Month 29. The Public Service Hall
With my new job, I need a residence permit. Nino sends me to the Public Service Hall, a huge, bright building where you can do almost all your paperwork in one place.
Today: offices and paperwork.
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
ბინადრობის ნებართვა მჭირდება. სად უნდა მივიდე?binadrobis nebartva mch'irdeba. sad unda mivide?I need a residence permit. Where do I have to go?
Nino
იუსტიციის სახლში. იქ ბევრ რამეს ერთ ადგილას აკეთებენ: პასპორტს, ცნობებს...iust'itsiis sakhlshi. ik bevr rames ert adgilas ak'eteben: p'asp'ort's, tsnobebs...To the Public Service Hall. They do lots of things there in one place: passports, certificates...
Employee
გამარჯობა. ჯერ ნომერი აიღეთ, მერე ოპერატორთან მიდით.gamarjoba. jer nomeri aighet, mere op'erat'ortan midit.(at the Hall) Hello. First take a number, then go to the operator.
Sam
გამარჯობა, ბინადრობის ნებართვისთვის ვარ.gamarjoba, binadrobis nebartvistvis var.(at the desk) Hello, I'm here for a residence permit.
Operator
განცხადება შეავსეთ. პასპორტის ასლი და ფოტო გაქვთ?gantskhadeba sheavset. p'asp'ort'is asli da pot'o gakvt?Fill in the application. Do you have a copy of your passport and a photo?
Sam
კი, აი. აქ მოვაწერო ხელი?k'i, ai. ak movats'ero kheli?Yes, here. Should I sign here?
Operator
კი, აქ და აქ. პასუხს ელფოსტით მიიღებთ.k'i, ak da ak. p'asukhs elpost'it miighebt.Yes, here and here. You'll get the answer by email.
Sam
გმადლობთ! ყველაფერმა ძალიან სწრაფად ჩაიარა!gmadlobt! q'velaperma dzalian sts'rapad chaiara!Thank you! Everything went very quickly!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ბინადრობის ნებართვა | binadrobis nebartva | residence permit |
| იუსტიციის სახლი | iust'itsiis sakhli | Public Service Hall (literally "House of Justice") |
| ცნობა | tsnoba | certificate, official statement |
| ოპერატორი | op'erat'ori | operator, clerk at a desk |
| განცხადება შეავსეთ! | gantskhadeba sheavset! | fill in the application! |
| ასლი | asli | copy |
| ხელს მოაწერს | khels moats'ers | will sign (literally "will write a hand to") |
| ელფოსტა | elpost'a |
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
Paperwork vocabulary
| word | meaning |
|---|---|
| განცხადებაgantskhadeba | application, form |
| ასლი / დედანიasli / dedani | copy / original |
| ხელმოწერაkhelmots'era | signature |
| ბეჭედიbech'edi | stamp, seal |
| რიგიrigi | queue |
| ვადაvada | deadline; validity |
| პირადობის მოწმობაp'iradobis mots'moba | ID card |
Instructions in an office: the polite command
| command | meaning |
|---|---|
| ნომერი აიღეთ!nomeri aighet! | Take a number! |
| განცხადება შეავსეთ!gantskhadeba sheavset! | Fill in the application! |
| აქ მოაწერეთ ხელი!ak moats'eret kheli! | Sign here! |
| ოპერატორთან მიდით!op'erat'ortan midit! | Go to the desk! |
| დაელოდეთ!daelodet! | Wait! |
Signing: ხელს მოაწერსkhels moats'ers
"To sign" is "to write one's hand to something": ხელს ვაწერkhels vats'er (I sign), ხელი მოვაწერეkheli movats'ere (I signed), აქ მოაწერეთ ხელიak moats'eret kheli (sign here).
I'm here for…: -ისთვის ვარistvis var
ბინადრობის ნებართვისთვის ვარ.binadrobis nebartvistvis var.I'm here for a residence permit.
5Good to know
Georgia's Public Service Halls (იუსტიციის სახლიiust'itsiis sakhli) opened in the early 2010s as "one-stop shops": in the same building you can get passports, ID cards, certificates and many other documents. Bring your passport and a copy of it.
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.
- "Take a number!" (polite) is…
- "Fill in the application!" is…
- "Sign here!" is…
- "I'm here for a residence permit" is…
- "a copy of your passport" is…
- "You'll get the answer by email" is…
- "Everything went very quickly" is…
- What is the იუსტიციის სახლიiust'itsiis sakhli?
- "original" (of a document) is…
- What is a რიგიrigi?
Well done! Lesson 192 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 need a certificate."
Show the answer
ცნობა მჭირდება.tsnoba mch'irdeba. - Ask "Where do I sign?"
Show the answer
სად მოვაწერო ხელი?sad movats'ero kheli? - Say "Here is a copy of my passport."
Show the answer
აი, ჩემი პასპორტის ასლი.ai, chemi p'asp'ort'is asli. - Tell someone politely "Wait, please!"
Show the answer
დაელოდეთ, თუ შეიძლება!daelodet, tu sheidzleba! - Say "I'm here for an ID card."
Show the answer
პირადობის მოწმობისთვის ვარ.p'iradobis mots'mobistvis var.
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