took their own toys" is…
  5. "I have a headache" is…
  6. "Do you feel well?" is…
  7. "Don't trouble yourself" is…
  8. "You must take care of yourself!" is…
  9. "You look tired" is…
  10. What does თავისთავადtavistavad mean?

Well done! Lesson 168 is ticked on your course map.

Say it, then write it

Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.

  1. Say "Nino took her own car."
    Show the answerნინომ თავისი მანქანა წაიყვანა.ninom tavisi mankana ts'aiq'vana.
  2. Say "I feel well."
    Show the answerთავს კარგად ვგრძნობ.tavs k'argad vgrdznob.
  3. Say "Introduce yourself!"
    Show the answerშენი თავი გააცანი!sheni tavi gaatsani!
  4. Say "Take care of yourself!"
    Show the answerსაკუთარ თავზე იზრუნე!sak'utar tavze izrune!
  5. Say "It'll pass."
    Show the answerგაივლის.gaivlis.

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

  1. 161The pluperfect: I had done
  2. 162I should have: უნდაunda + pluperfect
  3. 163If I had known...
  4. 164As if, almost, nearly
  5. 165Never ever: ვერავინ ვერveravin ver, ნურაფერს ნუnurapers nu
  6. 166Despite, instead of, except
  7. 167So that: რათაrata, იმისათვისimisatvis, რომrom
  8. 168His own: თავისიtavisi, and the word თავიtavi
  9. 169Each other: ერთმანეთიertmaneti
  10. 170Review: a missed chance

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