Day 12. The Dezerter bazaar
Nino takes me to the big bazaar near the railway station. Mountains of tomatoes, apples, peaches and grapes, and every seller calls out to us at once.
Today: how to say "apples", "friends", "glasses": the plural.
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
Seller
ვაშლები, ატმები, ყურძენი! აქ!vashlebi, at'mebi, q'urdzeni! ak!Apples, peaches, grapes! Over here!
Sam
ვაშლები ძალიან ლამაზია!vashlebi dzalian lamazia!The apples are very beautiful!
Nino
ჰო, და პომიდვრები?ho, da p'omidvrebi?Yeah, and the tomatoes?
Seller
პომიდვრები ძალიან გემრიელია!p'omidvrebi dzalian gemrielia!The tomatoes are very tasty!
Sam
ეს ჩემი მეგობრებია, ნინო და ანა.es chemi megobrebia, nino da ana.These are my friends, Nino and Ana.
Seller
გამარჯობათ, გოგოებო!gamarjobat, gogoebo!Hello, girls!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ბაზარი | bazari | market, bazaar |
| ვაშლი | vashli | apple |
| ატამი | at'ami | peach |
| ყურძენი | q'urdzeni | grapes |
| პომიდორი | p'omidori | tomato |
| კიტრი | k'it'ri | cucumber |
| მსხალი | mskhali | pear |
| გამყიდველი | gamq'idveli | seller |
| მეგობრები | megobrebi | friends |
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
The plural ending -ებიebi
To make a noun plural, take off the final -იi and add -ებიebi:
| one | many |
|---|---|
| სახლიsakhli | სახლებიsakhlebi |
| ვაშლიvashli | ვაშლებიvashlebi |
| ქალაქიkalaki | ქალაქებიkalakebi |
Words that lose their -აa
Nouns ending in -აa lose it before -ებიebi:
| one | many |
|---|---|
| ჭიქაch'ika | ჭიქებიch'ikebi |
| ქუჩაkucha | ქუჩებიkuchebi |
| მაგიდაmagida | მაგიდებიmagidebi |
Words that lose a vowel inside
Some nouns also lose an აa or ეe in their last syllable, when the ending is added. Learn them as you meet them:
| one | many |
|---|---|
| მეგობარიmegobari | მეგობრებიmegobrebi |
| ატამიat'ami | ატმებიat'mebi |
| პომიდორიp'omidori | პომიდვრებიp'omidvrebi |
| მეზობელიmezobeli | მეზობლებიmezoblebi |
| ფანჯარაpanjara | ფანჯრებიpanjrebi |
Words ending in -ოo, -ეe, -უu
These keep their vowel and just add -ებიebi: ფოტოpot'o → ფოტოებიpot'oebi (photos), კაფეk'ape → კაფეებიk'apeebi.
"They are" with things
With a plural subject that is a thing, Georgians often use the singular -აa / არისaris: ვაშლები ლამაზიაvashlebi lamazia, "the apples are beautiful". With people, the plural verb is normal: ისინი სტუდენტები არიანisini st'udent'ebi arian.
5Good to know
Some words are used in the singular for a whole quantity, like English "fruit": ხილიkhili (fruit), ყურძენიq'urdzeni (grapes), ბოსტნეულიbost'neuli (vegetables). ყურძენიq'urdzeni in the singular already means "grapes".
When the seller calls გოგოებოgogoebo! ("girls!"), he uses the plural plus the calling ending -ოo from lesson 13. You will see it again in lesson 55.
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.
- What is the plural of სახლიsakhli?
- What is the plural of ჭიქაch'ika?
- What is the plural of მეგობარიmegobari?
- What is the plural of კაფეk'ape?
- What does ვაშლიvashli mean?
- What is the plural of ატამიat'ami?
- ვაშლები ლამაზიაvashlebi lamazia means…
- What does ყურძენიq'urdzeni mean?
- What does ბაზარიbazari mean?
- What is the plural of ქუჩაkucha?
Well done! Lesson 23 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Make plural: ქალაქიkalaki
Show the answer
ქალაქებიkalakebi - Make plural: მაგიდაmagida
Show the answer
მაგიდებიmagidebi - Make plural: მეზობელიmezobeli
Show the answer
მეზობლებიmezoblebi - Say "These are my friends."
Show the answer
ესენი ჩემი მეგობრები არიან.eseni chemi megobrebi arian. - Say "The tomatoes are very tasty."
Show the answer
პომიდვრები ძალიან გემრიელია.p'omidvrebi dzalian gemrielia.
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