Month 26. An email to the university
I want to take an advanced Georgian course at the university, and I have to write to the language department. Nino sits next to me and corrects every line.
Today: formal letters and emails.
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
ნინო, უნივერსიტეტს უნდა მივწერო. როგორ დავიწყო?nino, universit'et's unda mivts'ero. rogor davits'q'o?Nino, I have to write to the university. How should I start?
Nino
„პატივცემულო ქალბატონო…“ ან უბრალოდ „მოგესალმებით!“„p'at'ivtsemulo kalbat'ono…“ an ubralod „mogesalmebit!“"Dear Madam…" or simply "Greetings!"
Sam
„მოგესალმებით! მე ვარ სემი, კანადის მოქალაქე. გწერთ ქართული ენის კურსის შესახებ.“„mogesalmebit! me var semi, k'anadis mokalake. gts'ert kartuli enis k'ursis shesakheb.“"Greetings! I am Sam, a Canadian citizen. I am writing to you about the Georgian language course."
Nino
კარგია. მერე სთხოვე, რაც გინდა: „გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ…“k'argia. mere stkhove, rats ginda: „gtkhovt, matsnobot…“Good. Then ask for what you want: "Please let me know…"
Sam
„გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ, როდის იწყება კურსი და რა დოკუმენტებია საჭირო.“„gtkhovt, matsnobot, rodis its'q'eba k'ursi da ra dok'ument'ebia sach'iro.“"Please let me know when the course starts and which documents are required."
Nino
ბოლოს: „წინასწარ გიხდით მადლობას. პატივისცემით, სემი.“bolos: „ts'inasts'ar gikhdit madlobas. p'at'ivistsemit, semi.“And at the end: "Thank you in advance. Yours sincerely, Sam."
Sam
და ჩემს რეზიუმეს დანართში გავუგზავნი.da chems reziumes danartshi gavugzavni.And I'll send them my CV as an attachment.
Nino
შესანიშნავია! ახლა ნამდვილი ოფიციალური წერილია.shesanishnavia! akhla namdvili opitsialuri ts'erilia.Excellent! Now it's a real official letter.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| პატივცემულო … | p'at'ivtsemulo … | dear … (formal, in letters) |
| მოგესალმებით! | mogesalmebit! | greetings! (formal) |
| მოქალაქე | mokalake | citizen |
| გწერთ | gts'ert | I'm writing to you (polite) |
| მაცნობოთ | matsnobot | (that) you inform me (polite) |
| დოკუმენტი | dok'ument'i | document |
| წინასწარ გიხდით მადლობას | ts'inasts'ar gikhdit madlobas | thank you in advance |
| პატივისცემით | p'at'ivistsemit | yours sincerely (literally "with respect") |
| დანართი | danarti | attachment |
| შესანიშნავია | shesanishnavia | it's excellent |
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 parts of a formal letter
| part | Georgian |
|---|---|
| opening | პატივცემულო ბატონო გიორგი, / პატივცემულო ქალბატონო ნინო,p'at'ivtsemulo bat'ono giorgi, / p'at'ivtsemulo kalbat'ono nino, |
| greeting | მოგესალმებით!mogesalmebit! |
| reason | გწერთgts'ert … შესახებshesakheb. (I'm writing to you about …) |
| request | გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ… / გთხოვთ, გამომიგზავნოთ…gtkhovt, matsnobot… / gtkhovt, gamomigzavnot… |
| attachment | დანართში გიგზავნითdanartshi gigzavnit… (I'm attaching…) |
| thanks | წინასწარ გიხდით მადლობას.ts'inasts'ar gikhdit madlobas. |
| closing | პატივისცემითp'at'ivistsemit, (name) |
Politeness inside the verb
A formal letter always uses თქვენtkven, so the verbs end in -თt: გწერთgts'ert (I write to you), გიგზავნითgigzavnit (I send you), გიხდითgikhdit (I pay you), and the polite optative after გთხოვთgtkhovt: მაცნობოთmatsnobot, გამომიგზავნოთgamomigzavnot (lesson 144).
Official style: სასურველიაsasurvelia
The official B2 grammar gives a sentence typical of formal texts: > აგრეთვე სასურველია ამ საკითხზე წაიკითხოთ დამატებითი ლიტერატურაagretve sasurvelia am sak'itkhze ts'aik'itkhot damat'ebiti lit'erat'ura. | It is also advisable to read additional literature on this question.
სასურველიაsasurvelia ("it is desirable") and აგრეთვეagretve ("also") belong to written, formal Georgian.
5Good to know
პატივცემულოp'at'ivtsemulo ("respected") is the vocative of პატივცემულიp'at'ivtsemuli, so the name after it is also in the vocative: პატივცემულო ბატონო გიორგიp'at'ivtsemulo bat'ono giorgi. Between colleagues who know each other, ძვირფასო ნინოdzvirpaso nino ("dear Nino") is warmer.
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.
- How does a formal letter begin?
- "I'm writing to you about the course" is…
- "Please let me know…" is…
- "Thank you in advance" is…
- "Yours sincerely," is…
- "Please send me the documents" is…
- "I'm attaching my CV" is…
- "It is advisable to read…" (official style) is…
- What does მოგესალმებითmogesalmebit mean?
- What is a მოქალაქეmokalake?
Well done! Lesson 182 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Open a letter to Mr Zurab.
Show the answer
პატივცემულო ბატონო ზურაბ,p'at'ivtsemulo bat'ono zurab, - Write "I'm writing to you about the exam."
Show the answer
გწერთ გამოცდის შესახებ.gts'ert gamotsdis shesakheb. - Write "Please let me know the date."
Show the answer
გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ თარიღი.gtkhovt, matsnobot tarighi. - Write "Thank you in advance."
Show the answer
წინასწარ გიხდით მადლობას.ts'inasts'ar gikhdit madlobas. - Close a formal letter, signed Sam.
Show the answer
პატივისცემით, სემიp'at'ivistsemit, semi
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