Day 14. Giorgi's birthday
Today is Giorgi's birthday. There is a cake with candles on the table, and the whole family sings. Bebo pretends she cannot remember how old he is.
Today: how to ask and give someone's age.
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.
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1Sam’s diary
2Dialogue
Bebo
გიორგი, რამდენი წლის ხარ?giorgi, ramdeni ts'lis khar?Giorgi, how old are you?
Giorgi
ბებო! ცხრამეტი წლის ვარ.bebo! tskhramet'i ts'lis var.Grandma! I'm nineteen.
Bebo
ცხრამეტი! და შენ, სემ?tskhramet'i! da shen, sem?Nineteen! And you, Sam?
Sam
მე ოცდახუთი წლის ვარ.me otsdakhuti ts'lis var.I'm twenty-five.
Giorgi
ბებო, შენ რამდენი წლის ხარ?bebo, shen ramdeni ts'lis khar?Grandma, how old are you?
Bebo
ეს საიდუმლოა!es saidumloa!That's a secret!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| წელი | ts'eli | year |
| რამდენი წლის? | ramdeni ts'lis? | how old? (literally "of how many years?") |
| დაბადების დღე | dabadebis dghe | birthday |
| ტორტი | t'ort'i | cake |
| სანთელი | santeli | candle |
| საიდუმლო | saidumlo | secret |
| ახალგაზრდა | akhalgazrda | young |
| გილოცავ! | gilotsav! | congratulations! (to a friend) |
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
Of how many years?
In Georgian you do not say "I am 25 years old" but "I am of 25 years". The word for year, წელიts'eli, takes the form წლისts'lis, "of a year":
რამდენი წლის ხარ?ramdeni ts'lis khar?how-many of-year you-areHow old are you?
ოცდახუთი წლის ვარ.otsdakhuti ts'lis var.twenty-five of-year I-amI'm twenty-five.
ის ცხრამეტი წლისაა.is tskhramet'i ts'lisaa.he nineteen of-year-isHe is nineteen.
The number keeps its normal form and წლისts'lis stays the same for every age: ერთი წლისerti ts'lis, ოცი წლისotsi ts'lis, ოთხმოცდაათი წლისotkhmotsdaati ts'lis.
Polite form
To an older person, as always, use ხართkhart: რამდენი წლის ხართramdeni ts'lis khart? But it is better not to ask an older lady at all, as Bebo makes clear.
Happy birthday
The traditional wish is გილოცავ დაბადების დღესgilotsav dabadebis dghes!, "I congratulate you on your birthday!". გილოცავgilotsav on its own means "congratulations!"; politely or to several people: გილოცავთgilotsavt! You will learn more wishes in lesson 109.
5Good to know
The form წლისts'lis is the genitive, the "of" form of nouns, which you will learn properly in lesson 51. For now, just remember the age pattern: number + წლისts'lis + ვარvar / ხარkhar / არისaris.
Birthdays in Georgia are celebrated with a big table, and the person whose birthday it is can expect long toasts in his or her honour.
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 do you ask a friend "How old are you?"
- How do you say "I'm twenty"?
- ის ცხრამეტი წლისააis tskhramet'i ts'lisaa means…
- What does დაბადების დღეdabadebis dghe mean?
- How do you wish a friend "Happy birthday!"?
- What does ტორტიt'ort'i mean?
- How do you ask an older man his age, politely?
- What does ახალგაზრდაakhalgazrda mean?
- How do you say "I'm thirty-two"?
- ეს საიდუმლოაes saidumloa! means…
Well done! Lesson 28 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 a friend how old he is.
Show the answer
რამდენი წლის ხარ?ramdeni ts'lis khar? - Say "I'm eighteen."
Show the answer
თვრამეტი წლის ვარ.tvramet'i ts'lis var. - Say "My sister is twenty-one."
Show the answer
ჩემი და ოცდაერთი წლისაა.chemi da otsdaerti ts'lisaa. - Wish your friend a happy birthday.
Show the answer
გილოცავ დაბადების დღეს!gilotsav dabadebis dghes! - Ask an older lady her age, politely (if you dare!).
Show the answer
რამდენი წლის ხართ?ramdeni ts'lis khart?
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