LingoflyGeorgian grammar
Georgian grammar explained in plain words. No gender and no articles. What is harder: a verb that agrees with subject and object at once and switches its case pattern with the tense.
Notes
- 📐The person is built into the verbThe Georgian verb says who is acting all by itself. A pronoun is almost never needed.
- 📐'In Tbilisi' is one wordGeorgian has no prepositions at all. Endings do that work: they glue onto the end of the word.
- 📐No gender, no articlesGeorgian simply lacks what torments you in other languages:
- Two ways to say 'have': მაქვს (makvs) and მყავს (mqavs)📐Two ways to say 'have': მაქვს (makvs) and მყავს (mqavs)'I have' splits in two here, and one question decides it: alive or not.
- 📐Comparison: one word instead of a whole set of endingsIn English the word itself changes: cheap — cheaper — cheapest. Georgian goes another way. The adjective stays as it…
- 📐Plural: one ending, -ები, for everythingGeorgian has one plural ending for everything: -ები. It works almost everywhere.
- 📐Where, and where to: location lives at the end of the wordThe prepositions you are used to are absent: place glues onto the word itself. All the talk about home, the pharmacy…
- 📐Yesterday: the past tense of simple verbsTo talk about yesterday one pattern is enough: a few dozen everyday verbs build the past the same way.
- 📐Politeness: the letter თ and the phrase 'if possible'Politeness rests on one letter. -თ at the end of a verb, and you have switched to the polite 'you': მოიცადე (wait) →…
- 📐Tomorrow: the future tense of simple verbsWithout the future you cannot buy a ticket or fix a meeting. Georgian has no separate 'will': the future is made by a…
- 📐'To me' and 'to you' live inside the verbIn English 'to me' and 'to you' are separate words you can move around. Georgian keeps the addressee inside the verb…
- 📐That very room: definiteness without an articleThere is no article in Georgian. So how do you tell 'give me a knife' from 'give me that knife'? The means exist, they…
- 📐How many: -ები, pairs and counting wordsGeorgian has a single plural ending, -ები. The interesting part is the reverse: the places where English puts a plural…
- 'Must' and 'can': უნდა (unda) and შემიძლია (shemidzlia)📐'Must' and 'can': უნდა (unda) and შემიძლია (shemidzlia)Two words no day goes without: უნდა (unda) — must, have to, and შემიძლია (shemidzlia) — I can.
- ეს (es), ეგ, ის (is): this, that one by you, and that one over there📐ეს (es), ეგ, ის (is): this, that one by you, and that one over thereEnglish points with two words, this and that. Georgian has three, and they split by person, not by distance. ეს (es) — what…
- ძალიან (dzalian), მეტისმეტად (metismetad), ალბათ (albat): how strongly, and how sure you are📐ძალიან (dzalian), მეტისმეტად (metismetad), ალბათ (albat): how strongly, and how sure you areTwo different questions are handled by similar little words, and that is why they get mixed up. One: how strongly…
- 📐Who does it — nobody: impersonal constructionsSome sentences have no doer at all, and Georgian builds them its own way. Three kinds cover almost everything you will…
- რომ (rom), რადგან (radgan), თუ (tu), როცა: two thoughts in one sentence📐რომ (rom), რადგან (radgan), თუ (tu), როცა: two thoughts in one sentenceTwo thoughts in one sentence need a link: 'I was late because there was a jam', 'call me when you arrive'. Here is the…
- ბევრი (bevri), ცოტა (tsota), რამდენიმე (ramdenime): how much — and why it all stays singular📐ბევრი (bevri), ცოტა (tsota), რამდენიმე (ramdenime): how much — and why it all stays singularThe surprise is not in the words themselves but in what follows them. After 'many', 'few', 'several' and any number the…
- რომელიც: attaching a whole sentence to a noun📐რომელიც: attaching a whole sentence to a nounA description can be one word in front of the noun: ახალი (akhali) ბინა (bina). But 'the flat we looked at yesterday' is a description…
- ძალიან (dzalian), საკმაოდ (sakmaod), ზედმეტად: exactly how much📐ძალიან (dzalian), საკმაოდ (sakmaod), ზედმეტად: exactly how much'Very' is ძალიან (dzalian). Between 'good' and 'very good' there are four more shades, and grown-up conversation rests on them.
