რომ, რადგან, თუ, როცა: two thoughts in one sentence
Two thoughts in one sentence need a link: 'I was late because there was a jam', 'call me when you arrive'. Here is the minimal set. For example: “დავაგვიანე, იმიტომ რომ საცობი იყო” — I was late because there was a traffic jam. A rule from the Georgian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Two thoughts in one sentence need a link: 'I was late because there was a jam', 'call me when you arrive'. Here is the minimal set.
რომ (rom) is the busiest word in Georgian: both 'that' and 'so that'. ვიცი (vitsi), რომ მოხვალ — I know you will come. მინდა (minda), რომ მოხვიდე — I want you to come. The difference is carried by the verb after it.
რადგან (radgan) and იმიტომ რომ (imitom rom) both mean 'because'. The first is bookish and goes in front. The second is live speech and follows the main clause: დავაგვიანე (davagviane), იმიტომ რომ საცობი იყო (imitom rom satsobi iqo).
თუ (tu) — if: თუ წვიმს (tu tsvims), სახლში დავრჩებით (sakhlshi davrchebit). როცა (rotsa) — when: დამირეკე (damireke), როცა ჩამოხვალ (rotsa chamokhval). One trap: after 'when' Georgian speaks of the future in the future tense, where English uses the present.
Table
| Conjunction | Means | What follows it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| რომ | that | the ordinary form | ვიცი, რომ მოხვალ |
| რომ | so that | the wish form | მინდა, რომ მოხვიდე |
| რადგან | since, as | at the front of the sentence | რადგან გვიანია, წავალ |
| იმიტომ რომ | because | after the main clause | ვერ მოვედი, იმიტომ რომ ავად ვიყავი |
| თუ | if; whether | the condition | თუ გინდა, დაგირეკავ |
| როცა | when | the future about the future | როცა ჩამოხვალ, დამირეკე |
| მაგრამ | but | between sentences | მინდოდა, მაგრამ ვერ მოვასწარი |
| ამიტომ | so, therefore | between sentences | დაიღალა, ამიტომ დაიძინა |
By example
- დავაგვიანე, იმიტომ რომ საცობი იყოdavagviane, imitom rom satsobi iqoI was late because there was a traffic jam
- დამირეკე, როცა ჩამოხვალdamireke, rotsa chamokhvalCall me when you arrive
- თუ წვიმს, სახლში დავრჩებითtu tsvims, sakhlshi davrchebitIf it rains, we will stay home
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
two thoughts in one sentence: how does it work in Georgian?
Two thoughts in one sentence need a link: 'I was late because there was a jam', 'call me when you arrive'. Here is the minimal set.
What does it look like in an example sentence Georgian?
“დავაგვიანე, იმიტომ რომ საცობი იყო” (davagviane, imitom rom satsobi iqo) — I was late because there was a traffic jam. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.