თუ and რომ: if it will be — and if it were
English 'if' covers both 'if there is time, I will come' and 'if there were time, I would come', with the grammar of the verbs doing the separating. Georgian goes further: this is two different conjunctions and two different verb forms, and mixing them is not allowed. For example: “თუ გამოცდას ჩავაბარებ, სტიპენდიას მივიღებ” — If I pass the exam, I will get the stipend. A rule from the Georgian course: worked out on…
How it works
English 'if' covers both 'if there is time, I will come' and 'if there were time, I would come', with the grammar of the verbs doing the separating. Georgian goes further: this is two different conjunctions and two different verb forms, and mixing them is not allowed.
The real condition — the thing that may genuinely happen — is introduced by თუ (tu), and the verb after it stands in the ordinary future or present: 'თუ გამოცდას ჩავაბარებ (tu gamotsdas chavabareb), სტიპენდიას მივიღებ (stipendias mivigheb)' — if I pass the exam, I will get the stipend. No subjunctive here, and none belongs. You have seen this pattern in the wave 2 dialogues already: 'თუ დავაგვიანებ (tu davagvianeb), დაგირეკავ (dagirekav)'.
The unreal condition — the thing that is not so and most likely never will be — is introduced by რომ (rom), and the verb takes the conditional ending -დი / -დე: 'ფული რომ მქონდეს (puli rom mkondes), ბინას ვიყიდიდი (binas viqididi)' — if I had the money, I would buy a flat. Note that 'რომ' stands after the first word of the clause, not at the very front like English 'if'. Word order is the main trap here.
If the unfulfilled thing belongs to the past, both verbs step back one more: 'ადრე რომ მცოდნოდა (adre rom mtsodnoda), არ წავიდოდი (ar tsavidodi)' — had I known earlier, I would not have gone. And the last thing, the reason this rule lives in the work unit: the conditional form without any 'if' at all sounds more polite than the direct one. 'გირჩევდი' — I would advise you, 'გთხოვდით' — I would ask you. Interviews and banks speak exactly like this — the same trick as English 'I would like' instead of 'I want'.
Table
| Type of condition | Conjunction | Verb in the main part | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| real, about the future | თუ | the future | თუ მოვასწრებ, მოვალ — if I make it in time, I will come |
| real, about the present | თუ | the present | თუ გინდა, დაგეხმარები — if you want, I will help |
| unreal, about the present | რომ | conditional on '-დი' | დრო რომ მქონდეს, წავიდოდი — if I had time, I would go |
| unreal, about the past | რომ | the past conditional | ადრე რომ მცოდნოდა, არ წავიდოდი — had I known earlier, I would not have gone |
| a polite softener | — | conditional without 'if' | გირჩევდით — I would advise you |
By example
- თუ გამოცდას ჩავაბარებ, სტიპენდიას მივიღებtu gamotsdas chavabareb, stipendias mivighebIf I pass the exam, I will get the stipend
- ფული რომ მქონდეს, ბინას ვიყიდიდიpuli rom mkondes, binas viqididiIf I had money, I would buy a flat
- დრო რომ მქონდეს, კურსზე ჩავეწერებოდიdro rom mkondes, kursze chavetserebodiIf I had time, I would sign up for the course
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
Თუ vs რომ in Georgian?
English 'if' covers both 'if there is time, I will come' and 'if there were time, I would come', with the grammar of the verbs doing the separating. Georgian goes further: this is two different conjunctions and two different verb forms, and mixing them is not allowed.
How to say if I had time in Georgian?
The real condition — the thing that may genuinely happen — is introduced by თუ, and the verb after it stands in the ordinary future or present: 'თუ გამოცდას ჩავაბარებ, სტიპენდიას მივიღებ' — if I pass the exam, I will get the stipend. No subjunctive here, and none belongs. You have seen this pattern…
Why რომ does not start the sentence?
The unreal condition — the thing that is not so and most likely never will be — is introduced by რომ, and the verb takes the conditional ending -დი / -დე: 'ფული რომ მქონდეს, ბინას ვიყიდიდი' — if I had the money, I would buy a flat. Note that 'რომ' stands after the first word of the clause, not at…
How to ask politely in Georgian with გირჩევდით?
If the unfulfilled thing belongs to the past, both verbs step back one more: 'ადრე რომ მცოდნოდა, არ წავიდოდი' — had I known earlier, I would not have gone. And the last thing, the reason this rule lives in the work unit: the conditional form without any 'if' at all sounds more polite than the…
What does it look like in an example sentence Georgian?
“თუ გამოცდას ჩავაბარებ, სტიპენდიას მივიღებ” (tu gamotsdas chavabareb, stipendias mivigheb) — If I pass the exam, I will get the stipend. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.