ხომ, თუ, ნუთუ, -ც: little words the whole conversation rests on
A conversation is made of particles as much as of words: they turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a gentle one. Georgian has few of them, and each has its own job. For example: “ხომ არ იცით, სად არის გაჩერება?” — 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 is made of particles as much as of words: they turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a gentle one. Georgian has few of them, and each has its own job.
First things first: a question needs no helper word at all. 'გასაგებია (gasagebia)' — it is clear; 'გასაგებია?' — is it clear? The difference is intonation alone; the word order does not move. If there is a question word — 'რა (ra)', 'ვინ (vin)', 'სად (sad)', 'როგორ (rogor)', 'რატომ (ratom)' — it goes before the verb: 'ეს რას ნიშნავს (es ras nishnavs)?'.
'ხომ (khom)' — 'after all, right?'. 'ხომ მოხვალ?' — you are coming, right? The speaker expects agreement. And 'ხომ არ (khom ar)' makes the question careful, almost apologetic: 'ხომ არ იცი, სად არის ურნა (sad aris urna)?' — you wouldn't happen to know where the bin is? With the conditional form the same 'ხომ' gives the most polite request in the language: 'ხომ ვერ შეძლებდით (khom ver shedzlebdit)…' — you couldn't possibly…
'ნუთუ (nutu)' — 'surely not, could it really be', and there is always disbelief in it: 'ნუთუ მართლა (nutu martla)?'. Do not confuse it with 'ნუ (nu)' — there a prohibition, here amazement. 'თუ (tu)' in a statement means 'if' ('თუ გამოვა (tu gamova)'), and in a question it means 'or': 'ჩაი თუ ყავა (chai tu qava)?' — tea or coffee?
'-ც (-ts)' glues onto a word and means 'too, also'. 'მეც (mets)' (me too), 'შენც' (you too), 'აქაც' (here too), 'მასაც (masats)' (him too). Georgian has no separate word for 'too' — there is this one letter. 'კი (ki)' — confirmation ('კი, ვიცი (vitsi)') and contrast in the middle of a sentence: 'ის წავიდა (is tsavida), მე კი დავრჩი (me ki davrchi)' — he left, while I stayed.
And two phrases that hold your place in a conversation: 'ერთი წუთით (erti tsutit)' (for a minute) — a request not to be interrupted, and 'მაცალე (matsale)' — give me a moment. Both sound softer than the direct 'არ შემაწყვეტინო' (don't interrupt me), which counts as rude.
Table
| Particle | What it does | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| — (intonation) | turns it into a question | გასაგებია? | is it clear? |
| ხომ | right? after all | ხომ მოხვალ? | you are coming, right? |
| ხომ არ | a careful question | ხომ არ იცი? | you wouldn't know, would you? |
| ხომ + conditional | the polite request | ხომ ვერ შეძლებდით | you couldn't possibly |
| ნუთუ | surely not, disbelief | ნუთუ მართლა? | surely it isn't true? |
| თუ | if; in a question — or | ჩაი თუ ყავა? | tea or coffee? |
| -ც | too, also | მეც | me too |
| კი | yes; but, while | მე კი დავრჩი | while I stayed |
By example
- ხომ არ იცით, სად არის გაჩერება?khom ar itsit, sad aris gachereba?You wouldn't know where the stop is, would you?
- ნუთუ ეს ყველაფერი ერთ დღეში გააკეთე?nutu es qvelaperi ert dgheshi gaakete?Surely you didn't do all this in one day?
- 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 is made of particles as much as of words: they turn a statement into a question, a request into a polite one, a refusal into a gentle one. Georgian has few of them, and each has its own job.
What does it look like in an example sentence Georgian?
“ხომ არ იცით, სად არის გაჩერება?” (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.