Month 25. A folk ensemble
Nino takes me to see a folk ensemble in a theatre in old Tbilisi. Between two songs, she tells me about a Georgian song that is travelling through space.
Today: songs, dances and a living heritage.
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
Nino
სემ, ამ სიმღერას „ჩაკრულო“ ჰქვია. ის კოსმოსშიც არის!sem, am simgheras „chak'rulo“ hkvia. is k'osmosshits aris!Sam, this song is called "Chakrulo". It's in space too!
Sam
კოსმოსში? როგორ?k'osmosshi? rogor?In space? How?
Nino
1977 წელს ამერიკელებმა „ვოიაჯერზე“ ოქროს ფირფიტა გაგზავნეს, დედამიწის მუსიკით. „ჩაკრულოც“ იქ არის.1977 ts'els amerik'elebma „voiajerze“ okros pirpit'a gagzavnes, dedamits'is musik'it. „chak'rulots“ ik aris.In 1977 the Americans sent a golden record on board Voyager, with music from Earth. "Chakrulo" is on it.
Sam
ეს რა სიმღერაა?es ra simgheraa?What kind of song is it?
Nino
კახური სუფრული სიმღერაა. ორი მომღერალი მღერის, გუნდი კი ბანს აძლევს.k'akhuri supruli simgheraa. ori momgherali mgheris, gundi k'i bans adzlevs.It's a Kakhetian table song. Two singers lead, and the choir holds the bass.
Sam
ახლა ცეკვავენ! ეს რა ცეკვაა?akhla tsek'vaven! es ra tsek'vaa?Now they're dancing! What dance is this?
Nino
„ქართული“. სუხიშვილების ანსამბლი ქართულ ცეკვებს 1945 წლიდან მთელ მსოფლიოში ცეკვავს.„kartuli“. sukhishvilebis ansambli kartul tsek'vebs 1945 ts'lidan mtel msoplioshi tsek'vavs."Kartuli". The Sukhishvili ensemble has been dancing Georgian dances all over the world since 1945.
Sam
ეს მემკვიდრეობა მართლა ცოცხალია!es memk'vidreoba martla tsotskhalia!This heritage really is alive!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| კოსმოსი | k'osmosi | space, outer space |
| ფირფიტა | pirpit'a | record (vinyl) |
| დედამიწა | dedamits'a | the Earth |
| სუფრული სიმღერა | supruli simghera | table song (sung at a feast) |
| ბანი | bani | bass (the lowest voice) |
| გუნდი | gundi | choir |
| ანსამბლი | ansambli | ensemble |
| მემკვიდრეობა | memk'vidreoba | heritage |
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
"Since" + the present
For something that started in the past and is still going on, Georgian uses -დანdan and the present tense: > ანსამბლიansambli 1945 წლიდან ცეკვავსts'lidan tsek'vavs. | The ensemble has been dancing since 1945. > 2024 წლიდან თბილისში ვცხოვრობts'lidan tbilisshi vtskhovrob. | I've been living in Tbilisi since 2024.
The voices of Georgian polyphony
| voice | role |
|---|---|
| პირველი ხმაp'irveli khma | the first (top) voice, often a soloist |
| მეორე ხმაmeore khma | the second (middle) voice |
| ბანიbani | the bass, sung by the choir |
In many songs from Kakheti, two soloists sing above a long, held bass.
Nationalities in the ergative
ამერიკელებმა ფირფიტა გაგზავნეს.amerik'elebma pirpit'a gagzavnes.The Americans sent a record.
Nationalities in -ელიeli take the normal case endings: ამერიკელიamerik'eli, ამერიკელმაamerik'elma, ამერიკელსamerik'els; ამერიკელებიamerik'elebi, ამერიკელებმაamerik'elebma.
5Good to know
In 1977 NASA's two Voyager probes left Earth, each carrying a golden record with greetings, sounds and music from many cultures. Georgian polyphony is among them with ჩაკრულოchak'rulo. Back on Earth, UNESCO proclaimed Georgian polyphonic singing a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.
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.
- What is ჩაკრულოchak'rulo?
- Where did ჩაკრულოchak'rulo travel in 1977?
- "The ensemble has been dancing since 1945" is…
- "I've been living in Tbilisi since 2024" is…
- "The Americans sent a record" is…
- What is the ბანიbani?
- What is a სუფრული სიმღერაsupruli simghera?
- "This song is called Chakrulo" is…
- Since when does the Sukhishvili ensemble dance?
- What does მემკვიდრეობაmemk'vidreoba mean?
Well done! Lesson 176 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've been learning Georgian since last year."
Show the answer
გასული წლიდან ქართულს ვსწავლობ.gasuli ts'lidan kartuls vsts'avlob. - Ask "What is this song called?"
Show the answer
ამ სიმღერას რა ჰქვია?am simgheras ra hkvia? - Say "They sing in three voices."
Show the answer
სამ ხმაში მღერიან.sam khmashi mgherian. - Say "The Georgians sent a song into space."
Show the answer
ქართველებმა სიმღერა კოსმოსში გაგზავნეს.kartvelebma simghera k'osmosshi gagzavnes. - Say "Georgian polyphony is a living heritage."
Show the answer
ქართული მრავალხმიანობა ცოცხალი მემკვიდრეობაა.kartuli mravalkhmianoba tsotskhali memk'vidreobaa.
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