- თუ (tu) and რომ (rom): if it will be — and if it were📐თუ (tu) and რომ (rom): if it will be — and if it wereIn English 'if' covers everything: 'if I have time I will come' and 'if I had time I would come'. Georgian uses two…
- 📐ყველაზე (qvelaze): 'the most' — literally 'than all'ყველაზე (qvelaze) is ყველა (qvela) (all) plus the ending -ზე: literally 'than all'. It stands before the adjective and changes nothing in…
- 📐იყიდება (iqideba), ქირავდება: how Georgian speaks without a doerHalf the signs in Georgia use a special form with no doer. იყიდება (iqideba) — for sale, ქირავდება — for rent, იხსნება (ikhsneba) — opens.…
- თქვა (tkva), რომ (rom): reporting what someone said📐თქვა (tkva), რომ (rom): reporting what someone saidThe news is nothing but retelling: 'the minister said that…'. Georgian does it with რომ (rom), but puts the word where…
- უნდა (unda), შეიძლება (sheidzleba), შემიძლია (shemidzlia): must, may, able📐უნდა (unda), შეიძლება (sheidzleba), შემიძლია (shemidzlia): must, may, ableThree words you cannot fill in a single form without: უნდა (unda) (must), შეიძლება (sheidzleba) (may), შემიძლია (shemidzlia) (I can). They look simple…
- 📐ვწერდი, დავწერე (davtsere), დამიწერია: three pasts and what each one tellsGeorgian has three pasts, and the choice between them is meaning, not style.
- რადგან (radgan), ამიტომ (amitom), თუმცა (tumtsa): where the link goes📐რადგან (radgan), ამიტომ (amitom), თუმცა (tumtsa): where the link goesThere are not many linking words, but each has its own place, and the place is what to remember, not the translation.
- მაღალი (maghali) კაცი (katsi) and კაცი (katsi) მაღალია (maghalia): the adjective before the noun and in the predicate📐მაღალი (maghali) კაცი (katsi) and კაცი (katsi) მაღალია (maghalia): the adjective before the noun and in the predicateDescribing a person is almost all adjectives. They behave more simply than you expect, and in three places quite…
- დაჯექი (dajeki) and ნუ გეშინია (nu geshinia): requests, commands and prohibitions📐დაჯექი (dajeki) and ნუ გეშინია (nu geshinia): requests, commands and prohibitionsSupporting someone is mostly commands and requests: 'hold on', 'don't be afraid', 'don't be upset'. The build is easy…
- 📐გა-, და-, ჩა-, მო-: the prefix that decides everythingA prefix in front of the verb does two things at once. It shows direction, and it turns an unfinished action into a…
- ვიყიდე (viqide) or ვუყიდე (vuqide): the vowel that says who it is for📐ვიყიდე (viqide) or ვუყიდე (vuqide): the vowel that says who it is forOne word says both 'bought it for myself' and 'bought it for him'. English needs different words for these — Georgian…
- სარეცხი (saretskhi), საყინულე (saqinule), გამათბობელი (gamatbobeli): how Georgian names appliances📐სარეცხი (saretskhi), საყინულე (saqinule), გამათბობელი (gamatbobeli): how Georgian names appliancesNearly every appliance name is built by one of two patterns. See the pattern and an unknown word makes sense the first…
- ნისლი (nisli), ნისლმა, ნისლს: seven cases and what each one does📐ნისლი (nisli), ნისლმა, ნისლს: seven cases and what each one doesA noun has seven endings, and one rule behind them: the ending joins the stem, and the stem stays the same. The stem…
- სკოლის (skolis) პირდაპირ (pirdapir), სახლის (sakhlis) უკან (ukan): words that stand after the noun📐სკოლის (skolis) პირდაპირ (pirdapir), სახლის (sakhlis) უკან (ukan): words that stand after the nounSome relations hang on the end of the word; others are a separate word, and that word stands after the noun. You cannot…
- სწავლა (stsavla), გაზომვა (gazomva), ჩაწერა (chatsera): the dictionary name of a verb and how to reach a live form📐სწავლა (stsavla), გაზომვა (gazomva), ჩაწერა (chatsera): the dictionary name of a verb and how to reach a live formAn English 'to do' form comes out here as a word in -ა, -ება or -ვა. სწავლა (stsavla) — to learn, გაზომვა (gazomva) — to measure. Only it…
