Lingoflyხომ, თუ, ნუთუ, -ც: little words the whole conversation rests on
A conversation runs on little words. They turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a soft one. Georgian has few of them, and each does its own job. For example: “ხომ (khom) არ (ar) იცით, სად არის (sad aris) გაჩერება (gachereba)?” — You wouldn't know where the stop is, would you? A rule from the Georgian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A conversation runs on little words. They turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a soft one. Georgian has few of them, and each does its own job.
First, the main thing: a question needs no extra word. გასაგებია (gasagebia) — it is clear, გასაგებია? (gasagebia) — clear? Only the intonation differs, and the word order stays put.
ხომ (khom) means 'right?': ხომ (khom) მოხვალ? — you are coming, right? The speaker expects a yes. And ხომ (khom) არ (ar) (khom ar) makes the question cautious, almost apologetic: ხომ (khom) არ (ar) იცი, სად არის (sad aris) ურნა (urna) (sad aris urna)? — you wouldn't know where a bin is?
ნუთუ (nutu) means 'surely not', always with disbelief: ნუთუ (nutu) მართლა (martla) (nutu martla)?. And -ც (-ts) glues onto a word and means 'too': მეც (mets) — me too, შენც — you too. There is no separate word for 'too'.
Table
| Particle | What it does | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| — (intonation) | turns it into a question | გასაგებია? (gasagebia) | is it clear? |
| ხომ (khom) | right? after all | ხომ (khom) მოხვალ? | you are coming, right? |
| ხომ (khom) არ (ar) | a careful question | ხომ (khom) არ (ar) იცი? | you wouldn't know, would you? |
| ხომ (khom) + conditional | the polite request | ხომ ვერ შეძლებდით (khom ver shedzlebdit) | you couldn't possibly |
| ნუთუ (nutu) | surely not, disbelief | ნუთუ (nutu) მართლა? (martla) | surely it isn't true? |
| თუ (tu) | if; in a question — or | ჩაი (chai) თუ (tu) ყავა (qava)? | tea or coffee? |
| -ც | too, also | მეც (mets) | me too |
| კი (ki) | yes; but, while | მე (me) კი (ki) დავრჩი | while I stayed |
By example
- მეც ასე ვფიქრობ, შენ კი სხვას ამბობmets ase vpikrob, shen ki skhvas ambobI think so too, while you are saying something else
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
little words the whole conversation rests on: how does it work in Georgian?
A conversation runs on little words. They turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a soft one. Georgian has few of them, and each does its own job.
What does it look like in a Georgian example sentence?
“ხომ (khom) არ (ar) იცით, სად არის (sad aris) გაჩერება (gachereba)?” (khom ar itsit, sad aris gachereba?) — You wouldn't know where the stop is, would you? A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.