Week 21. The clinic
I wake up with a sore throat and a fever. Manana does not discuss: she calls the clinic, and an hour later I am sitting in front of a young doctor with a very calm voice.
Today: the words you hope never to need, and always do.
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
Doctor
რა გაწუხებთ?ra gats'ukhebt?What's troubling you?
Sam
ყელი მტკივა და თავიც მტკივა. სიცხე მაქვს.q'eli mt'k'iva da tavits mt'k'iva. sitskhe makvs.My throat hurts, and my head hurts too. I have a fever.
Doctor
რამდენი ხანია, რაც ცუდად ხართ?ramdeni khania, rats tsudad khart?How long have you been unwell?
Sam
გუშინ საღამოდან.gushin saghamodan.Since yesterday evening.
Doctor
ეს გაციებაა. სამი დღე უნდა დაისვენოთ და ბევრი ჩაი დალიოთ.es gatsiebaa. sami dghe unda daisvenot da bevri chai daliot.It's a cold. You must rest for three days and drink a lot of tea.
Sam
წამალი უნდა მივიღო?ts'amali unda mivigho?Must I take medicine?
Doctor
დიახ, ეს წამალი დილით და საღამოს მიიღეთ. ჯანმრთელობას გისურვებთ!diakh, es ts'amali dilit da saghamos miighet. janmrtelobas gisurvebt!Yes, take this medicine in the morning and in the evening. Get well soon!
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| მტკივა | mt'k'iva | it hurts me, I have a pain in... |
| სტკივა | st'k'iva | it hurts him, her |
| რა გაწუხებთ? | ra gats'ukhebt? | what's troubling you? (doctor's question) |
| სიცხე | sitskhe | fever, temperature; heat |
| ყელი | q'eli | throat |
| მუცელი | mutseli | stomach, belly |
| კბილი | k'bili | tooth |
| ზურგი | zurgi | back |
| გაციება | gatsieba | a cold |
| ჯანმრთელობა | janmrteloba | health |
| წამლის მიღება | ts'amlis migheba | taking 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
It hurts: მტკივაmt'k'iva
მტკივაmt'k'iva works like მინდაminda: the person is shown at the start, and the part of the body that hurts is the subject:
| person | hurts |
|---|---|
| me | მტკივაmt'k'iva |
| you | გტკივაgt'k'iva |
| him, her | სტკივაst'k'iva |
| us | გვტკივაgvt'k'iva |
| you (polite, plural) | გტკივათgt'k'ivat |
| them | სტკივათst'k'ivat |
თავი მტკივა.tavi mt'k'iva.head to-me-hurtsI have a headache.
ყელი გტკივა?q'eli gt'k'iva?throat to-you-hurtsDo you have a sore throat?
ნინოს კბილი სტკივა.ninos k'bili st'k'iva.to-Nino tooth hurtsNino has a toothache.
Fever, a cold, feeling bad
| Georgian | meaning |
|---|---|
| სიცხე მაქვსsitskhe makvs | I have a fever |
| გაციებული ვარgatsiebuli var | I have a cold |
| ცუდად ვარtsudad var | I feel bad, I'm unwell |
| უკეთ ვარuk'et var | I'm better |
The doctor's advice: the optative
Doctors often speak in უნდაunda + optative or in polite commands:
უნდა დაისვენოთ.unda daisvenot.must you-restYou must rest.
წამალი მიიღეთ.ts'amali miighet.medicine take (pol.)Take the medicine.
How long?
რამდენი ხანიაramdeni khania, რაცrats...? means "how long has it been since...?": რამდენი ხანიაramdeni khania, რაც ცუდად ხართrats tsudad khart?, "how long have you been unwell?".
5Good to know
In an emergency in Georgia, call 112: it is the single number for ambulance, police and fire services. You will practise an emergency call in lesson 188.
ჯანმრთელობას გისურვებთjanmrtelobas gisurvebt! ("I wish you health!") is what Georgians say to someone who is ill, and also in toasts. You can also say მალე გამოჯანმრთელებას გისურვებmale gamojanmrtelebas gisurveb!, "I wish you a quick recovery!".
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 have a headache" is…
- "Does your throat hurt?" (to a friend) is…
- "Nino has a toothache" is…
- "I have a fever" is…
- "You must rest" (polite) is…
- "Take the medicine" (polite) is…
- The doctor asks რა გაწუხებთra gats'ukhebt? It means…
- What does გაციებაgatsieba mean?
- "I'm better" is…
- What is the emergency number in Georgia?
Well done! Lesson 97 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 "My stomach hurts."
Show the answer
მუცელი მტკივა.mutseli mt'k'iva. - Say "I'm unwell, I have a fever."
Show the answer
ცუდად ვარ, სიცხე მაქვს.tsudad var, sitskhe makvs. - Ask a friend "Does your back hurt?"
Show the answer
ზურგი გტკივა?zurgi gt'k'iva? - Say "The doctor said I must rest."
Show the answer
ექიმმა თქვა, რომ უნდა დავისვენო.ekimma tkva, rom unda davisveno. - Wish a sick friend good health.
Show the answer
ჯანმრთელობას გისურვებ!janmrtelobas gisurveb!
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