People and family in Georgian
134 words Georgian words on the topic “people and family”: მეგობარი — friend, ოჯახი — family, დედა — mother, მამა — father. 134 words can be played from recordings.
134 words on the topic
- მეგობარიmegobarifriendAddressing a friend is megobaro: the ending -o is the vocative case
- ოჯახიojakhifamilyA Persian word. About family one says hqavs — the verb for people, not akvs, the one for things
- დედაdedamotherHence dedaena, mother tongue — literally 'mother language'
- მამაmamafatherThe trap for beginners: mama in Georgian is the father
- შვილიshvilichildMeans both son and daughter: the word names no sex at all. A boy separately is vaji, a girl kalishvili. Hence the surnames in -shvili, 'such-and-such's child'
- გამყიდველიgamqidvelisellerthe start is not 'gamq' with an English q: the q comes from the very depth of the throat, the lips do not move
- მყიდველიmqidvelibuyerThe same word without ga-: the seller is gamqidveli, the buyer mqidveli — two letters apart
- მეზობელიmezobelineighborThe prefix me- often marks someone located somewhere or occupied with something: mezobeli, metevzi the fisherman
- ადამიანიadamianipersonFrom the name Adam. About people in general one more often says khalxi — folk, people; adamiani is one individual
- კაციkatsimanthe k is a sharp k with no puff: the throat clicks and no air goes out. The aspirated kh in khali sounds quite different
- ქალიkaliwomanKhali and katsi are a pair, and the whole difference is the first letter: aspirated kh against sharp k. Wife is a different word, tsoli
- ჭაბუკიchabukia teenagerthe ch is a sharp ch with a glottal click, no puff; the aspirated ch in chartva is softer
- გოგონაgogonaa young womanGogo is a little girl; gogona is the same word, more affectionate and older — said of a girl too. About a grown woman one says khali
- მოხუციmokhutsiold manWorks as noun and adjective alike: mokhutsi katsi, an old man. About things 'old' is the familiar dzveli
- უცნობიutsnobistrangerThe u- negates, tsnoba is to recognize: 'unrecognized'. Do not confuse with utskheli, foreigner — a stranger may well be one of your own
- ბრბოbrbocrowdBrbo is an uncontrolled crowd, a word with a shade of wariness. Simply many people is bevri khalxi
- თმაtmahairIn Georgian this is singular: hair is one mass, not many strands
- მაღალიmaghalitallthe gh is a gargled g from the depth: ma-gha-li
- დაბალიdabalilowThe partner of maghali in every sense: a short person, a low price, a low voice
- ახალგაზრდაakhalgazrdayoungthe heart lgazrd is read with no inserted vowels: a-khal-gaz-rda
- წვერიtsveribeardthe ts is a sharp ts with no puff, with a v right behind it: tsve-ri
- ულვაშიulvashimustacheLike the beard, it is singular in Georgian: a mustache is one thing
- გამხდარიgamkhdariskinnythe cluster mkhd in the middle has no inserted vowel: gam-khda-ri
- მსუქანიmsukanifatAbout a person the word is blunt and not the politest; about food msukani means fatty
- სიმპათიურიsimpatiurigood-lookingthe p is an ejective p in the middle: sim-pa-ti-u-ri
- გარეგნობაgaregnobaappearanceFrom gare, outer: that which is outside. The partner is shinagani, inner
- კეთილიketilikindthe k is a sharp k with no puff of air; the t is aspirated like in 'top': ke-ti-li
- მხიარულიmkhiarulicheerfulSaid of people and of evenings alike: a mkhiaruli saghamo is a fun evening. The opening mkh is two consonants with no vowel between them
- ჭკვიანიchkvianismartthe ch is ejective — a sharp ch cut off with no puff of air, with k right behind it: chkvi-a-ni
- ბოროტიborotiwickedthe t is ejective — a sharp t with no puff of air: bo-ro-ti
