Day 18. Breakfast, lunch and dinner
In my host family, breakfast is quick, lunch can be late, and dinner is long, very long. Manana asks me what I usually eat in the morning in Canada.
Today: eating, drinking, and the three meals of the day.
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, დილით რას ჭამ?sem, dilit ras ch'am?Sam, what do you eat in the morning?
Sam
პურს და ყველს ვჭამ. და ყავას ვსვამ.p'urs da q'vels vch'am. da q'avas vsvam.I eat bread and cheese. And I drink coffee.
Manana
კვერცხს არ ჭამ?k'vertskhs ar ch'am?Don't you eat eggs?
Sam
ხანდახან. თქვენ როდის სადილობთ?khandakhan. tkven rodis sadilobt?Sometimes. When do you have lunch?
Manana
ჩვენ გვიან ვსადილობთ, ოთხ საათზე.chven gvian vsadilobt, otkh saatze.We have lunch late, at four o'clock.
Sam
და ვახშამი?da vakhshami?And dinner?
Manana
ვახშამი? ძალიან გვიან! ცხრა საათზე.vakhshami? dzalian gvian! tskhra saatze.Dinner? Very late! At nine o'clock.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ვჭამ | vch'am | I eat |
| ვსვამ | vsvam | I drink |
| საუზმე | sauzme | breakfast |
| სადილი | sadili | lunch, main meal |
| ვახშამი | vakhshami | dinner, supper |
| ვსაუზმობ | vsauzmob | I have breakfast |
| ვსადილობ | vsadilob | I have lunch |
| ვვახშმობ | vvakhshmob | I have dinner |
| კვერცხი | k'vertskhi | egg |
| ხორცი | khortsi | meat |
| თევზი | tevzi | fish |
| დილით | dilit | in the morning |
| როდის? | rodis? | when? |
| გვიან | gvian | late |
| ხანდახან | khandakhan | sometimes |
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
Eat and drink
| person | eat | drink |
|---|---|---|
| მეme | ვჭამvch'am | ვსვამvsvam |
| შენshen | ჭამch'am | სვამsvam |
| ისis | ჭამსch'ams | სვამსsvams |
| ჩვენchven | ვჭამთvch'amt | ვსვამთvsvamt |
| თქვენtkven | ჭამთch'amt | სვამთsvamt |
| ისინიisini | ჭამენch'amen | სვამენsvamen |
Like the verbs of lesson 34, they take an object in -სs: პურს ვჭამp'urs vch'am, ყავას ვსვამq'avas vsvam, წყალს სვამსts'q'als svams.
A meal is also a verb
Georgian has a verb for each meal, built with -ობob like ვმუშაობvmushaob. They take no object:
| meal | verb |
|---|---|
| საუზმეsauzme breakfast | ვსაუზმობvsauzmob I have breakfast |
| სადილიsadili lunch | ვსადილობvsadilob I have lunch |
| ვახშამიvakhshami dinner | ვვახშმობvvakhshmob I have dinner |
რვა საათზე ვსაუზმობთ.rva saatze vsauzmobt.eight hour-at we-breakfastWe have breakfast at eight.
Notice ვვახშმობvvakhshmob: the ვv- of "I" plus the ვv of ვახშამიvakhshami, and the stem loses its აa.
When? როდისrodis?
როდისrodis? asks "when?". Answers: დილითdilit (in the morning), გვიანgvian (late), ხანდახანkhandakhan (sometimes), or an hour: ოთხ საათზეotkh saatze (at four o'clock). Telling the time comes in lesson 42.
5Good to know
In Georgia, სადილიsadili is the main meal of the day and is often eaten in the afternoon, and a family dinner can start very late in the evening. Ask your host family about their own times: every home has its own rhythm.
A Georgian breakfast often means bread, cheese, maybe eggs, and tea or coffee. მაწონიmats'oni, a thick Georgian yogurt, is also popular.
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.
- "I eat bread" is…
- "She drinks water" is…
- "We drink coffee" is…
- What does ვსადილობvsadilob mean?
- What does ვახშამიvakhshami mean?
- How do you ask "When do you have breakfast?"
- ჩვენ გვიან ვსადილობთchven gvian vsadilobt means…
- What does ხანდახანkhandakhan mean?
- "I have dinner" is…
- Which word means "fish"?
Well done! Lesson 35 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 "I drink tea in the morning."
Show the answer
დილით ჩაის ვსვამ.dilit chais vsvam. - Say "I don't eat meat."
Show the answer
ხორცს არ ვჭამ.khortss ar vch'am. - Ask a friend "What do you eat for breakfast?"
Show the answer
საუზმეზე რას ჭამ?sauzmeze ras ch'am? - Say "We have dinner late."
Show the answer
გვიან ვვახშმობთ.gvian vvakhshmobt. - Ask politely "When do you have lunch?"
Show the answer
როდის სადილობთ?rodis sadilobt?
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
Unit 4: Everyday actions in the present A1
- 31I live, I work: ვცხოვრობvtskhovrob, ვმუშაობvmushaob
- 32In, on, at: -შიshi, -ზეze, -თანtan
- 33I study, I speak: ქართულადkartulad
- 34I write a letter: the object in -სs
- 35Eating and drinking: ვჭამvch'am, ვსვამvsvam
- 36I want: მინდაminda
- 37I like, I love: მომწონსmomts'ons, მიყვარსmiq'vars
- 38Going and coming: მივდივარmivdivar, მოვდივარmovdivar
- 39I know, I understand: ვიციvitsi, მესმისmesmis
- 40Review: a day in Tbilisi