Month 29. A visit from Levan's uncle
Levan's uncle, Mr Vakhtang, eighty-two years old, comes down from his village for a visit. The whole family suddenly speaks a different, very respectful Georgian.
Today: honorific speech.
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
ბიძია ვახტანგ, მობრძანდით! როგორ ბრძანდებით?bidzia vakht'ang, mobrdzandit! rogor brdzandebit?Uncle Vakhtang, welcome! How are you?
Vakhtang
კარგად, შვილო, გმადლობთ. ეს ვინ არის?k'argad, shvilo, gmadlobt. es vin aris?Well, son, thank you. And who is this?
Levan
ეს სემია, ჩვენი სტუმარი კანადიდან. სემ, ბატონი ვახტანგი ჩემი ბიძაა.es semia, chveni st'umari k'anadidan. sem, bat'oni vakht'angi chemi bidzaa.This is Sam, our guest from Canada. Sam, Mr Vakhtang is my uncle.
Sam
ძალიან სასიამოვნოა, ბატონო ვახტანგ. დაბრძანდით, აქ თბილა.dzalian sasiamovnoa, bat'ono vakht'ang. dabrdzandit, ak tbila.Very pleased to meet you, Mr Vakhtang. Please sit down, it's warm here.
Vakhtang
ყოჩაღ, რა კარგად ლაპარაკობ! რამდენი ხანია, აქ ხარ?q'ochagh, ra k'argad lap'arak'ob! ramdeni khania, ak khar?Well done, how well you speak! How long have you been here?
Sam
ორ წელზე მეტია, ბატონო. მოგახსენებთ: ქართული ძალიან მიყვარს!or ts'elze met'ia, bat'ono. mogakhsenebt: kartuli dzalian miq'vars!More than two years, sir. I can tell you: I love Georgian very much!
Manana
ბიძია ვახტანგ, რას მიირთმევთ? ჩაის თუ ყავას?bidzia vakht'ang, ras miirtmevt? chais tu q'avas?Uncle Vakhtang, what will you have? Tea or coffee?
Vakhtang
ჩაის, თუ შეიძლება. სემ, ხვალ ჩემთან სოფელში მოხვალ?chais, tu sheidzleba. sem, khval chemtan sopelshi mokhval?Tea, please. Sam, will you come to my village tomorrow?
Sam
დიახ, აუცილებლად გეახლებით!diakh, autsileblad geakhlebit!Yes, I'll certainly come to visit you!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ბიძია | bidzia | uncle (affectionate) |
| როგორ ბრძანდებით? | rogor brdzandebit? | how are you? (honorific) |
| მოგახსენებთ | mogakhsenebt | I'll tell you (humble) |
| გეახლებით | geakhlebit | I'll come to you, I'll visit you (humble) |
| ბრძანებს | brdzanebs | says (honorific) |
| მობრძანდება | mobrdzandeba | comes (honorific) |
| რამდენი ხანია? | ramdeni khania? | how long (has it been)? |
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
Three levels: neutral, honorific, humble
For the other person, Georgian can use an honorific verb; for oneself, a humble one:
| neutral | honorific (you, he/she) | humble (I) |
|---|---|---|
| მოდისmodis (comes) | მობრძანდებაmobrdzandeba | გეახლებითgeakhlebit (I'll come to you) |
| არის (is)aris (is) | ბრძანდებაbrdzandeba | — |
| ამბობსambobs (says) | ბრძანებსbrdzanebs | მოგახსენებთmogakhsenebt (I'll tell you) |
| ჭამსch'ams, სვამსsvams (eats, drinks) | მიირთმევსmiirtmevs | — |
| ჯდებაjdeba (sits down) | დაბრძანდებაdabrdzandeba | — |
| question | meaning |
|---|---|
| როგორ ბრძანდებით?rogor brdzandebit? | How are you? |
| რას ბრძანებთ?ras brdzanebt? | What are you saying? (polite surprise) |
| რას მიირთმევთ?ras miirtmevt? | What will you have? |
The official B2 example
The official grammar shows a verb that changes with the person, from "you" to a humble "I": > ხვალ ორ საათზე მოხვალთkhval or saatze mokhvalt? – დიახdiakh, აუცილებლად გეახლებითautsileblad geakhlebit! | Will you come tomorrow at two? – Yes, I'll certainly come!
Who uses what?
The younger person speaks honorifically to the elder; the elder can answer with neutral forms and შვილოshvilo ("my child"), as Mr Vakhtang does.
5Good to know
Never use honorific verbs about yourself: მე მოვედიme movedi (I came), never "მე მობრძანდიme mobrdzandi". Between close friends, honorific verbs are used only as a joke: ბრძანეთbrdzanet, ბატონოbat'ono! ("Do speak, your lordship!").
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 are you?" (to an older person) is…
- "Welcome! Please come in!" is…
- "I'll come to you" (humble) is…
- "I'll tell you" (humble) is…
- "What will you have?" (polite) is…
- "Please sit down" (honorific) is…
- "Will you come at two? – Yes, I'll certainly come!" (official) is…
- Can you say მე მობრძანდიme mobrdzandi?
- "How long have you been here?" is…
- What is a ბიძიაbidzia?
Well done! Lesson 193 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Greet an older guest at the door.
Show the answer
მობრძანდით!mobrdzandit! - Ask an older person "How are you?"
Show the answer
როგორ ბრძანდებით?rogor brdzandebit? - Offer a guest a seat.
Show the answer
დაბრძანდით!dabrdzandit! - Answer an invitation humbly: "I'll certainly come!"
Show the answer
აუცილებლად გეახლებით!autsileblad geakhlebit! - Ask a guest "What will you have?"
Show the answer
რას მიირთმევთ?ras miirtmevt?
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