- მშვიდიmshvidicalmYou know the family already: mshvidoba is peace, and dila mshvidobisa — 'a morning of peace' — is good morning
- თავაზიანიtavazianipoliteInside sits tavaza, courtesy. For polite speech there is a second word too, zrdilobiani
- ზარმაციzarmatsilazyLaziness as a noun is sizmace, wearing the same si- prefix as sixaruli, joy
- მამაციmamatsibraveLooks like mama, father — and the kinship is real: to be brave here is to be manly
- პატიოსანიpatiosanihonesttwo ejectives in a row at the start — p and t, both with no puff of air: pa-ti-o-sa-ni
- ხასიათიkhasiaticharacterHas a second life as 'mood': karg khasiatze var — 'I'm in a good mood', literally 'on a good character'
- ხუჭუჭაkhuchuchacurlythe ch twice, both sharp: khu-chu-cha
- მელოტიmelotibaldthe t is ejective — sharp, the tongue tip bouncing: me-lo-ti
- ჭაღარაchagharagray-hairedthe ch is ejective; the gh is voiced and throaty: cha-gha-ra
- სიმაღლეsimaghleheightFrom maghali, tall, with the si- prefix that turns a quality into a noun: simaghle, sigrdze, length, siscrape, speed. The same word is the height of a mountain and of a house: Georgian does not give a person's stature a separate word
- ტანადიtanadislenderthe t is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: ta-na-di
- საშუალო ტანისsashualo tanisof average buildLiterally 'of average figure': the genitive of tani in -is. About height you can also say sasualo simaghlis, but in describing a person tanis sounds more often
- გულუხვიgulukhvigenerousguli, heart, plus uxvi, abundant: generous is one with an abundant heart. Georgian has many gul- words about character, and you will meet three of them in this unit
- მომთმენიmomtmenipatientFrom tmena, to endure. Patience is motmineba, and moitmine! means 'hold on!'. About a very patient one they say didi motminebis adamiania — a person of great patience
- შრომისმოყვარეshromismoqvarehardworkingthe q is a throaty k in the middle of the long word: shro-mis-mo-qva-re
- საიმედოsaimedoreliableFrom imedi, hope: one you can hope for. Said of a person and of a thing alike — saimedo mankana. The sa-…-o scheme here is the same as in sasacilo, funny
- მოკრძალებულიmokrdzalebulimodestthe krc is a sharp k, r and the fused dz in a row: mok-rdza-le-bu-li
- კომუნიკაბელურიkomunikabelurisociablethe k twice sharp, no puff of air: ko-mu-ni-ka-be-lu-ri
- მზრუნველიmzrunvelicaringFrom zrunva, to care for. bavshvze zrunva is care for a child, with the postposition -ze. A caring mother is mzrunveli deda
- სერიოზულიseriozuliseriousAbout a person and about a matter alike: seriozuli problema is a serious problem. serioziad? with a questioning tone means 'seriously?' — just as in English
- ზრდილობიანიzrdilobianiwell-manneredFrom zrdiloba, good manners, courtesy. The opposite is assembled with the u- prefix and the -eli suffix: uzrdeli — ill-mannered, a lout. Polite in speech is tavaziani, a word you already know
- იუმორის გრძნობაiumoris grdznobasense of humorthe grdzn is g, r, the fused dz and n in a row: grdzno-ba
- ხარბიkharbigreedyGreedy for everything — money, food, power. Stingy specifically with money is a different word, dzunci, though English would call both greedy
- ჯიუტიjiutistubbornStubborn about a person, a child and an illness alike: jiuti xvela is a stubborn cough. Stubbornness is jiutoba; to dig one's heels in — jiutobs
- უხეშიukheshirudeAbout a person, a fabric and a job alike: uxeshi cxovili is coarse fabric; uxeshi shecdoma is a gross error. To be rude to someone: uxeshad pasuxi — a rude answer
- თავხედიtavkhedibrazentavi, self, plus xedi, a look: one who sees only himself. A strong word, almost an insult: taxedi xar! sounds like 'what a cheek you have!'