- ორშაბათს (orshabats), ხუთ (khut) საათზე (saatze), ერთ წელიწადში (ert tselitsadshi): time without a single preposition📐ორშაბათს (orshabats), ხუთ (khut) საათზე (saatze), ერთ წელიწადში (ert tselitsadshi): time without a single prepositionFixing a meeting is almost all time words, and Georgian builds them with endings on the word itself. There are no…
- ხომ (khom), თუ (tu), ნუთუ (nutu), -ც: little words the whole conversation rests on📐ხომ (khom), თუ (tu), ნუთუ (nutu), -ც: little words the whole conversation rests onA conversation runs on little words. They turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into…
- მებაღე (mebaghe), მშენებელი (mshenebeli), მექანიკოსი (mekanikosi): how an activity becomes a person📐მებაღე (mebaghe), მშენებელი (mshenebeli), მექანიკოსი (mekanikosi): how an activity becomes a personAlmost every word for a profession is built from a simple root by one of two frames. Recognize the frame and you…
- ოცდაათი (otsdaati), ორმოცი (ormotsi), ასი (asi): Georgian counts by twenties📐ოცდაათი (otsdaati), ორმოცი (ormotsi), ასი (asi): Georgian counts by twentiesUp to twenty nothing is unusual. After that comes a system almost nowhere else in Europe: the count runs not by tens…
- 📐-ობა, სი-…-ე, უ-…-ობა: nouns you cannot touchSociety, poverty, inequality, unemployment — these are nouns you cannot touch, and Georgian makes them out of simple…
- მომწონს, მტკივა (mtkiva), მენატრება (menatreba): 'it pleases me' instead of 'I like it'📐მომწონს, მტკივა (mtkiva), მენატრება (menatreba): 'it pleases me' instead of 'I like it'You have long been saying მიყვარს (miqvars) — I love, and მინდა (minda) — I want, without asking why they begin with მ-. That is not…
- 📐არ (ar), ვერ (ver), ნუ (nu), აღარ (aghar), ვეღარ: five ways to say noEnglish 'not' covers everything; Georgian has five negations. Pick the wrong one and you say the wrong thing: 'I don't…
- ორი (ori) მეტრი (metri), მეოთხედი (meotkhedi), ორიოდე (oriode): measure, fraction and 'roughly that much'📐ორი (ori) მეტრი (metri), მეოთხედი (meotkhedi), ორიოდე (oriode): measure, fraction and 'roughly that much'A measure after a number stays singular. ორი (ori) მეტრი (metri), ხუთი (khuti) ლიტრი (litri), ასი (asi) გრამი (grami) — no -ები anywhere. And what is measured…
- 📐გადამაღებინა, დავალევინე: made, asked and let someone do itIn hospital you hardly do a thing yourself. Blood is taken from you, a picture is made of you, medicine is handed to…
- გილოცავ (gilotsav), გისურვებ (gisurveb), გაგიმარჯოს (gagimarjos): the form for congratulations and wishes📐გილოცავ (gilotsav), გისურვებ (gisurveb), გაგიმარჯოს (gagimarjos): the form for congratulations and wishesA celebration in Georgian is above all what is said out loud. Congratulations at the door, a wish at the table, an…
- -ო, -მეთქი, -თქო: other people's words without the word 'that'📐-ო, -მეთქი, -თქო: other people's words without the word 'that'Live speech relays other people's words with a particle glued to the last word of the quote, and no რომ (rom) is needed.…
- 📐-ად and -ით: how a word turns into 'how'Words like 'mostly', 'luckily', 'by hand' look like a class of their own in English. In Georgian they are two endings…
- ხორკლიანი (khorkliani), წებოვანი (tsebovani), უვარგისი: how an object becomes a quality📐ხორკლიანი (khorkliani), წებოვანი (tsebovani), უვარგისი: how an object becomes a qualityA quality in Georgian is almost always built from a noun by one of three frames. Know the frame and you understand a…
- 📐მი-, მო-, ჩა-, გადა-: the prefix decides where the action goesFifty verbs of motion need no cramming. The root barely changes; direction is set by the prefix in front of it. Learn a…
- მესამედი (mesamedi), ორჯერ (orjer), ცალობით (tsalobit): fractions, multiples and 'how it is counted'📐მესამედი (mesamedi), ორჯერ (orjer), ცალობით (tsalobit): fractions, multiples and 'how it is counted'To talk about a figure you need three things: a fraction, a multiple, and a way of counting. All three are endings, and…
