Day 24. Lost in Sololaki
Sololaki is a maze of steep little streets, and my phone has no battery. I stop a woman with a shopping bag and ask the way to the metro, in my best Georgian.
Today: asking for directions and understanding the answer.
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
უკაცრავად, სად არის მეტრო?uk'atsravad, sad aris met'ro?Excuse me, where is the metro?
Woman
მეტრო? აქედან ახლოსაა. პირდაპირ წადით.met'ro? akedan akhlosaa. p'irdap'ir ts'adit.The metro? It's close from here. Go straight on.
Sam
პირდაპირ...p'irdap'ir...Straight on...
Woman
მერე მარცხნივ, ბანკის მარჯვნივ არის მეტრო.mere martskhniv, bank'is marjvniv aris met'ro.Then left; the metro is to the right of the bank.
Sam
შორსაა?shorsaa?Is it far?
Woman
არა, ხუთი წუთი ფეხით.ara, khuti ts'uti pekhit.No, five minutes on foot.
Sam
დიდი მადლობა!didi madloba!Thank you very much!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მარჯვნივ | marjvniv | on the right, to the right |
| მარცხნივ | martskhniv | on the left, to the left |
| პირდაპირ | p'irdap'ir | straight on, straight ahead |
| ახლოს | akhlos | near, close |
| შორს | shors | far |
| წინ | ts'in | in front; ahead |
| უკან | uk'an | behind; back |
| აქედან | akedan | from here |
| წადით! | ts'adit! | go! (polite) |
| კუთხე | k'utkhe | corner |
| შუქნიშანი | shuknishani | traffic light |
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
Direction words
| Georgian | meaning |
|---|---|
| მარჯვნივmarjvniv | right |
| მარცხნივmartskhniv | left |
| პირდაპირp'irdap'ir | straight on |
| ახლოსakhlos | near |
| შორსshors | far |
| წინts'in | in front |
| უკანuk'an | behind |
მარჯვნივ, მერე პირდაპირ.marjvniv, mere p'irdap'ir.right, then straight-onRight, then straight on.
აქედან შორსაა?akedan shorsaa?from-here far-isIs it far from here?
To the right OF something: -ისis
To say "to the right of the bank", put the place in its -ისis form (the genitive) and the direction word after it:
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| ბანკის მარჯვნივbank'is marjvniv | to the right of the bank |
| სახლის წინsakhlis ts'in | in front of the house |
| მაღაზიის უკანmaghaziis uk'an | behind the shop |
| მაგიდის ქვეშmagidis kvesh | under the table (lesson 32) |
Words in -იi replace it with -ისis (ბანკიbank'i → ბანკისbank'is); words in -აa also replace it (მაღაზიაmaghazia → მაღაზიისmaghaziis); words in -ოo add -სs (მეტროmet'ro → მეტროსmet'ros). You will learn the -ისis form fully in lesson 51.
Go! წადითts'adit!
წადითts'adit! is the polite "go!"; to a friend, წადიts'adi!. You will hear it in every direction: პირდაპირ წადითp'irdap'ir ts'adit, "go straight on".
5Good to know
When you ask the way in Georgia, people often do not just explain: they walk with you to the next corner, or call over someone who knows better. Accept the help with a big დიდი მადლობაdidi madloba!
შუქნიშანიshuknishani (traffic light) means "light-sign". Directions often sound like: შუქნიშანთან მარცხნივshuknishantan martskhniv, "left at the traffic light".
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.
- "On the left" is…
- "Straight on" is…
- How do you ask "Is it far?"
- "To the right of the bank" is…
- "In front of the house" is…
- What does აქედანakedan mean?
- ხუთი წუთი ფეხითkhuti ts'uti pekhit means…
- The polite "go!" is…
- What does შუქნიშანიshuknishani mean?
- "Behind the shop" is…
Well done! Lesson 48 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 politely "Excuse me, where is the bank?"
Show the answer
უკაცრავად, სად არის ბანკი?uk'atsravad, sad aris bank'i? - Say "Go straight on, then right."
Show the answer
პირდაპირ წადით, მერე მარჯვნივ.p'irdap'ir ts'adit, mere marjvniv. - Ask "Is it close from here?"
Show the answer
აქედან ახლოსაა?akedan akhlosaa? - Say "The pharmacy is to the left of the metro."
Show the answer
აფთიაქი მეტროს მარცხნივაა.aptiaki met'ros martskhnivaa. - Say "The car is in front of the house."
Show the answer
მანქანა სახლის წინაა.mankana sakhlis ts'inaa.
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