მადლობა and გმადლობთ: thanks and I thank you
მადლობა is the word 'thanks' itself, a noun from მადლი — grace, favour. It is the neutral form, fits almost everywhere, and it is the one to start with. In practical spelling: madloba and gmadlobt. For example: “დიდი მადლობა” — Many thanks. A rule from the Georgian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
მადლობა (madloba) is the word 'thanks' itself, a noun from მადლი — grace, favour. It is the neutral form, fits almost everywhere, and it is the one to start with. In practical spelling: madloba and gmadlobt.
გმადლობთ (gmadlobt) is already a verb: 'I thank you'. The ending -თ is the polite 'you' itself — the same -თ as in როგორ ხართ (rogor khart)? (how are you?) and in გაიმეორეთ (repeat, please). To an elder or a stranger this is the only form. Informally it is გმადლობ, without the -თ.
To name what you thank for, add the postposition -ისთვის, 'for': გმადლობთ დახმარებისთვის (gmadlobt dakhmarebistvis) — thank you for the help, რჩევისთვის — for the advice, დროისთვის — for the time. The answer to both forms is one — არაფრის (arapris): the genitive of არაფერი (araperi), 'nothing', and exactly 'don't mention it'.
Table
| the form | word for word | to whom | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| მადლობა | 'grace, favour' | everyone | the neutral 'thanks' |
| გმადლობთ | 'I thank you' | an elder, a stranger | -თ is the polite 'you' itself |
| გმადლობ | 'I thank you' informal | your own | the same without -თ |
| გმადლობთ …-ისთვის | 'thanks for…' | when you name the cause | დახმარებისთვის — for the help |
| არაფრის | genitive of 'nothing' | the answer to thanks | don't mention it |
By example
- დიდი მადლობაdidi madlobaMany thanks
- გმადლობთ დახმარებისთვისgmadlobt dakhmarebistvisThank you for the help
- — მადლობა. — არაფრის.— madloba. — arapris.— Thanks. — Don’t mention it.
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
How to say thank you in Georgian?
მადლობა is the word 'thanks' itself, a noun from მადლი — grace, favour. It is the neutral form, fits almost everywhere, and it is the one to start with. In practical spelling: madloba and gmadlobt.
Მადლობა vs გმადლობთ?
გმადლობთ is already a verb: 'I thank you'. The ending -თ is the polite 'you' itself — the same -თ as in როგორ ხართ? (how are you?) and in გაიმეორეთ (repeat, please). To an elder or a stranger this is the only form. Informally it is გმადლობ, without the -თ.
How to reply to madloba?
To name what you thank for, add the postposition -ისთვის, 'for': გმადლობთ დახმარებისთვის — thank you for the help, რჩევისთვის — for the advice, დროისთვის — for the time. The answer to both forms is one — არაფრის: the genitive of არაფერი, 'nothing', and exactly 'don't mention it'.
How to say thanks for the help in Georgian?
To name what you thank for, add the postposition -ისთვის, 'for': გმადლობთ დახმარებისთვის — thank you for the help, რჩევისთვის — for the advice, დროისთვის — for the time. The answer to both forms is one — არაფრის: the genitive of არაფერი, 'nothing', and exactly 'don't mention it'.
What does it look like in an example sentence Georgian?
“დიდი მადლობა” (didi madloba) — Many thanks. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.