- ცბიერიtsbiericunningA bookish word with a shade of slyness. In live speech the sly one is more often called eshmaqi — the same word as 'devil' — and it sounds almost affectionate: eshmaqi bavshvia
- ყბედიqbedichattythe q at the very start is a throaty k from deep in the throat: qbe-di
- გაფანტულიgapantuliabsent-mindedFrom pantva, to scatter: absent-minded is literally 'scattered'. More often said about attention: gapantuli quradgheba. Flustered is a different word, dabneuli
- ცხარეtskharehot-temperedThe same word as 'spicy' about food from the market unit. About a person it means hot-tempered: cxare xasiati avqs — he has a hot temper. Only the topic tells the meanings apart
- გულგრილიgulgriliindifferentguli, heart, plus grili, cool: indifferent is cool of heart. The third gul- word of this unit, alongside guluxvi and gulgatexili, heartbroken
- ჩვევაchvevahabitThe habit of one person. Don't confuse with cveuleba, a folk custom, from the holidays unit: the custom belongs to a people, the habit to you. A bad one is cudi ceva
- დაქალიdakalifemale friendNo gender in Georgian, and megobari is both friend and female friend. daqali — da plus kali — is a colloquial word specifically about a woman's friend, between women. A man will not say this of his friend: he says chemi megobari gogo
- ნაცნობიnatsnobiacquaintanceFrom cnoba, to recognize: one whom you recognize. Both a noun and an adjective: nacnobi saxe — a familiar face. Getting acquainted is gacnoba
- ნიჭიnichitalentthe ch is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: ni-chi
- დაბადებაdabadebato be bornA verbal noun: both birth and 'to be born'. I was born — davibade; he was born — daibada. The birthday from wave one is dabadebis dghe — the same word in the genitive
- ბავშვობაbavshvobachildhoodFrom bavshvi, a child, with the -oba suffix that turns a person into a period of life or a quality: bavshvoba, childhood; megobroba, friendship; jiutoba, stubbornness
- ახალგაზრდობაakhalgazrdobayouth (the time of life)From axalgazrda, young — literally 'newly grown' — with the same -oba. The word covers youth as a period and young people as a crowd: axalgazrdoba quchashia
- ზრდასრული ცხოვრებაzrdasruli tskhovrebaadult lifethe opening zrd is three consonants in a row with no vowel: zrda-sru-li
- თაობაtaobagenerationA generation of people. The older one: uprosi taoba; the younger: axalgazrda taoba. The same -oba suffix as in bavshvoba gathers here not a period but people of one time
- მშობლიური ქალაქიmshobliuri kalakihometownThe same mshobliuri, native, as in native language from the study unit. A person from the same place is tanamamule, and the question 'where are you from' sounds saidan xart?
- ქვეყანაში ხუთი წელი ვიცხოვრეkveqanashi khuti tseli vitskhovreto live in the country for five yearsthe q a deep throaty k, the ts sharp: kve-qa-na-shi, tse-li
- მოგონებაmogonebarecollectionA recollection as what stayed in the memory. Memoirs are mogoneebi, in the plural. The same root in gagoneba, to hear by chance, and mogoneba, to recall
- ძველი ფოტოdzveli potoold photothe dz one fused sound, the t sharp: dzve-li po-to
- ბედიbedifateFate and luck at once: bedi gaughima — luck smiled on him. Happy is bednieri, unhappy ubeduri — and in both the same bed is visible
- ახალი ცხოვრების დაწყებაakhali tskhovrebis datsqebato start a new lifethe ts sharp, the q a throaty k: da-tsqe-ba
- ოჯახის შექმნაojakhis shekmnato start a familyLiterally 'to create a family' — Georgian says it just like the English phrase. sheqmna is to create: a file, a folder, a family. To get married: daqortsineba
- მდიდარიmdidaririchAbout people and about content: mdidari ena is a rich language. Wealth is simdidre, in the si-…-e frame
- ღარიბიgharibipoorthe opening gh is a voiced throaty sound, like a French r: gha-ri-bi
- თანამოსახლეtanamosakhleroommateThe prefix tana- means 'co-': tanamosakhle is a flatmate, tanamshromeli a coworker, tanaklaseli a classmate
