Month 30. The carpet seller
At the Dry Bridge market, I fall in love with an old carpet. The seller is a master of persuasion, and I am a beginner at bargaining. Nino watches with a smile.
Today: persuading and bargaining.
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
ეს ხალიჩა რა ღირს?es khalicha ra ghirs?How much is this carpet?
Seller
ეს ხელნაკეთი ხალიჩაა, ასი წლისაა! ძვირია, მაგრამ ღირს.es khelnak'eti khalichaa, asi ts'lisaa! dzviria, magram ghirs.It's a handmade carpet, a hundred years old! It's expensive, but it's worth it.
Sam
ძალიან ლამაზია, მაგრამ ჩემთვის ძვირია. ბოლო ფასი?dzalian lamazia, magram chemtvis dzviria. bolo pasi?It's very beautiful, but it's too expensive for me. What's your last price?
Seller
დამიჯერეთ, ასეთს ვერსად იპოვით. თქვენთვის ცოტას დავაკლებთ.damijeret, asets versad ip'ovit. tkventvis tsot'as davak'lebt.Believe me, you won't find one like this anywhere. For you, we'll take a little off.
Sam
კიდევ ცოტა დამიკელით, თუ შეიძლება. ორ ხალიჩას ვიყიდი!k'idev tsot'a damik'elit, tu sheidzleba. or khalichas viq'idi!Take a bit more off, please. I'll buy two carpets!
Seller
ორს? მაშინ ფასდაკლებას გაგიკეთებთ. შევთანხმდით?ors? mashin pasdak'lebas gagik'etebt. shevtankhmdit?Two? Then I'll give you a discount. Deal?
Sam
შევთანხმდით! ... ნინო, ხომ კარგად ვივაჭრე?shevtankhmdit! ... nino, khom k'argad vivach're?Deal! ... Nino, I bargained well, didn't I?
Nino
საოცრად! გამყიდველიც კმაყოფილია და შენც.saotsrad! gamq'idvelits k'maq'opilia da shents.Amazingly! The seller is happy, and so are you.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ბოლო ფასი | bolo pasi | last price, best price |
| დამიჯერეთ | damijeret | believe me (polite) |
| ვერსად იპოვით | versad ip'ovit | you won't find (it) anywhere |
| დავაკლებთ | davak'lebt | we'll take off (the price) |
| დამიკელით! | damik'elit! | take (something) off the price for me! (polite) |
| ფასდაკლება | pasdak'leba | discount |
| შევთანხმდით! | shevtankhmdit! | deal! (literally "we've agreed") |
| ვივაჭრე | vivach're | I bargained |
| კმაყოფილი | k'maq'opili | satisfied, happy |
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
Bargaining phrases
| buyer | seller |
|---|---|
| რა ღირსra ghirs? (How much is it?) | ძვირიაdzviria, მაგრამ ღირსmagram ghirs. (It's expensive, but it's worth it.) |
| ჩემთვის ძვირიაchemtvis dzviria. (It's too expensive for me.) | დამიჯერეთdamijeret… (Believe me…) |
| ბოლო ფასიbolo pasi? (Your last price?) | ცოტას დავაკლებთtsot'as davak'lebt. (We'll take a little off.) |
| დამიკელითdamik'elit! (Take something off for me!) | ფასდაკლებას გაგიკეთებთpasdak'lebas gagik'etebt. (I'll give you a discount.) |
| შევთანხმდითshevtankhmdit! (Deal!) | შევთანხმდით!shevtankhmdit! |
Two meanings of ღირსghirs
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| რა ღირს?ra ghirs? | What does it cost? |
| ღირს!ghirs! | It's worth it! |
| არ ღირს.ar ghirs. | It's not worth it. |
Persuading with strong negatives (lesson 165)
ასეთს ვერსად იპოვით.asets versad ip'ovit.You won't find one like this anywhere.
ვერავინ ვერ მოგცემთ ამ ფასად.veravin ver mogtsemt am pasad.Nobody can give it to you at this price.
5Good to know
Bargaining is normal at markets like the Dry Bridge flea market or Tbilisi's bazaars, but not in shops with fixed prices. Smile, take your time, and say შევთანხმდითshevtankhmdit! to close the deal.
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 much is it?" is…
- "It's expensive, but it's worth it" is…
- "Your last price?" is…
- "Take a bit more off for me, please!" (polite) is…
- "You won't find one like this anywhere" is…
- "Deal!" is…
- "I'll give you a discount" (polite) is…
- "It's not worth it" is…
- "The seller is happy, and so are you" is…
- What is a ფასდაკლებაpasdak'leba?
Well done! Lesson 197 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Ask "How much is this?"
Show the answer
ეს რა ღირს?es ra ghirs? - Say "It's too expensive for me."
Show the answer
ჩემთვის ძვირია.chemtvis dzviria. - Ask for the last price.
Show the answer
ბოლო ფასი?bolo pasi? - Ask politely for a discount.
Show the answer
ცოტა დამიკელით, თუ შეიძლება.tsot'a damik'elit, tu sheidzleba. - Close the deal.
Show the answer
შევთანხმდით!shevtankhmdit!
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