Day 19. Running into Nino in the street
On the way back from class I run into Nino at the corner. She is in a hurry, with a big bag. We have exactly one minute to talk.
Today: going (away) and coming (here). Georgian uses two different verbs.
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
Sam
ნინო! სად მიდიხარ?nino! sad midikhar?Nino! Where are you going?
Nino
სკოლაში მივდივარ. შენ საიდან მოდიხარ?sk'olashi mivdivar. shen saidan modikhar?I'm going to school. Where are you coming from?
Sam
გაკვეთილიდან მოვდივარ. ახლა სახლში მივდივარ.gak'vetilidan movdivar. akhla sakhlshi mivdivar.I'm coming from my lesson. Now I'm going home.
Nino
ბებო სახლშია. ის ხინკალს აკეთებს!bebo sakhlshia. is khink'als ak'etebs!Grandma is at home. She's making khinkali!
Sam
მაშინ ჩქარა მივდივარ!mashin chkara mivdivar!Then I'm going fast!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მივდივარ | mivdivar | I'm going (there) |
| მიდიხარ | midikhar | you're going |
| მიდის | midis | he, she is going |
| მოვდივარ | movdivar | I'm coming (here) |
| მოდიხარ | modikhar | you're coming |
| მოდის | modis | he, she is coming |
| დავდივარ | davdivar | I go (regularly), I attend |
| მაშინ | mashin | then, in that case |
| ჩქარა | chkara | fast, quickly |
| ხვალ | khval | tomorrow |
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
Going there, coming here
Georgian distinguishes the direction: მიmi- is movement away from the speaker ("there"), მოmo- is movement towards the speaker ("here").
| person | going (there) | coming (here) |
|---|---|---|
| მეme | მივდივარmivdivar | მოვდივარmovdivar |
| შენshen | მიდიხარmidikhar | მოდიხარmodikhar |
| ისis | მიდისmidis | მოდისmodis |
| ჩვენchven | მივდივართmivdivart | მოვდივართmovdivart |
| თქვენtkven | მიდიხართmidikhart | მოდიხართmodikhart |
| ისინიisini | მიდიანmidian | მოდიანmodian |
Look: the endings of მივდივარmivdivar, მიდიხარmidikhar are close to ვარvar, ხარkhar.
To a place: -შიshi
With these verbs, -შიshi means "to": სკოლაში მივდივარsk'olashi mivdivar, "I'm going to school". სახლში მივდივარsakhlshi mivdivar, "I'm going home".
From a place: -დანdan / -იდანidan
"From" is the ending you know from lesson 14: გაკვეთილიდან მოვდივარgak'vetilidan movdivar, "I'm coming from the lesson".
სად მიდიხარ?sad midikhar?where you-goWhere are you going?
საიდან მოდიხარ?saidan modikhar?from-where you-comeWhere are you coming from?
Regularly: დავდივარdavdivar
დავდივარdavdivar means "I go (regularly), I attend": სკოლაში დავდივარsk'olashi davdivar, "I go to school (as a pupil)". კურსებზე დავდივარk'ursebze davdivar, "I attend courses".
5Good to know
On the phone, Georgians say მოვდივარmovdivar! "I'm coming!" to mean "I'm on my way" to the person they are talking to, since they come towards them.
მიmi- and მოmo- are preverbs, little prefixes that give a direction. Georgian has many more of them: up, down, in, out, across. You will learn them in lesson 65.
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 "Where are you going?"
- "I'm coming from school" is…
- "I'm going home" is…
- Which prefix means movement towards the speaker?
- "She is coming" is…
- "They are going to Batumi" is…
- On the phone you want to say "I'm on my way (to you)". You say…
- What does დავდივარdavdivar express?
- მაშინmashin means…
- "We're coming" is…
Well done! Lesson 38 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 "Where are you going?"
Show the answer
სად მიდიხარ?sad midikhar? - Say "I'm going to the market."
Show the answer
ბაზარში მივდივარ.bazarshi mivdivar. - Say "I'm coming from work."
Show the answer
სამსახურიდან მოვდივარ.samsakhuridan movdivar. - Ask politely "Where are you coming from?"
Show the answer
საიდან მოდიხართ?saidan modikhart? - Say "Tomorrow we're going to Mtskheta." (Mtskheta = მცხეთაmtskheta)
Show the answer
ხვალ მცხეთაში მივდივართ.khval mtskhetashi mivdivart.
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