Day 20. My diary page
Twenty days in Georgia. Tonight I write my diary in Georgian for the first time: one page, only present-tense verbs, and only words I really know.
This review lesson puts together all the verbs of unit 4.
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
თბილისში ვცხოვრობ, ქართულ ოჯახში.tbilisshi vtskhovrob, kartul ojakhshi.I live in Tbilisi, in a Georgian family.
Sam
დილით ვსაუზმობ: პურს, ყველს ვჭამ და ყავას ვსვამ.dilit vsauzmob: p'urs, q'vels vch'am da q'avas vsvam.In the morning I have breakfast: I eat bread and cheese, and I drink coffee.
Sam
მერე სკოლაში მივდივარ. ქართულს ვსწავლობ.mere sk'olashi mivdivar. kartuls vsts'avlob.Then I go to school. I'm learning Georgian.
Sam
მასწავლებელი ქართულად ლაპარაკობს. ყველაფერი არ მესმის, მაგრამ ბევრი ვიცი!masts'avlebeli kartulad lap'arak'obs. q'velaperi ar mesmis, magram bevri vitsi!The teacher speaks Georgian. I don't understand everything, but I know a lot!
Sam
საღამოს სახლში მოვდივარ. ნინო გაკვეთილს ამზადებს, გიორგი წიგნს კითხულობს.saghamos sakhlshi movdivar. nino gak'vetils amzadebs, giorgi ts'igns k'itkhulobs.In the evening I come home. Nino prepares a lesson, Giorgi reads a book.
Sam
ხინკალი მიყვარს, ქართული სიმღერები მომწონს. დღეს კარგი დღეა!khink'ali miq'vars, kartuli simgherebi momts'ons. dghes k'argi dghea!I love khinkali, I like Georgian songs. Today is a good day!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| დღიური | dghiuri | diary |
| ყოველდღე | q'oveldghe | every day |
| ჩვეულებრივ | chveulebriv | usually |
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
Two families of verbs
Unit 4 showed you two kinds of verbs. In the first kind, the person is shown by ვv- and -სs, -თt, -ენen, and the doer is in the basic form:
| verb | I | he, she |
|---|---|---|
| live | ვცხოვრობvtskhovrob | ცხოვრობსtskhovrobs |
| work | ვმუშაობvmushaob | მუშაობსmushaobs |
| study | ვსწავლობvsts'avlob | სწავლობსsts'avlobs |
| write | ვწერvts'er | წერსts'ers |
| eat | ვჭამvch'am | ჭამსch'ams |
| drink | ვსვამvsvam | სვამსsvams |
| go | მივდივარmivdivar | მიდისmidis |
| know | ვიციvitsi | იცისitsis |
In the second kind, the person is shown by მm- / გg- / გვgv- at the start ("to me, to you"), and the thing is the subject:
| verb | to me | to you | to him, her |
|---|---|---|---|
| want | მინდაminda | გინდაginda | უნდაunda |
| like | მომწონსmomts'ons | მოგწონსmogts'ons | მოსწონსmosts'ons |
| love | მიყვარსmiq'vars | გიყვარსgiq'vars | უყვარსuq'vars |
| understand | მესმისmesmis | გესმისgesmis | ესმისesmis |
| have (thing) | მაქვსmakvs | გაქვსgakvs | აქვსakvs |
The object: with or without -სs?
| first kind: object in -სs | second kind: thing in basic form |
|---|---|
| ყავას ვსვამq'avas vsvam | ყავა მინდაq'ava minda |
| ხინკალს ვჭამkhink'als vch'am | ხინკალი მიყვარსkhink'ali miq'vars |
Usually, every day
ჩვეულებრივchveulebriv (usually) and ყოველდღეq'oveldghe (every day) go well with the present: ყოველდღე ქართულს ვსწავლობq'oveldghe kartuls vsts'avlob, "I study Georgian every day".
5Good to know
Writing a short diary in Georgian, even three sentences a day, is one of the best exercises at this stage. Use only words you know, and read it aloud: you are training both your memory and your pronunciation.
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 live in Tbilisi" is…
- "He works in a bank" is…
- "I'm reading a book" is…
- "I want coffee" is…
- "I love Georgia" is…
- "Where are you going?" is…
- "I'm coming from school" is…
- "I don't understand" is…
- "She eats meat" is…
- "We're learning Georgian" is…
- "I speak Georgian" is…
- "Nino likes the film" is…
- What does ჩვეულებრივchveulebriv mean?
- "They have dinner late" is…
Well done! Lesson 40 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 live in Canada, in Montreal."
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კანადაში ვცხოვრობ, მონრეალში.k'anadashi vtskhovrob, monrealshi. - Say "Every day I study Georgian."
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ყოველდღე ქართულს ვსწავლობ.q'oveldghe kartuls vsts'avlob. - Say "In the morning I drink tea."
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დილით ჩაის ვსვამ.dilit chais vsvam. - Say "I love khinkali, but I don't want it now."
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ხინკალი მიყვარს, მაგრამ ახლა არ მინდა.khink'ali miq'vars, magram akhla ar minda. - Say "Usually I go home in the evening."
Show the answer
ჩვეულებრივ საღამოს სახლში მივდივარ.chveulebriv saghamos sakhlshi mivdivar. - Say "I don't understand everything, but I know a lot!"
Show the answer
ყველაფერი არ მესმის, მაგრამ ბევრი ვიცი!q'velaperi ar mesmis, magram bevri vitsi!
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