Month 28. In the radio studio
A Georgian radio station has heard about the Canadian who writes a blog in Georgian. Tonight I'm live in the studio, and my hands are shaking.
Today: review unit 19 with a radio interview.
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
Host
გისმენთ! ეთერშია სემი, კანადელი, რომელიც ქართულს ორი წელია სწავლობს.gisment! etershia semi, k'anadeli, romelits kartuls ori ts'elia sts'avlobs.Good evening! On air with us is Sam, a Canadian who has been learning Georgian for two years.
Sam
გამარჯობა! დიდი მადლობა, რომ დამპატიჟეთ.gamarjoba! didi madloba, rom damp'at'izhet.Hello! Thank you very much for inviting me.
Host
რატომ გადაწყვიტეთ ქართულის სწავლა?rat'om gadats'q'vit'et kartulis sts'avla?Why did you decide to learn Georgian?
Sam
ერთი მხრივ, ანბანი მომეწონა, მეორე მხრივ, ქართველი მეგობრები მყავდა. ასე რომ, ჩამოვედი!erti mkhriv, anbani momets'ona, meore mkhriv, kartveli megobrebi mq'avda. ase rom, chamovedi!On the one hand, I liked the alphabet; on the other, I had Georgian friends. So I came!
Host
რა იყო ყველაზე ძნელი?ra iq'o q'velaze dzneli?What was the hardest part?
Sam
რასაკვირველია, ზმნები! თურმე ერთ ზმნაში მთელი წინადადება იმალება.rasak'virvelia, zmnebi! turme ert zmnashi mteli ts'inadadeba imaleba.The verbs, of course! It turns out a whole sentence can hide in one verb.
Host
ჩვენს მსმენელებს რას ურჩევთ?chvens msmenelebs ras urchevt?What would you advise our listeners?
Sam
ყოველდღე ცოტა ისწავლეთ, ბევრი ილაპარაკეთ და ნუ შეგეშინდებათ შეცდომების!q'oveldghe tsot'a ists'avlet, bevri ilap'arak'et da nu shegeshindebat shetsdomebis!Study a little every day, speak a lot, and don't be afraid of mistakes!
Host
გმადლობთ, სემ! წარმატებებს გისურვებთ!gmadlobt, sem! ts'armat'ebebs gisurvebt!Thank you, Sam! We wish you every success!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ეთერში | etershi | on air |
| დამპატიჟეთ | damp'at'izhet | you invited me (polite) |
| გადაწყვიტეთ | gadats'q'vit'et | you decided (polite) |
| მსმენელი | msmeneli | listener |
| ურჩევთ | urchevt | you advise (him/her/them) (polite) |
| ილაპარაკეთ! | ilap'arak'et! | speak! (to several people) |
| ნუ შეგეშინდებათ | nu shegeshindebat | don't be afraid (polite) |
| შეცდომა | shetsdoma | mistake |
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
Fear, shame, belief: the genitive
The official B2 grammar notes that verbs of fear, shyness and belief take their object in the genitive:
| official example | meaning |
|---|---|
| ცეცხლის ეშინიაtsetskhlis eshinia | he is afraid of fire |
| მეგობრის ერიდებაmegobris erideba | he is shy of his friend |
| სიკეთის სჯერაsik'etis sjera | he believes in goodness |
ნუ შეგეშინდებათ შეცდომების!nu shegeshindebat shetsdomebis!Don't be afraid of mistakes!
ძაღლების მეშინია.dzaghlebis meshinia.I'm afraid of dogs.
Unit 19 in one table
| topic | example | lesson |
|---|---|---|
| news | გაიმართა; ცნობითgaimarta; tsnobit | 181 |
| formal letters | გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ…; პატივისცემითgtkhovt, matsnobot…; p'at'ivistsemit | 182 |
| big numbers | ორი ათას ოცდაექვსი; მესამედიori atas otsdaekvsi; mesamedi | 183 |
| society | არჩევნები ტარდება; ხმას აძლევსarchevnebi t'ardeba; khmas adzlevs | 184 |
| money | ანგარიშის გახსნა; მოგიწევთ გადახდაangarishis gakhsna; mogits'evt gadakhda | 185 |
| nature | ბუნება ყველამ უნდა დავიცვათbuneba q'velam unda davitsvat | 186 |
| technology | ჩამოტვირთე!; დააჭირე!chamot'virte!; daach'ire! | 187 |
| emergencies | სასწრაფოს გამოიძახეთ!sasts'rapos gamoidzakhet! | 188 |
| arguments | ერთი მხრივ…; ამდენადerti mkhriv…; amdenad | 189 |
5Good to know
On Georgian radio, presenters often open a call or an interview with გისმენთgisment! ("we are listening to you"), and close with წარმატებებს გისურვებთts'armat'ebebs gisurvebt! ("we wish you success").
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.
- "Don't be afraid of mistakes!" is…
- "I'm afraid of dogs" is…
- "He believes in goodness" (official) is…
- "Thank you for inviting me" (polite) is…
- "Why did you decide to learn Georgian?" is…
- "So I came!" (concluding) is…
- "What would you advise our listeners?" is…
- "Reportedly, …" is…
- "We all have to protect nature" is…
- "Call an ambulance!" is…
- "two thousand twenty-six" is…
- "on the one hand…" is…
- What is a მსმენელიmsmeneli?
Well done! Lesson 190 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 "Don't be afraid!" (polite)
Show the answer
ნუ შეგეშინდებათ!nu shegeshindebat! - Say "I'm afraid of the dark."
Show the answer
სიბნელის მეშინია.sibnelis meshinia. - Say "Thank you for inviting me."
Show the answer
მადლობა, რომ დამპატიჟეთ.madloba, rom damp'at'izhet. - Say "On the one hand it's hard, on the other hand it's interesting."
Show the answer
ერთი მხრივ ძნელია, მეორე მხრივ საინტერესოა.erti mkhriv dznelia, meore mkhriv saint'eresoa. - Wish someone success (polite).
Show the answer
წარმატებებს გისურვებთ!ts'armat'ebebs gisurvebt! - Say "We're on air."
Show the answer
ეთერში ვართ.etershi vart.
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