Month 30. Leaving from Tbilisi airport
Tbilisi airport, five in the morning. The whole family has come to see me off, and nobody wants to say the last word.
Today: goodbyes, thanks and promises.
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
Manana
სემ, შვილო, ყველაფერი ჩაალაგე? პასპორტი, ბილეთი?sem, shvilo, q'velaperi chaalage? p'asp'ort'i, bileti?Sam, dear, have you packed everything? Passport, ticket?
Sam
კი, ყველაფერი. ჩემოდანში ჩურჩხელაც კი ჩავდე!k'i, q'velaperi. chemodanshi churchkhelats k'i chavde!Yes, everything. I even put churchkhela in my suitcase!
Bebo
აჰა, ეს შენთვისაა: ჩემი ხაჭაპურის რეცეპტი. არავის არ აჩვენო!aha, es shentvisaa: chemi khach'ap'uris retsep't'i. aravis ar achveno!Here, this is for you: my khachapuri recipe. Don't show it to anyone!
Sam
ბებო, ეს ყველაზე ძვირფასი საჩუქარია! ყველას ყველაფრისთვის მადლობა. თქვენ ჩემი მეორე ოჯახი ხართ.bebo, es q'velaze dzvirpasi sachukaria! q'velas q'velapristvis madloba. tkven chemi meore ojakhi khart.Bebo, this is the most precious present! Thank you all for everything. You are my second family.
Nino
ხშირად მოგვწერე და არ დამივიწყო!khshirad mogvts'ere da ar damivits'q'o!Write to us often, and don't forget me!
Giorgi
ძმაო, კანადაში რაგბის გუნდი მოძებნე!dzmao, k'anadashi ragbis gundi modzebne!Bro, find a rugby team in Canada!
Levan
გზა მშვიდობისა, სემ! კარგად იმგზავრე!gza mshvidobisa, sem! k'argad imgzavre!Have a safe journey, Sam! Travel well!
Sam
ძალიან მომენატრებით. ნახვამდის! აუცილებლად დავბრუნდები!dzalian momenat'rebit. nakhvamdis! autsileblad davbrundebi!I'll miss you all very much. Goodbye! I'll definitely come back!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ჩაალაგე? | chaalage? | have you packed? |
| ჩავდე | chavde | I put (it) in |
| ძვირფასი | dzvirpasi | precious, dear |
| ყველაფრისთვის მადლობა | q'velapristvis madloba | thank you for everything |
| მოგვწერე! | mogvts'ere! | write to us! |
| არ დამივიწყო! | ar damivits'q'o! | don't forget me! |
| გზა მშვიდობისა! | gza mshvidobisa! | have a safe journey! (literally "a road of peace") |
| იმგზავრე! | imgzavre! | travel! (have a good trip) |
| მომენატრებით | momenat'rebit | I'll miss you (all) |
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
Saying goodbye
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| ნახვამდის!nakhvamdis! | Goodbye! (until we see each other) |
| კარგად იყავით!k'argad iq'avit! | Take care! |
| გზა მშვიდობისა!gza mshvidobisa! | Have a safe journey! |
| ბედნიერ მგზავრობას გისურვებ!bednier mgzavrobas gisurveb! | I wish you a good trip! |
| მალე შევხვდებით!male shevkhvdebit! | See you soon! |
| მომენატრებით!momenat'rebit! | I'll miss you (all)! |
Thanks and promises
| Georgian | English |
|---|---|
| ყველაფრისთვის მადლობა.q'velapristvis madloba. | Thank you for everything. |
| აუცილებლად დავბრუნდები!autsileblad davbrundebi! | I'll definitely come back! |
| მოგწერთ, დაგირეკავთ.mogts'ert, dagirek'avt. | I'll write to you, I'll call you. |
| არ დამივიწყო!ar damivits'q'o! | Don't forget me! |
Who misses whom? (lesson 154)
მომენატრებითmomenat'rebit = "you (all) will be missed by me": მm- is the one who misses, and the ending shows the people missed (you all). To one person: მომენატრებიmomenat'rebi ("I'll miss you").
5Good to know
გზა მშვიდობისაgza mshvidobisa! ("may your road be one of peace") is the traditional wish for travellers. Many Georgians also add ღმერთმა შეგეწიოსghmertma shegets'ios! ("God help you").
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.
- "Have a safe journey!" is…
- "Have you packed everything?" is…
- "Thank you for everything" is…
- "Don't forget me!" is…
- "Write to us!" is…
- "I'll miss you (all)" is…
- "I'll definitely come back!" is…
- "Don't show it to anyone!" is…
- "You are my second family" is…
- What does ძვირფასიdzvirpasi mean?
Well done! Lesson 199 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 "Goodbye! Take care!" (to several people)
Show the answer
ნახვამდის! კარგად იყავით!nakhvamdis! k'argad iq'avit! - Say "Thank you for everything."
Show the answer
ყველაფრისთვის მადლობა.q'velapristvis madloba. - Say "I'll miss you all."
Show the answer
მომენატრებით.momenat'rebit. - Wish a traveller a safe journey.
Show the answer
გზა მშვიდობისა!gza mshvidobisa! - Promise: "I'll come back next year."
Show the answer
მომავალ წელს დავბრუნდები.momaval ts'els davbrundebi.
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