Month 29. The writer's house museum
In Kvareli, in Kakheti, Nino takes me to the house where Ilia Chavchavadze was born. In the garden, between the vines, she tells me why every Georgian knows his name.
Today: a classic writer, Ilia Chavchavadze.
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
Nino
ეს ილია ჭავჭავაძის სახლ-მუზეუმია. ილია აქ, ყვარელში, დაიბადა, 1837 წელს.es ilia ch'avch'avadzis sakhl-muzeumia. ilia ak, q'varelshi, daibada, 1837 ts'els.This is Ilia Chavchavadze's house museum. Ilia was born here, in Kvareli, in 1837.
Sam
ის მწერალი იყო?is mts'erali iq'o?Was he a writer?
Nino
მწერალიც, პოეტიც, ჟურნალისტიც და საზოგადო მოღვაწეც. მას „ერის მამას“ უწოდებენ.mts'eralits, p'oet'its, zhurnalist'its da sazogado moghvats'ets. mas „eris mamas“ uts'odeben.A writer, a poet, a journalist and a public figure. People call him "the Father of the Nation".
Sam
რა დაწერა?ra dats'era?What did he write?
Nino
„კაცია-ადამიანი?!“, „ოთარაანთ ქვრივი“, „მგზავრის წერილები“... ის გაზეთ „ივერიის“ რედაქტორიც იყო.„k'atsia-adamiani?!“, „otaraant kvrivi“, „mgzavris ts'erilebi“... is gazet „iveriis“ redakt'orits iq'o."Is He a Man?!", "Otar's Widow", "Letters of a Traveller"... He was also the editor of the newspaper "Iveria".
Sam
კედელზე რა წერია? „მამული, ენა, სარწმუნოება“.k'edelze ra ts'eria? „mamuli, ena, sarts'munoeba“.What's written on the wall? "Fatherland, language, faith".
Nino
ეს ილიას ცნობილი სიტყვებია. ის ფიქრობდა, რომ ქართველებისთვის ეს სამი რამ ყველაზე მთავარია.es ilias tsnobili sit'q'vebia. is pikrobda, rom kartvelebistvis es sami ram q'velaze mtavaria.Those are Ilia's famous words. He thought these three things mattered most for Georgians.
Sam
როდის გარდაიცვალა?rodis gardaitsvala?When did he die?
Nino
1907 წელს მოკლეს. 1987 წელს ეკლესიამ ის წმინდანად შერაცხა.1907 ts'els mok'les. 1987 ts'els ek'lesiam is ts'mindanad sheratskha.He was killed in 1907. In 1987 the Church canonised him.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| სახლ-მუზეუმი | sakhl-muzeumi | house museum |
| საზოგადო მოღვაწე | sazogado moghvats'e | public figure |
| ერი | eri | nation, people |
| უწოდებენ | uts'odeben | they call (him/her) |
| რედაქტორი | redakt'ori | editor |
| მამული | mamuli | fatherland, homeland |
| სარწმუნოება | sarts'munoeba | faith, religion |
| გარდაიცვალა | gardaitsvala | he/she died (respectful) |
| წმინდანად შერაცხა | ts'mindanad sheratskha | he/she canonised (literally "counted among the saints") |
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
Biography language
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| … წელს დაიბადა.… ts'els daibada. | He was born in … |
| … გარდაიცვალა.… gardaitsvala. | He died … (respectful) |
| … დაწერა.… dats'era. | He wrote … |
| … დააარსა.… daaarsa. | He founded … |
| … ხელმძღვანელობდა.… khelmdzghvanelobda. | He led, he headed … |
| … -ს უწოდებენ.… -s uts'odeben. | They call him … |
გარდაიცვალაgardaitsvala is the respectful "died", used for people; მოკვდაmok'vda is the plain, neutral "died", and მოკლესmok'les means "he was killed" ("they killed him").
Both… and…: -ცts … -ცts
მწერალიც, პოეტიც, ჟურნალისტიც.mts'eralits, p'oet'its, zhurnalist'its.A writer, a poet and a journalist (all of them).
Titles of works
Titles go in quotation marks and decline normally: „ივერიისiveriis“ რედაქტორიredakt'ori (the editor of "Iveria"), „ოთარაანთ ქვრივიotaraant kvrivi“ წავიკითხეts'avik'itkhe (I read "Otar's Widow").
5Good to know
Ilia Chavchavadze (1837–1907) led the Georgian national movement of the 19th century, edited the newspaper "Iveria" and helped found the Society for the Spreading of Literacy among Georgians. He was assassinated in 1907, and the Georgian Orthodox Church canonised him in 1987 as Saint Ilia the Righteous.
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.
- Where was Ilia Chavchavadze born?
- "He was born in 1837" is…
- "People call him the Father of the Nation" is…
- What are Ilia's three famous words?
- "He died" (respectful, of a person) is…
- "He was a writer, a poet and a journalist" is…
- "the editor of the newspaper Iveria" is…
- When did the Church canonise Ilia?
- What is a საზოგადო მოღვაწეsazogado moghvats'e?
- What does მამულიmamuli mean?
Well done! Lesson 195 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 "Ilia was born in Kvareli."
Show the answer
ილია ყვარელში დაიბადა.ilia q'varelshi daibada. - Say "He was a writer and a journalist."
Show the answer
ის მწერალიც იყო და ჟურნალისტიც.is mts'eralits iq'o da zhurnalist'its. - Say "I read 'Otar's Widow'."
Show the answer
„ოთარაანთ ქვრივი“ წავიკითხე.„otaraant kvrivi“ ts'avik'itkhe. - Say "They call him the Father of the Nation."
Show the answer
მას ერის მამას უწოდებენ.mas eris mamas uts'odeben. - Quote Ilia's three words.
Show the answer
მამული, ენა, სარწმუნოებაmamuli, ena, sarts'munoeba
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