Day 9. Nino shows me her room
Nino shows me her room: books everywhere, a guitar, a small balcony over the street. I point at everything and ask "what is this?" until she laughs.
Today: three words for this and that, and the things of a room.
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
Sam
რა არის ეს?ra aris es?What is this?
Nino
ეს გიტარაა.es git'araa.This is a guitar.
Sam
და ეგ?da eg?And that (near you)?
Nino
ეგ ჩემი ტელეფონია.eg chemi t'eleponia.That's my phone.
Sam
ის რა არის? იქ.is ra aris? ik.What's that? Over there.
Nino
ის აივანია. აი, ფანჯარა!is aivania. ai, panjara!That's the balcony. And here is the window!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ეგ | eg | that (near you) |
| აი | ai | here is, look |
| ოთახი | otakhi | room |
| მაგიდა | magida | table |
| სკამი | sk'ami | chair |
| საწოლი | sats'oli | bed |
| ფანჯარა | panjara | window |
| ტელეფონი | t'eleponi | telephone |
| ჩანთა | chanta | bag |
| გიტარა | git'ara | guitar |
| აივანი | aivani | balcony |
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 words, three distances
English has "this" and "that". Georgian has three words, depending on who is closer to the thing:
| word | meaning | where is it? |
|---|---|---|
| ესes | this | near me, the speaker |
| ეგeg | that | near you, the listener |
| ისis | that | far from both of us |
ეს წიგნია.es ts'ignia.this book-isThis is a book (here, by me).
ეგ რა არის?eg ra aris?that what isWhat's that (there, by you)?
ის სახლია.is sakhlia.that house-isThat (over there) is a house.
ისis is the same word as "he, she, it" (lesson 12). The context makes the difference.
What is this?
The question is რა არის ესra aris es? or, with the short form, ეს რააes raa?. The answer puts the thing before the verb: ეს მაგიდააes magidaa, ეს სკამიაes sk'amia.
Here is: აიai
აიai points at something, like "here is", "look", "there you are": აიai, ფანჯარაpanjara! "Here's the window!". It is often followed by the thing you show, with no verb.
აი ჩემი ოთახი.ai chemi otakhi.here my roomHere is my room.
5Good to know
ეგeg is very common in everyday speech, but many learners never use it. Try: when your friend holds something, ask ეგ რა არისeg ra aris?, "what's that (you've got)?". You will sound much more natural.
Old Tbilisi houses are famous for their carved wooden balconies, აივანიaivani, which often run along the whole house and look onto an inner courtyard.
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.
- Which word means "this (near me)"?
- Your friend holds a book. You ask about it:
- A house far away is…
- How do you say "What is this?"
- აი ჩემი ოთახიai chemi otakhi means…
- Which word means "window"?
- Which word means "chair"?
- ეგ ჩემი ტელეფონიაeg chemi t'eleponia means…
- What else can ისis mean?
- What does აივანიaivani mean?
Well done! Lesson 17 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Point at a chair next to you and ask what it is.
Show the answer
რა არის ეს?ra aris es? - Answer: "This is a table."
Show the answer
ეს მაგიდაა.es magidaa. - Ask about the bag your friend is holding.
Show the answer
ეგ რა არის?eg ra aris? - Show your room to a friend: "Here is my room!"
Show the answer
აი ჩემი ოთახი!ai chemi otakhi! - Say "That (over there) is a balcony."
Show the answer
ის აივანია.is aivania.
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