მესამედი, ორჯერ, ცალობით: 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 exceptions are rare. For example: “ხელფასის მესამედი და ბინის ნახევარი ერთი და იგივე თანხაა” — A third of the salary and half the rent are one and the same sum. A rule from the Georgian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To talk about a figure you need three things: a fraction, a multiple, and a way of counting. All three are endings, and exceptions are rare.
A fraction is მე- (me)…-ედი. The number is wrapped on both sides: სამი (sami) → მესამედი (a third), ოთხი (otkhi) → მეოთხედი (a quarter). Only half drops out of the system: ნახევარი (nakhevari) is a word of its own.
A multiple is -ჯერ (-jer). ორჯერ (orjer) means both 'twice' and 'twofold', სამჯერ (samjer) threefold. The verb decides which: ორჯერ წავიკითხე (orjer tsavikitkhe) — I read it twice, ორჯერ გაძვირდა (orjer gadzvirda) — it doubled in price.
The way of counting is -ობით. It sticks to the counting unit and answers 'how are they counted'. ცალობით (tsalobit) — by the piece, ათეულობით (ateulobit) — by the dozen. კილოობით (kiloobit) — by the kilo.
Table
| ending | what it does | example | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| მე-…-ედი | a fraction | მესამედი | a third |
| მე-…-ედი | a fraction | მეოთხედი | a quarter |
| -ჯერ | a multiple | ორჯერ | twice, twofold |
| -მაგად | how many times over | ორმაგად | twofold |
| -ჯერ | a multiple | ასჯერ | a hundred times |
| -ხელ | the exception | ერთხელ | once |
| -ობით | the way of counting | ცალობით | piece by piece |
| -ით | by how much | მესამედით | by a third |
| -ით | a measure | სიგრძით | in length |
| უფრო … ვიდრე | comparison | უფრო დაბალი, ვიდრე | lower than |
By example
- ხელფასის მესამედი და ბინის ნახევარი ერთი და იგივე თანხააkhelpasis mesamedi da binis nakhevari erti da igive tankhaaA third of the salary and half the rent are one and the same sum
- ბილეთი ორმაგად გაძვირდა, მოსავალი კი სამმაგად გაიზარდაbileti ormagad gadzvirda, mosavali ki sammagad gaizardaThe ticket doubled in price, and the harvest grew threefold
- კვერცხს ცალობით ვყიდულობთ, ვაშლს კი კილოობითkvertskhs tsalobit vqidulobt, vashls ki kiloobitWe buy eggs piece by piece, and apples by the kilo
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
fractions, multiples and 'how it is counted': how does it work in Georgian?
To talk about a figure you need three things: a fraction, a multiple, and a way of counting. All three are endings, and exceptions are rare.
What does it look like in an example sentence Georgian?
“ხელფასის მესამედი და ბინის ნახევარი ერთი და იგივე თანხაა” (khelpasis mesamedi da binis nakhevari erti da igive tankhaa) — A third of the salary and half the rent are one and the same sum. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.