One year later. A supra for my return
One year later, I kept my promise: I'm back in Tbilisi. The table is set in the courtyard, the whole family is here, and Tamar has news for me.
Today: the final review. You made it!
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
გაუმარჯოს სემს, რომელიც, როგორც დაგვპირდა, დაბრუნდა!gaumarjos sems, romelits, rogorts dagvp'irda, dabrunda!To Sam, who came back, just as he promised us!
All
გაუმარჯოს!gaumarjos!Cheers!
Tamar
სემ, გილოცავ! გამოცდა B2 დონეზე ჩააბარე!sem, gilotsav! gamotsda B2 doneze chaabare!Sam, congratulations! You passed the B2 exam!
Sam
გმადლობთ, მასწავლებელო! თქვენ რომ არა, ვერ ჩავაბარებდი.gmadlobt, masts'avlebelo! tkven rom ara, ver chavabarebdi.Thank you, teacher! If it weren't for you, I couldn't have passed it.
Nino
ახლა რა გეგმები გაქვს?akhla ra gegmebi gakvs?What are your plans now?
Sam
ქართულ ლიტერატურას წავიკითხავ, ილიას და დუმბაძეს, ორიგინალში!kartul lit'erat'uras ts'avik'itkhav, ilias da dumbadzes, originalshi!I'm going to read Georgian literature, Ilia and Dumbadze, in the original!
Bebo
და ხაჭაპურის ცხობა ისწავლე?da khach'ap'uris tskhoba ists'avle?And have you learned to bake khachapuri?
Sam
ბებო, შენი რეცეპტით გამოვაცხვე! თითქმის ისეთივე გამოვიდა, როგორიც შენი.bebo, sheni retsep't'it gamovatskhve! titkmis isetive gamovida, rogorits sheni.Bebo, I baked it with your recipe! It came out almost as good as yours.
Giorgi
ალავერდი სემს! ბოლო სადღეგრძელო მისია.alaverdi sems! bolo sadghegrdzelo misia.Over to Sam! The last toast is his.
Sam
გაუმარჯოს ქართულ ენას, ჩემს მეორე ოჯახს და ყველას, ვინც ამ ენას სწავლობს!gaumarjos kartul enas, chems meore ojakhs da q'velas, vints am enas sts'avlobs!To the Georgian language, to my second family, and to everyone who is learning this language!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| დაგვპირდა | dagvp'irda | he/she promised us |
| თქვენ რომ არა | tkven rom ara | if it weren't for you (polite) |
| ჩავაბარებდი | chavabarebdi | I would have passed (an exam) |
| ლიტერატურა | lit'erat'ura | literature |
| ორიგინალში | originalshi | in the original |
| ცხობა | tskhoba | baking |
| გამოვაცხვე | gamovatskhve | I baked |
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
What you can do at B2
| skill | example | lessons |
|---|---|---|
| use all the tenses of a verb | წერს, დაწერა, დაუწერია, დაეწერაts'ers, dats'era, dauts'eria, daets'era | 151–161 |
| say what you should have done | უნდა დამერეკაunda damerek'a | 162 |
| imagine the past | რომ მცოდნოდა, მოვიდოდიrom mtsodnoda, movidodi | 163 |
| use strong negatives | ვერაფერი ვერ გავიგე; ნურავის ნუ ეტყვი!veraperi ver gavige; nuravis nu et'q'vi! | 165 |
| write formally | გთხოვთ, მაცნობოთ…; პატივისცემითgtkhovt, matsnobot…; p'at'ivistsemit | 167, 182 |
| talk about history and culture | თამარ მეფე; ქვევრის ღვინოtamar mepe; kvevris ghvino | 171–180 |
| follow the news, argue, persuade | ცნობით; ერთი მხრივ…; შევთანხმდით!tsnobit; erti mkhriv…; shevtankhmdit! | 181–197 |
| speak to elders respectfully | როგორ ბრძანდებით?; გეახლებითrogor brdzandebit?; geakhlebit | 193 |
If it weren't for…: … რომ არაrom ara
თქვენ რომ არა, ვერ ჩავაბარებდი.tkven rom ara, ver chavabarebdi.If it weren't for you, I couldn't have passed.
შენ რომ არა, აქ არ ვიქნებოდი.shen rom ara, ak ar viknebodi.If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here.
Promising
როგორც დაგვპირდა, დაბრუნდა.rogorts dagvp'irda, dabrunda.As he promised us, he came back.
დაგპირდი, რომ დავბრუნდებოდი.dagp'irdi, rom davbrundebodi.I promised you I'd come back.
5Good to know
After B2, keep going in three directions: read (start with short stories by Nodar Dumbadze), listen (Georgian radio, films and the LIMBA audio course) and speak (find Georgian friends, online or in person). The Ministry of Education's site for Georgian as a foreign language, geofl.ge, also has free materials for every level.
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.
- "To Sam!" (a toast) is…
- "Congratulations! You passed the exam!" is…
- "If it weren't for you, I couldn't have passed" is…
- "as he promised us" is…
- "I'll read Georgian literature in the original" is…
- "It came out almost as good as yours" is…
- "Over to Sam!" (passing the toast) is…
- "…to everyone who is learning this language!" is…
- "I should have called" is…
- "How are you?" (to an elder) is…
- "Apparently a bear had come" is…
- "Don't tell anyone!" is…
- "I'll miss you all" is…
- "in the original" is…
Well done! Lesson 200 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Give a toast to Georgian: "To the Georgian language!"
Show the answer
გაუმარჯოს ქართულ ენას!gaumarjos kartul enas! - Say "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here."
Show the answer
შენ რომ არა, აქ არ ვიქნებოდი.shen rom ara, ak ar viknebodi. - Say "I promised I would come back."
Show the answer
დაგპირდი, რომ დავბრუნდებოდი.dagp'irdi, rom davbrundebodi. - Say "I passed the B2 exam!"
Show the answer
B2 დონის გამოცდა ჩავაბარე!B2 donis gamotsda chavabare! - Say "I'll read Georgian books in the original."
Show the answer
ქართულ წიგნებს ორიგინალში წავიკითხავ.kartul ts'ignebs originalshi ts'avik'itkhav. - Say "Thank you, Georgia!"
Show the answer
მადლობა, საქართველო!madloba, sakartvelo!
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