Week 21. A friendly warning
Before I leave for a hike, Bebo gives me her warnings, one after the other, like a list of commandments. Some are gentle, some are very serious.
Today: the second way of saying "don't".
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
Bebo
შვილო, მარტო არ წახვიდე მთაში!shvilo, mart'o ar ts'akhvide mtashi!Dear, don't go to the mountains alone!
Sam
არა, ბებო, ნინოსთან ერთად მივდივარ.ara, bebo, ninostan ertad mivdivar.No, Grandma, I'm going with Nino.
Bebo
წყალი არ დაგავიწყდეს! და ქუდი!ts'q'ali ar dagavits'q'des! da kudi!Don't forget water! And a hat!
Sam
არ დამავიწყდება.ar damavits'q'deba.I won't forget.
Bebo
ნისლში არ იარო, და ღამით არ დაბრუნდეთ!nislshi ar iaro, da ghamit ar dabrundet!Don't walk in the fog, and don't come back at night!
Sam
ბებო, არ ინერვიულო! ყველაფერი კარგად იქნება.bebo, ar inerviulo! q'velaperi k'argad ikneba.Grandma, don't worry! Everything will be fine.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მარტო | mart'o | alone |
| არ დაგავიწყდეს! | ar dagavits'q'des! | don't forget! |
| არ დამავიწყდება | ar damavits'q'deba | I won't forget |
| არ ინერვიულო! | ar inerviulo! | don't worry! (to a friend) |
| ნისლი | nisli | fog |
| იარო | iaro | that you walk (optative) |
| ყველაფერი კარგად იქნება | q'velaperi k'argad ikneba | everything will be fine |
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
Don't: არar + optative
არar before the optative is a clear, often serious "don't":
| optative (you) | don't! |
|---|---|
| წახვიდეts'akhvide | არ წახვიდეar ts'akhvide! don't go! |
| გააკეთოgaak'eto | არ გააკეთოar gaak'eto! don't do it! |
| დალიოdalio | არ დალიოar dalio! don't drink (it)! |
| დაბრუნდეdabrunde | არ დაბრუნდეar dabrunde! don't come back! |
| ინერვიულოinerviulo | არ ინერვიულოar inerviulo! don't worry! |
With თქვენtkven, add -თt: არ წახვიდეთar ts'akhvidet!, არ ინერვიულოთar inerviulot!
ნუnu or არar + optative?
| ნუnu + present / future | არar + optative |
|---|---|
| a general or friendly "don't" | a firm "don't", often about one specific action |
| ნუ ღელავnu ghelav! don't worry | არ ინერვიულოar inerviulo! don't worry |
| ნუ ლაპარაკობnu lap'arak'ob! stop talking | არ თქვაar tkva! don't say it! |
In everyday speech, both are very common, and often they are interchangeable.
Don't forget! არ დაგავიწყდესar dagavits'q'des!
"To forget" in Georgian works like მინდაminda: the person is shown at the start, and the thing forgotten is the subject. არ დაგავიწყდესar dagavits'q'des! is literally "let it not be forgotten by you!":
წყალი არ დაგავიწყდეს!ts'q'ali ar dagavits'q'des!water not to-you-forgotten-beDon't forget water!
არ დამავიწყდება.ar damavits'q'deba.not to-me-it-will-be-forgottenI won't forget.
5Good to know
The official grammar for learners gives არ შეჩერდეar shecherde, არ წახვიდეar ts'akhvide, არ გააკეთოar gaak'eto as A1 examples of "don't": they are among the first commands Georgian children hear.
ყველაფერი კარგად იქნებაq'velaperi k'argad ikneba ("everything will be fine") is the perfect answer to any worried Georgian grandmother.
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.
- "Don't go!" (firm, to a friend) is…
- "Don't do it!" is…
- "Don't worry!" (polite) is…
- "Don't forget the water!" is…
- "I won't forget" is…
- Which is also a correct "don't worry"?
- "Don't come back at night!" (to several people) is…
- What does მარტოmart'o mean?
- What does ნისლიnisli mean?
- "Everything will be fine" is…
Well done! Lesson 95 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Tell a friend firmly "Don't go alone!"
Show the answer
მარტო არ წახვიდე!mart'o ar ts'akhvide! - Say "Don't forget your passport!" (passport = პასპორტიp'asp'ort'i)
Show the answer
პასპორტი არ დაგავიწყდეს!p'asp'ort'i ar dagavits'q'des! - Tell your grandmother "Don't worry!"
Show the answer
არ ინერვიულო!ar inerviulo! - Tell guests "Don't leave yet!" (yet = ჯერjer)
Show the answer
ჯერ არ წახვიდეთ!jer ar ts'akhvidet! - Say "I won't forget."
Show the answer
არ დამავიწყდება.ar damavits'q'deba.
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 10: Wishes, needs, possibilities A2
- 91Let's go! წავიდეთts'avidet!
- 92I must: უნდაunda + the optative
- 93I want to...: მინდაminda + the optative
- 94May I? შეიძლებაsheidzleba
- 95Don't go! არar + the optative
- 96In order to, because: რომrom, იმიტომ რომimit'om rom
- 97At the doctor's
- 98Hungry, cold, afraid
- 99I need, I miss, I'm glad
- 100A2 review: a trip to Kazbegi