Month 27. At the bank
I've started giving English lessons, and I need a Georgian bank account for my salary. At the bank, the clerk is patient with my questions.
Today: banks, money and the economy.
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
Clerk
გისმენთ. რით შემიძლია დაგეხმაროთ?gisment. rit shemidzlia dagekhmarot?Good morning. How can I help you?
Sam
ანგარიშის გახსნა მინდა. ხელფასს აქ მივიღებ.angarishis gakhsna minda. khelpass ak mivigheb.I'd like to open an account. I'll receive my salary here.
Clerk
პირადობის მოწმობა ან პასპორტი გაქვთ?p'iradobis mots'moba an p'asp'ort'i gakvt?Do you have an ID card or a passport?
Sam
აი, პასპორტი. ბარათიც მჭირდება.ai, p'asp'ort'i. baratits mch'irdeba.Here's my passport. I need a card as well.
Clerk
ბარათს ხუთ დღეში მიიღებთ. ანგარიში ლარში გინდათ თუ დოლარში?barats khut dgheshi miighebt. angarishi larshi gindat tu dolarshi?You'll get the card in five days. Do you want the account in lari or in dollars?
Sam
ლარში. ფულის გადარიცხვა კანადიდან შეიძლება?larshi. pulis gadaritskhva k'anadidan sheidzleba?In lari. Is it possible to transfer money from Canada?
Clerk
რა თქმა უნდა, მაგრამ საკომისიოს გადახდა მოგიწევთ.ra tkma unda, magram sak'omisios gadakhda mogits'evt.Of course, but you'll have to pay a fee.
Sam
კარგი. ახლა ჩემი ფული უსაფრთხოა!k'argi. akhla chemi puli usaprtkhoa!Fine. Now my money is safe!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| გახსნა | gakhsna | opening |
| პირადობის მოწმობა | p'iradobis mots'moba | ID card |
| გადარიცხვა | gadaritskhva | (money) transfer |
| საკომისიო | sak'omisio | fee, commission |
| გადახდა | gadakhda | payment, paying |
| მოგიწევთ | mogits'evt | you'll have to (polite) |
| უსაფრთხო | usaprtkho | safe |
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
Money words
| word | meaning |
|---|---|
| ხელფასიkhelpasi | salary |
| პენსიაp'ensia | pension |
| გადასახადიgadasakhadi | tax |
| სესხიseskhi | loan |
| ბანკომატიbank'omat'i | cash machine, ATM |
| ხურდაkhurda | change (coins) |
| ბიუჯეტიbiujet'i | budget |
| ინფლაციაinplatsia | inflation |
ფასები იზრდება.pasebi izrdeba.Prices are rising.
ფასები გაიზარდა.pasebi gaizarda.Prices have risen.
"Have to": მიწევსmits'evs
მიწევსmits'evs (the official B2 verb უწევსuts'evs) means "I have to", often unwillingly. It is an inversion verb, followed by a verbal noun:
| form | meaning |
|---|---|
| მიწევს გადახდა.mits'evs gadakhda. | I have to pay. |
| მომიწია გადახდა.momits'ia gadakhda. | I had to pay. |
| მოგიწევთ გადახდა.mogits'evt gadakhda. | You'll have to pay. (polite) |
Compare უნდაunda + optative (lesson 162): უნდა გადავიხადოunda gadavikhado (I must pay).
Opening, paying: verbal nouns in requests
ანგარიშის გახსნა მინდა.angarishis gakhsna minda.I'd like to open an account.
ფულის გადარიცხვა შეიძლება?pulis gadaritskhva sheidzleba?Is it possible to transfer money?
5Good to know
Georgia's currency, the lari, has been in use since 1995; one lari is a hundred tetri. In banks and offices, clerks greet clients and answer the phone with გისმენთgisment ("I'm listening to you").
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.
- "I'd like to open an account" is…
- "Do you have an ID card?" (polite) is…
- "Is a transfer from Canada possible?" is…
- "You'll have to pay a fee" (polite) is…
- "I had to pay" is…
- "Prices are rising" is…
- "in lari" is…
- "Now my money is safe" is…
- What is ნაღდი ფულიnaghdi puli?
- What is a გადასახადიgadasakhadi?
Well done! Lesson 185 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'd like to open an account."
Show the answer
ანგარიშის გახსნა მინდა.angarishis gakhsna minda. - Ask "Where is the cash machine?"
Show the answer
ბანკომატი სად არის?bank'omat'i sad aris? - Say "I have to pay the bill."
Show the answer
ანგარიშის გადახდა მიწევს.angarishis gadakhda mits'evs. - Say "Can I pay by card?"
Show the answer
ბარათით გადახდა შეიძლება?baratit gadakhda sheidzleba? - Say "Prices have risen."
Show the answer
ფასები გაიზარდა.pasebi gaizarda.
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