Lesson 39: I know, I understand: ვიცი, მესმის

LIMBA audio course · Georgian

Hear it, then say it: learn to speak Georgian

37 audio lessons
about 13 minutes each
explained in simple English

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1Sam’s diary

არ მესმისar mesmis

Day 20. At the pharmacy

At the pharmacy, the pharmacist explains how to take my medicine. She speaks fast and kindly, and I understand absolutely nothing.

Today: the two verbs that will save you in every difficult conversation.

2Dialogue

Pharmacistეს დილით და საღამოს, ჭამის შემდეგ.es dilit da saghamos, ch'amis shemdeg.This one in the morning and in the evening, after meals.
Samბოდიში, არ მესმის. ნელა, თუ შეიძლება.bodishi, ar mesmis. nela, tu sheidzleba.Sorry, I don't understand. Slowly, please.
Pharmacistდილით... და... საღამოს. გესმით?dilit... da... saghamos. gesmit?In the morning... and... in the evening. Do you understand?
Samდიახ, ახლა მესმის! „ჭამის შემდეგ“ რას ნიშნავს?diakh, akhla mesmis! „ch'amis shemdeg“ ras nishnavs?Yes, now I understand! What does "ch'amis shemdeg" mean?
Pharmacistჭამა, საჭმელი... მერე!ch'ama, sach'meli... mere!Eating, food... afterwards!
Samა, ვიცი! გმადლობთ!a, vitsi! gmadlobt!Ah, I know! Thank you!

3New words

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
იცი	itsi	you know
იცის	itsis	he, she knows
მესმის	mesmis	I understand; I hear
გესმის	gesmis	you understand
ესმის	esmis	he, she understands
საღამოს	saghamos	in the evening
ჭამის შემდეგ	ch'amis shemdeg	after eating, after meals
საჭმელი	sach'meli	food
მერე	mere	then, afterwards
წამალი	ts'amali	medicine

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

I know: ვიციvitsi

person	know
მეme	ვიციvitsi
შენshen	იციitsi
მანman	იცისitsis
ჩვენchven	ვიცითvitsit
თქვენtkven	იცითitsit
მათmat	იციანitsian

ვიციvitsi has ვv- for "I", like an ordinary verb, and its object stays in the basic form: ქართული ვიციkartuli vitsi, "I know Georgian", ეს ვიციes vitsi, "I know that". But it is a special verb: in the third person the one who knows takes -მაma / -მm, even in the present. That is why the table says მან იცისman itsis (he, she knows) and მათ იციანmat itsian (they know), and why Georgians say ნინომ იცისninom itsis (Nino knows). You will learn this ending in lesson 81; for now, just remember these forms.

I understand: მესმისmesmis

მესმისmesmis works like მინდაminda: the person is shown at the start of the verb (მm- me, გg- you), and the thing understood is the subject.

person	understand, hear
I	მესმისmesmis
you (friend)	გესმისgesmis
he, she	ესმისesmis
we	გვესმისgvesmis
you (polite, plural)	გესმითgesmit
they	ესმითesmit

არ მესმის.ar mesmis.not to-me-is-heardI don't understand.

ქართული ესმის.kartuli esmis.Georgian to-him-is-understoodHe understands Georgian.

მესმისmesmis also means "I hear": არ მესმისar mesmis can mean "I can't hear you" on the phone.

Phrases that save you

situation	Georgian
you don't understand	არ მესმის.ar mesmis.
ask to slow down	ნელა, თუ შეიძლება.nela, tu sheidzleba.
ask for repetition	კიდევ ერთხელ, თუ შეიძლება.k'idev ertkhel, tu sheidzleba.
ask a meaning	რას ნიშნავს...?ras nishnavs...?
you don't know	არ ვიცი.ar vitsi.

5Good to know

Another very common way to say "I understood / I didn't catch it" is გავიგეgavige / ვერ გავიგეver gavige. It is a past form, which you will learn later: for now, keep it as a ready-made phrase. ვერ გავიგეver gavige, კიდევ ერთხელk'idev ertkhel? "I didn't catch it, once more?"

ჭამის შემდეგch'amis shemdeg ("after eating") is a time expression with შემდეგshemdeg (after). You will learn this pattern in lesson 53.

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 know" is…
"She knows Georgian" is…
"I don't understand" is…
How do you ask a friend "Do you understand?"
Polite: "Do you understand?"
"We know" is…
On the phone you can't hear. You say…
How do you ask what a word means?
What does წამალიts'amali mean?
"They know" is…

Well done! Lesson 39 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 "Sorry, I don't understand."
Show the answer
ბოდიში, არ მესმის.bodishi, ar mesmis.
Ask "Slowly, please."
Show the answer
ნელა, თუ შეიძლება.nela, tu sheidzleba.
Ask "What does 'tsamali' mean?"
Show the answer
„წამალი“ რას ნიშნავს?„ts'amali“ ras nishnavs?
Say "I know a little Georgian."
Show the answer
ქართული ცოტა ვიცი.kartuli tsot'a vitsi.
Ask a friend "Do you understand?"
Show the answer
გესმის?gesmis?

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Speak Georgian with the 37 LIMBA audio lessons

37 audio lessons
about 13 minutes each
explained in simple English

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