Month 25. Bebo's sayings
Bebo has a proverb for every situation: for guests, for friends, for brothers and for people who want something. Tonight, I write them all down.
Today: Georgian proverbs and sayings.
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
Bebo
სემ, სტუმარი ღვთისაა! ამიტომ ყოველთვის საუკეთესო ადგილს გაძლევთ.sem, st'umari ghvtisaa! amit'om q'oveltvis sauk'eteso adgils gadzlevt.Sam, a guest is a gift from God! That's why we always give you the best seat.
Sam
ეს ანდაზაა?es andazaa?Is that a proverb?
Bebo
კი. კიდევ ერთი: „ძმა ძმისთვისაო, შავი დღისთვისაო“.k'i. k'idev erti: „dzma dzmistvisao, shavi dghistvisao“.Yes. Here's another: "A brother is for his brother, for the black day."
Sam
ანუ „მეგობარი გაჭირვებაში გამოიცდება“?anu „megobari gach'irvebashi gamoitsdeba“?So "a friend is tested in hard times"?
Bebo
ყოჩაღ! ეგეც ანდაზაა. როცა ვინმეს რამე უნდა, ესეც იცოდე: „ტკბილი ენა გველს ხვრელიდან ამოიყვანს“.q'ochagh! egets andazaa. rotsa vinmes rame unda, esets itsode: „t'k'bili ena gvels khvrelidan amoiq'vans“.Bravo! That's a proverb too. And when someone wants something, know this one: "A sweet tongue brings a snake out of its hole."
Sam
ძალიან ლამაზია! ჩემი საყვარელი რუსთაველისაა: „რასაცა გასცემ, შენია...“dzalian lamazia! chemi saq'vareli rustavelisaa: „rasatsa gastsem, shenia...“Beautiful! My favourite is Rustaveli's: "What you give away is yours..."
Bebo
„...რაც არა, დაკარგულია!“ შენ უკვე ნამდვილი ქართველი ხარ!„...rats ara, dak'argulia!“ shen uk've namdvili kartveli khar!"...what you keep is lost!" You're already a real Georgian!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ანდაზა | andaza | proverb |
| ღვთისაა | ghvtisaa | is God's, is from God |
| შავი დღე | shavi dghe | "black day", a time of trouble |
| გაჭირვება | gach'irveba | hardship, hard times |
| გამოიცდება | gamoitsdeba | is tested |
| გველი | gveli | snake |
| ხვრელი | khvreli | hole |
| ამოიყვანს | amoiq'vans | will bring 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
Proverbs and their meanings
| proverb | word for word | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| სტუმარი ღვთისაა.st'umari ghvtisaa. | the guest is God's | a guest is sacred, treat guests as a gift |
| ძმა ძმისთვისაო, შავი დღისთვისაო.dzma dzmistvisao, shavi dghistvisao. | brother for brother, for the black day (they say) | family is there in hard times |
| მეგობარი გაჭირვებაში გამოიცდება.megobari gach'irvebashi gamoitsdeba. | a friend is tested in hardship | a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| ტკბილი ენა გველს ხვრელიდან ამოიყვანს.t'k'bili ena gvels khvrelidan amoiq'vans. | a sweet tongue will bring a snake out of its hole | kind words get results |
| ცოდნა სინათლეა, უცოდინრობა — ბნელი.tsodna sinatlea, utsodinroba — bneli. | knowledge is light, ignorance darkness | learning matters |
The grammar of proverbs
- The timeless present or future: გამოიცდებაgamoitsdeba, ამოიყვანსamoiq'vans describe what always happens.
- The quotation particle -ოo (lesson 118) shows a traditional saying: ძმისთვისაოdzmistvisao, დღისთვისაოdghistvisao ("as they say").
- Verbs can be left out: ძმა ძმისთვისdzma dzmistvis = "a brother (is) for a brother".
Using a proverb in conversation
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| როგორც იტყვიან, …rogorts it'q'vian, … | as they say, … |
| ანდაზა რომ ამბობს, …andaza rom ambobs, … | as the proverb says, … |
5Good to know
Many Georgian sayings come from Rustaveli. Besides რასაცა გასცემrasatsa gastsem, შენიაshenia, რაც არაrats ara, დაკარგულიაdak'argulia, Georgians often quote სჯობს სიცოცხლესა ნაძრახსა სიკვდილი სახელოვანიsjobs sitsotskhlesa nadzrakhsa sik'vdili sakhelovani ("a glorious death is better than a shameful life").
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.
- "A guest is a gift from God" is…
- "A friend is tested in hard times" is…
- What does ტკბილი ენა გველს ხვრელიდან ამოიყვანსt'k'bili ena gvels khvrelidan amoiq'vans mean?
- In ძმა ძმისთვისაოdzma dzmistvisao, what does -ოo show?
- "as they say, …" is…
- What is an ანდაზაandaza?
- "Knowledge is light" is…
- What is the შავი დღეshavi dghe in the proverb?
- Who wrote რასაცა გასცემrasatsa gastsem, შენიაshenia?
- What is a გველიgveli?
Well done! Lesson 179 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 the proverb about guests.
Show the answer
სტუმარი ღვთისაა.st'umari ghvtisaa. - Say "As they say, a friend is tested in hard times."
Show the answer
როგორც იტყვიან, მეგობარი გაჭირვებაში გამოიცდება.rogorts it'q'vian, megobari gach'irvebashi gamoitsdeba. - Say "Knowledge is light, ignorance darkness."
Show the answer
ცოდნა სინათლეა, უცოდინრობა — ბნელი.tsodna sinatlea, utsodinroba — bneli. - Say "My favourite proverb is Rustaveli's."
Show the answer
ჩემი საყვარელი ანდაზა რუსთაველისაა.chemi saq'vareli andaza rustavelisaa. - Say "As the proverb says, …"
Show the answer
ანდაზა რომ ამბობს, …andaza rom ambobs, …
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