- დასრულება (dasruleba) or დავასრულე: the dictionary form and live speech📐დასრულება (dasruleba) or დავასრულე: the dictionary form and live speechდასრულება (dasruleba), შემცირება (shemtsireba), მოგვარება (mogvareba) are action names: 'finishing', 'reduction', 'sorting out'. A dictionary puts exactly…
- რომ (rom), თუ (tu), რადგან (radgan): sewing on a subordinate clause📐რომ (rom), თუ (tu), რადგან (radgan): sewing on a subordinate clauseA complex thought will not fit into simple sentences: 'it turned out that…', 'nobody knows whether…'. A Georgian side…
- -მდე, -ის შემდეგ (shemdeg), -ის წინ (tsin): placing an event in time📐-მდე, -ის შემდეგ (shemdeg), -ის წინ (tsin): placing an event in timeGeorgian has no prepositions at all. Endings and short words do their work, and those short words stand after the noun…
- განახლებადი (ganakhlebadi), გადაშენებადი (gadashenebadi), შეუქცევადი (sheuktsevadi): a quality made from a verb📐განახლებადი (ganakhlebadi), გადაშენებადი (gadashenebadi), შეუქცევადი (sheuktsevadi): a quality made from a verbEnglish reaches for '-able' and '-ing' words here. Georgian gets by with a single ending.
- სიკეთე (sikete), ჯიუტობა (jiutoba), პატიოსნება (patiosneba): a trait noun from a quality word📐სიკეთე (sikete), ჯიუტობა (jiutoba), პატიოსნება (patiosneba): a trait noun from a quality wordTen words about character are ten adjectives, wrapped in a frame. Learn the frames and you can make a trait noun out of…
- მან (man) თქვა (tkva), რომ (rom)…: reported speech without a tense shift📐მან (man) თქვა (tkva), რომ (rom)…: reported speech without a tense shiftThe pleasant part first: Georgian does not shift the tense when retelling. What a person said keeps exactly the form he…
- რომ (rom) … -ბდი: 'if only' about what never was📐რომ (rom) … -ბდი: 'if only' about what never wasYou cannot talk about the past without 'if I had known'. A Georgian condition is made of two parts, and both of them…
- გამარჯობა (gamarjoba) and გაგიმარჯოს (gagimarjos): the greeting and its answer📐გამარჯობა (gamarjoba) and გაგიმარჯოს (gagimarjos): the greeting and its answerგამარჯობა (gamarjoba) is both 'hello' and 'hi'. Georgian does not split the polite from the friendly here: one word suits your boss…
- უკაცრავად (ukatsravad) and ბოდიში (bodishi): the two Georgian sorries📐უკაცრავად (ukatsravad) and ბოდიში (bodishi): the two Georgian sorriesEnglish makes one word, 'sorry' or 'excuse me', do two jobs: asking forgiveness and hailing a stranger in the street.…
- დიახ (diakh) and ჰო (ho): the polite yes and the colloquial one📐დიახ (diakh) and ჰო (ho): the polite yes and the colloquial oneGeorgian has two 'yeses', and choosing between them is the same choice as between the polite and the informal 'you'.…
- მადლობა (madloba) and გმადლობთ (gmadlobt): thanks and I thank you📐მადლობა (madloba) and გმადლობთ (gmadlobt): thanks and I thank youმადლობა (madloba) is the word 'thanks' itself, a noun from მადლი — grace, favour. It is the neutral form, fits almost everywhere…
What works differently from what you know
The verb agrees at once with the one who acts and the one acted upon: გფრცქვნი (gprtskvni) — “I peel you” — is one word in which both participants are already named. Separate pronouns are unnecessary after that.
Kevin Tuite, «Kartvelian Morphosyntax», 1998
What is hard about Georgian and what comes for free
Hard: a verb that agrees with subject and object at once and switches its case pattern with the tense.
Easy: no gender and no articles.
This is not a verdict on the language but a hint on where to spend effort. The hard parts are best taken a little at a time and often; the easy parts — left alone while they work by themselves.
Frequently asked
Is the grammar of Georgian complicated?
A verb that agrees with subject and object at once and switches its case pattern with the tense is the main difficulty. In return, no gender and no articles.
Should grammar be learned separately?
Not as a separate course. A rule learned before you need it is forgotten before you meet it. It is more useful to work it out at the moment you stumble over it.