Month 30. The road to Svaneti
My time in Georgia is coming to an end. Giorgi spreads a map on the table: before I leave, we're going to do one last great trip, together.
Today: planning a journey across Georgia.
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
Giorgi
სემ, სანამ კანადაში დაბრუნდები, ერთი დიდი მოგზაურობა მოვაწყოთ!sem, sanam k'anadashi dabrundebi, erti didi mogzauroba movats'q'ot!Sam, before you go back to Canada, let's organise one big trip!
Nino
სვანეთში წავიდეთ! ზაფხულში იქ ყველაზე ლამაზია.svanetshi ts'avidet! zapkhulshi ik q'velaze lamazia.Let's go to Svaneti! It's at its most beautiful in summer.
Sam
როგორ წავიდეთ? მატარებლით?rogor ts'avidet? mat'areblit?How shall we go? By train?
Giorgi
ჯერ მატარებლით ზუგდიდში ჩავიდეთ, მერე მარშრუტკით მესტიაში ავიდეთ. გზა მთებში მიდის.jer mat'areblit zugdidshi chavidet, mere marshrut'k'it mest'iashi avidet. gza mtebshi midis.First let's take the train to Zugdidi, then go up to Mestia by minibus. The road winds through the mountains.
Nino
მესტიაში ორი ღამე დავრჩეთ, მერე უშგულში ავიდეთ.mest'iashi ori ghame davrchet, mere ushgulshi avidet.Let's stay two nights in Mestia, then go up to Ushguli.
Sam
სასტუმრო წინასწარ დავჯავშნოთ?sast'umro ts'inasts'ar davjavshnot?Shall we book a place in advance?
Giorgi
კი, საოჯახო სასტუმროში. და თბილი ტანსაცმელი წაიღეთ: მთაში ღამით ცივა!k'i, saojakho sast'umroshi. da tbili t'ansatsmeli ts'aighet: mtashi ghamit tsiva!Yes, in a family guesthouse. And bring warm clothes: it's cold in the mountains at night!
Sam
მაშ, გადაწყვეტილია: სვანეთში მივდივართ!mash, gadats'q'vet'ilia: svanetshi mivdivart!So it's decided: we're going to Svaneti!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მოვაწყოთ | movats'q'ot | let's organise |
| მოგზაურობა | mogzauroba | trip, journey |
| დავრჩეთ | davrchet | let's stay |
| დავჯავშნოთ | davjavshnot | let's book, let's reserve |
| ტანსაცმელი | t'ansatsmeli | clothes |
| წაიღეთ! | ts'aighet! | take (it) with you! (to several people) |
| გადაწყვეტილია | gadats'q'vet'ilia | it's decided |
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
Planning with "let's": the optative "we"
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| წავიდეთ!ts'avidet! | Let's go! |
| ჩავიდეთ! / ავიდეთ!chavidet! / avidet! | Let's go down! / Let's go up! |
| დავრჩეთ!davrchet! | Let's stay! |
| დავჯავშნოთ!davjavshnot! | Let's book! |
| მოვაწყოთ!movats'q'ot! | Let's organise! |
Transport and time
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| მატარებლით / მარშრუტკით / მანქანითmat'areblit / marshrut'k'it / mankanit | by train / by minibus / by car |
| ფეხითpekhit | on foot |
| ორი ღამე დავრჩეთ.ori ghame davrchet. | Let's stay two nights. (duration: nominative) |
| ორ საათში მივალთ.or saatshi mivalt. | We'll get there in two hours. |
Before you leave: სანამsanam + future
სანამ კანადაში დაბრუნდები, …sanam k'anadashi dabrundebi, …before you go back to Canada, … (lesson 113)
It's decided: participle + არისaris
გადაწყვეტილია.gadats'q'vet'ilia.It's decided.
ოთახი დაჯავშნილია.otakhi dajavshnilia.The room is booked.
5Good to know
A classic way to Svaneti: the train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi in Samegrelo, then a მარშრუტკაmarshrut'k'a up the Enguri valley to Mestia. From Mestia, a mountain road leads to Ushguli, at the foot of Shkhara (lesson 128).
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.
- "Let's go to Svaneti!" is…
- "by train" is…
- "Let's stay two nights" is…
- "Shall we book in advance?" is…
- "Before you go back to Canada, …" is…
- "Bring warm clothes!" (to several people) is…
- "It's decided" is…
- "The room is booked" is…
- What is a მარშრუტკაmarshrut'k'a?
- "We'll get there in two hours" is…
Well done! Lesson 198 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 "Let's go to Batumi by train!"
Show the answer
ბათუმში მატარებლით წავიდეთ!batumshi mat'areblit ts'avidet! - Say "Let's stay three nights."
Show the answer
სამი ღამე დავრჩეთ.sami ghame davrchet. - Say "The room is booked."
Show the answer
ოთახი დაჯავშნილია.otakhi dajavshnilia. - Say "Before I leave, I'll call you."
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სანამ წავალ, დაგირეკავ.sanam ts'aval, dagirek'av. - Say "So it's decided!"
Show the answer
მაშ, გადაწყვეტილია!mash, gadats'q'vet'ilia!
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