Week 21. Why I learn Georgian
A journalist from a student magazine interviews the foreign students of our school. Her first question is always the same: why Georgian? Everyone has a different answer.
Today: "why", "because", and "in order to".
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
Journalist
რატომ სწავლობთ ქართულს?rat'om sts'avlobt kartuls?Why are you learning Georgian?
Sam
იმიტომ, რომ საქართველო მიყვარს.imit'om, rom sakartvelo miq'vars.Because I love Georgia.
Journalist
თბილისში რატომ ჩამოხვედით?tbilisshi rat'om chamokhvedit?Why did you come to Tbilisi?
Sam
ჩამოვედი, რომ ქართული კარგად ვისწავლო და ქართველებთან ვილაპარაკო.chamovedi, rom kartuli k'argad vists'avlo da kartvelebtan vilap'arak'o.I came in order to learn Georgian well and to talk with Georgians.
Journalist
ძნელია?dznelia?Is it difficult?
Sam
ძნელია, მაგრამ ყოველდღე ვვარჯიშობ, რომ არ დამავიწყდეს.dznelia, magram q'oveldghe vvarjishob, rom ar damavits'q'des.It is, but I practise every day so that I don't forget.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| იმიტომ, რომ | imit'om, rom | because |
| რომ | rom | in order to, so that (with the optative) |
| ჟურნალისტი | zhurnalist'i | journalist |
| ინტერვიუ | int'erviu | interview |
| მიზეზი | mizezi | reason |
| ვილაპარაკო | vilap'arak'o | that I speak (optative) |
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
Why? Because...
| question | answer |
|---|---|
| რატომrat'om? why? | იმიტომimit'om, რომrom... because... |
რატომ სწავლობ ქართულს?rat'om sts'avlob kartuls?why you-study GeorgianWhy are you learning Georgian?
იმიტომ, რომ საქართველო მიყვარს.imit'om, rom sakartvelo miq'vars.because Georgia I-loveBecause I love Georgia.
After იმიტომimit'om, რომrom, the verb is in an ordinary tense: present, past or future.
In order to: რომrom + optative
To say why you do something (the purpose), use რომrom + the optative:
მოვედი, რომ ვისწავლო.movedi, rom vists'avlo.I-came that I-learnI came (in order) to learn.
ფული მჭირდება, რომ ბილეთი ვიყიდო.puli mch'irdeba, rom bileti viq'ido.money I-need that ticket I-buyI need money to buy a ticket.
So that... not: რომ არrom ar
For a negative purpose, რომ არrom ar + optative: ვვარჯიშობvvarjishob, რომ არ დამავიწყდესrom ar damavits'q'des, "I practise so that I don't forget".
Two რომrom, one word
რომrom is a little word with several jobs. You have now seen two of them: in იმიტომimit'om, რომrom ("because") and with the optative ("in order to"). In lesson 111 you will meet a third: "that", as in ვიციvitsi, რომrom... ("I know that...").
5Good to know
რატომrat'om? "why?" is also a lovely way to show interest. When a Georgian tells you something surprising, a simple რატომrat'om? keeps the conversation going.
The official grammar for learners gives this exact model for "because": იმიტომ რომ დილაობით ჭამა არ მიყვარსimit'om rom dilaobit ch'ama ar miq'vars, "because I don't like eating in the mornings".
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.
- "Why?" is…
- "Because I love Georgia" is…
- "I came to learn" is…
- "I need money to buy a ticket" is…
- "So that I don't forget" is…
- After იმიტომimit'om, რომrom, the verb is…
- What does მიზეზიmizezi mean?
- "Why did you come?" (to a friend) is…
- "I study every day so that I speak well" is…
- What does ჟურნალისტიzhurnalist'i mean?
Well done! Lesson 96 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 "Why are you tired?"
Show the answer
რატომ ხარ დაღლილი?rat'om khar daghlili? - Answer "Because I worked a lot."
Show the answer
იმიტომ, რომ ბევრი ვიმუშავე.imit'om, rom bevri vimushave. - Say "I'm going to the market to buy fruit."
Show the answer
ბაზარში მივდივარ, რომ ხილი ვიყიდო.bazarshi mivdivar, rom khili viq'ido. - Say "I came to Georgia to learn Georgian."
Show the answer
საქართველოში ჩამოვედი, რომ ქართული ვისწავლო.sakartveloshi chamovedi, rom kartuli vists'avlo. - Say "I write the words so that I don't forget."
Show the answer
სიტყვებს ვწერ, რომ არ დამავიწყდეს.sit'q'vebs vts'er, rom ar damavits'q'des.
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