Month 25. Jvari monastery
From the hill of Jvari, Manana shows me Mtskheta below, where two rivers meet. Every stone here has a story, and she knows them all.
Today: Mtskheta and Saint Nino.
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.
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1Sam’s diary
2Dialogue
Manana
აქედან მცხეთა ჩანს, საქართველოს ძველი დედაქალაქი.akedan mtskheta chans, sakartvelos dzveli dedakalaki.From here you can see Mtskheta, Georgia's old capital.
Sam
ორი მდინარე ერთმანეთს ხვდება!ori mdinare ertmanets khvdeba!Two rivers meet!
Manana
მტკვარი და არაგვი. ჯვრის მონასტერი მეექვსე საუკუნის ბოლოს აშენდა.mt'k'vari da aragvi. jvris monast'eri meekvse sauk'unis bolos ashenda.The Mtkvari and the Aragvi. Jvari monastery was built at the end of the sixth century.
Sam
რატომ ჰქვია „ჯვარი“?rat'om hkvia „jvari“?Why is it called "Jvari", "the Cross"?
Manana
თქმულების მიხედვით, აქ წმინდა ნინომ დიდი ჯვარი აღმართა.tkmulebis mikhedvit, ak ts'minda ninom didi jvari aghmarta.According to tradition, Saint Nino set up a big cross here.
Sam
ვინ იყო წმინდა ნინო?vin iq'o ts'minda nino?Who was Saint Nino?
Manana
ნინო კაპადოკიიდან ჩამოვიდა, მეოთხე საუკუნეში. მისი წყალობით მეფე მირიანმა და დედოფალმა ნანამ ქრისტიანობა მიიღეს.nino k'ap'adok'iidan chamovida, meotkhe sauk'uneshi. misi ts'q'alobit mepe mirianma da dedopalma nanam krist'ianoba miighes.Nino came from Cappadocia in the fourth century. Thanks to her, King Mirian and Queen Nana accepted Christianity.
Manana
ნინოს ჯვარი ვაზისგან იყო, თავისი თმით შეკრული.ninos jvari vazisgan iq'o, tavisi tmit shek'ruli.Nino's cross was made of vine, tied with her own hair.
Sam
და ის დიდი ტაძარი ქვემოთ?da is didi t'adzari kvemot?And that big cathedral down below?
Manana
სვეტიცხოველია. ახლანდელი ტაძარი მეთერთმეტე საუკუნეში ააშენა არქიტექტორმა არსუკიძემ.svet'itskhovelia. akhlandeli t'adzari metertmet'e sauk'uneshi aashena arkit'ekt'orma arsuk'idzem.That's Svetitskhoveli. The present cathedral was built in the eleventh century by the architect Arsukidze.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| თქმულება | tkmuleba | legend, tradition |
| აღმართა | aghmarta | he/she set up, erected |
| ქრისტიანობა | krist'ianoba | Christianity |
| მიიღეს | miighes | they accepted, they received |
| შეკრული | shek'ruli | tied, bound |
| ახლანდელი | akhlandeli | present-day, current |
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
Telling a tradition
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| თქმულების მიხედვით, …tkmulebis mikhedvit, … | according to tradition, … |
| როგორც ამბობენ, …rogorts amboben, … | as they say, … |
| ისტორიკოსების აზრით, …ist'orik'osebis azrit, … | in the historians' opinion, … |
Made of: -ისგანisgan
ჯვარი ვაზისგან იყო.jvari vazisgan iq'o.The cross was made of vine.
ეს სახლი ქვისგან არის აშენებული.es sakhli kvisgan aris ashenebuli.This house is built of stone.
Who built it? Two styles
| everyday (active) | formal (participle + -ის მიერis mier) |
|---|---|
| ტაძარი არქიტექტორმა არსუკიძემ ააშენა.t'adzari arkit'ekt'orma arsuk'idzem aashena. | არსუკიძის მიერ აშენებული ტაძარიarsuk'idzis mier ashenebuli t'adzari |
| The architect Arsukidze built the cathedral. | the cathedral built by Arsukidze |
The official B2 grammar models the formal style: მეცნიერის მიერ ჩატარებული სამუშაოmetsnieris mier chat'arebuli samushao (work carried out by a scientist), მხატვრის მიერ დახატული სურათიmkhat'vris mier dakhat'uli surati (a picture painted by an artist).
5Good to know
Mtskheta's historical monuments, Jvari and Svetitskhoveli among them, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994. Tradition holds that Christ's robe is buried under Svetitskhoveli, "the life-giving pillar".
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 was Mtskheta?
- When was Jvari monastery built?
- Where did Saint Nino come from?
- "according to tradition" is…
- "The cross was made of vine" is…
- "King Mirian accepted Christianity" is…
- "the cathedral built by Arsukidze" (formal) is…
- When was the present Svetitskhoveli built?
- "Two rivers meet" is…
- What is a ტაძარიt'adzari?
Well done! Lesson 177 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 "Mtskheta is Georgia's old capital."
Show the answer
მცხეთა საქართველოს ძველი დედაქალაქია.mtskheta sakartvelos dzveli dedakalakia. - Say "according to tradition"
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თქმულების მიხედვითtkmulebis mikhedvit - Say "This church is built of stone."
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ეს ეკლესია ქვისგან არის აშენებული.es ek'lesia kvisgan aris ashenebuli. - Say "Christianity came to Georgia in the fourth century."
Show the answer
ქრისტიანობა საქართველოში მეოთხე საუკუნეში შემოვიდა.krist'ianoba sakartveloshi meotkhe sauk'uneshi shemovida. - Say "a picture painted by an artist" (formal)
Show the answer
მხატვრის მიერ დახატული სურათიmkhat'vris mier dakhat'uli surati
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