Month 26. The morning paper
Every morning, Levan reads the newspaper at the café on the corner. Today he lets me read the headlines, and explains why newspapers write the way they do.
Today: reading the news.
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
Levan
ნახე, დღევანდელი გაზეთი. სათაური: „ქუთაისში საერთაშორისო ფესტივალი გაიმართა“.nakhe, dghevandeli gazeti. satauri: „kutaisshi saertashoriso pest'ivali gaimarta“.Look, today's paper. The headline: "An international festival was held in Kutaisi".
Sam
„გაიმართა“ — ესე იგი, ჩაატარეს?„gaimarta“ — ese igi, chaat'ares?"გაიმართაgaimarta" — that is, they held it?
Levan
ზუსტად. გაზეთები ასეთ ზმნებს ხშირად ხმარობენ: „გაიმართა“, „დასრულდა“, „გამოცხადდა“.zust'ad. gazetebi aset zmnebs khshirad khmaroben: „gaimarta“, „dasrulda“, „gamotskhadda“.Exactly. Newspapers often use verbs like that: "was held", "ended", "was announced".
Sam
ეს რას ნიშნავს: „ცნობით, ამინდი ხვალ შეიცვლება“?es ras nishnavs: „tsnobit, amindi khval sheitsvleba“?What does this mean: "Reportedly, the weather will change tomorrow"?
Levan
„ცნობით“ — ანუ ასე წერენ, მაგრამ ჯერ არ არის დადასტურებული.„tsnobit“ — anu ase ts'eren, magram jer ar aris dadast'urebuli."ცნობითtsnobit" — that is, that's what they write, but it isn't confirmed yet.
Sam
და სპორტის გვერდზე?da sp'ort'is gverdze?And on the sports page?
Levan
„საქართველოს ნაკრებმა გაიმარჯვა!“ ეს ყველაზე კარგი ამბავია!„sakartvelos nak'rebma gaimarjva!“ es q'velaze k'argi ambavia!"Georgia's national team has won!" That's the best news!
Sam
ამიერიდან მეც ყოველ დილით ქართულად წავიკითხავ ახალ ამბებს!amieridan mets q'ovel dilit kartulad ts'avik'itkhav akhal ambebs!From now on, I'll read the news in Georgian every morning too!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| დღევანდელი | dghevandeli | today's |
| სათაური | satauri | headline, title |
| საერთაშორისო | saertashoriso | international |
| გაიმართა | gaimarta | was held, took place |
| ესე იგი | ese igi | that is, in other words |
| ხმარობენ | khmaroben | they use |
| გამოცხადდა | gamotskhadda | was announced |
| ცნობით | tsnobit | reportedly, according to reports |
| დადასტურებული | dadast'urebuli | confirmed |
| ამიერიდან | amieridan | from now on |
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
The language of news
News reports use the passive (lesson 131) to focus on events, not on people:
| headline verb | meaning |
|---|---|
| გაიმართაgaimarta | was held, took place |
| გაიხსნაgaikhsna | was opened |
| დასრულდაdasrulda | ended |
| გამოცხადდაgamotskhadda | was announced |
| დაიწყოdaits'q'o | began |
| შეიცვლებაsheitsvleba | will change |
Sources and reliability
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| ცნობით, …tsnobit, … | reportedly, … |
| ინფორმაციით, …inpormatsiit, … | according to information, … |
| როგორც ცნობილია, …rogorts tsnobilia, … | as is known, … |
| … -ის თანახმად… -is tanakhmad | according to … (formal) |
| ჯერ არ არის დადასტურებული.jer ar aris dadast'urebuli. | It isn't confirmed yet. |
ცნობით, ამინდი ხვალ შეიცვლება.tsnobit, amindi khval sheitsvleba.Reportedly, the weather will change tomorrow.
The present in headlines
Headlines often use the present for a process: ფასები იზრდებაpasebi izrdeba (prices are rising), ტემპერატურა მატულობსt'emp'erat'ura mat'ulobs (the temperature is rising).
5Good to know
ესე იგიese igi ("that is, I mean") is a spoken favourite, often shortened in writing to ეe.იi. You will hear it in every explanation, like ანუanu (lesson 131).
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.
- "An international festival was held" is…
- "reportedly" is…
- "It isn't confirmed yet" is…
- "The festival ended" is…
- "Georgia's national team has won!" is…
- "Prices are rising" (a headline) is…
- "today's newspaper" is…
- "from now on" is…
- "as is known, …" is…
- What is a სათაურიsatauri?
Well done! Lesson 181 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Read the headline: "The new museum was opened."
Show the answer
ახალი მუზეუმი გაიხსნა.akhali muzeumi gaikhsna. - Say "Reportedly, it will snow tomorrow."
Show the answer
ცნობით, ხვალ თოვლი მოვა.tsnobit, khval tovli mova. - Say "The concert ended at ten."
Show the answer
კონცერტი ათზე დასრულდა.k'ontsert'i atze dasrulda. - Say "The results were announced."
Show the answer
შედეგები გამოცხადდა.shedegebi gamotskhadda. - Say "I read the news every morning."
Show the answer
ყოველ დილით ახალ ამბებს ვკითხულობ.q'ovel dilit akhal ambebs vk'itkhulob.
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