- ბავშვობის მეგობარიbavshvobis megobarichildhood friendThe familiar bavshvoba, childhood, in the genitive: 'of childhood a friend'. The defining word comes first, the reverse of English order
- ცნობილიtsnobilifamousFrom tsnoba, to know, the same root as gatsnoba, to introduce. Literally 'knowable'
- ძლიერიdzlieristrongFrom dzala, strength, the same as in the familiar dzalian, very. A heavy rain is dzlieri too
- გონივრულიgonivrulisensibleFrom goneba, mind, the same root as in gamogoneba, invention. About a person people more often say chkviani; gonivruli is about decisions
- სიკეთეsiketekindnessthe k is ejective: si-ke-te
- თავშეკავებაtavshekavebaself-restraintOf tavi, oneself, and shekaveba, to hold back: literally 'the holding in of oneself'
- მოთმინებაmotminebapatienceFrom tmena, to endure. The familiar motmeni, patient, is made from the same root
- ეგოიზმიegoizmiselfishnessA borrowing. In native words it is tavmoqvareoba, but that one has a softer shade: rather self-regard
- სიზარმაცეsizarmatselazinessThe same si-…-e frame from the familiar zarmatsi, lazy
- ჯიუტობაjiutobastubbornnessThe ending -oba turns the familiar jiuti, stubborn, into a state. The adverb from it is jiutad, persistently
- ცნობისმოყვარეობაtsnobismoqvareobacuriositythe q in the middle is the guttural catch; the word is long: tsno-bis-mo-qva-re-o-ba
- პატიოსნებაpatiosnebadecencythe p is ejective: pa-ti-os-ne-ba
- მოხერხებულობაmokherkhebulobaresourcefulnessFrom kherkhi, a trick and a device, through the familiar mokherkheba, to manage. Resourceful is mokherkhebuli
- დაუდევრობაdaudevrobacarelessnessThe da-u-…-oba frame negates devna, to watch over: one who watches after nothing
- გაბედულიgabeduliresoluteFrom bedi, fate, through gabedva, to dare. Literally 'one who has risked his fate'
- მორცხვიmortskhvishythe rtskhv run has no vowel: mor-tskhvi
- წყენიანიtsqenianitouchythe tsq in a row: an ejective ts and the guttural q — ts-qe-ni-a-ni
- დამყოლიdamqolieasygoingthe mq in a row, with the guttural q: dam-qo-li
- ზედმიწევნითიzedmitsevnitimeticulousthe ts is ejective: zed-mi-tsev-ni-ti
- თავმოყვარეtavmoqvarepridefulthe q is the guttural catch: tav-mo-qva-re
- გულისხმიერიguliskhmieriwarm-heartedOf guli, the heart, and khma, a voice: one whose heart answers. The same root in guliskhmobs, to imply
- ჩაკეტილიchaketiliwithdrawnthe k is ejective: cha-ke-ti-li
- პირდაპირიpirdapiriblunttwo ejective p's: pir-da-pi-ri
- არაპროგნოზირებადიaraprognozirebadiunpredictableThe prefix ara- negates, and the ending -adi is the same as in ganakhlebadi. More colloquially: ver mikhvdebi, ras izams
- მორჩილებაmorchilebaobeyThe one obeyed stands in the dative: shobebs emorchileba. The living form is emorchileba
- ტრაბახიtrabakhibragthe opening t is ejective: tra-ba-khi
- ჭორაობაchoraobaspread gossipthe opening ch is ejective: cho-ra-o-ba
- მოკატუნებაmokatunebapretendthe k and t are ejectives: mo-ka-tu-ne-ba
- თავის შეკავებაtavis shekavebahold backThe same root as in 'self-restraint', but here about one concrete time: tavi shevikave
- ხუმრობაkhumrobaplay a jokeBoth 'a joke' and 'to joke'. To play one on someone is vinmeze khumroba, with the postposition -ze
- ტყუილის მოგონებაtquilis mogonebamake up a liethe tq in a row: an ejective t and the guttural q — tkuilis
- მიყურადებაmiquradebaeavesdropthe q is the guttural catch: mi-qu-ra-de-ba
- თავს მოხვევაtavs mokhvevaimpose oneselfLiterally 'to wind oneself around'. The same khveva root as in the familiar mokhveva, a turn
- სიტყვის შესრულებაsitqvis shesrulebakeep one's wordLiterally 'to carry out the word'. The familiar shesruleba is to carry out a task, and the verb is the same
- დამსახურებაdamsakhurebadeserveFrom msakhureba, to serve. The same noun names a merit: es misi damsakhurebaa
- საყვედურის თქმაsaqveduris tkmareproachthe q is the guttural catch: sa-qve-du-ris
- შექებაshekebapraiseThe familiar keba is praising in general, and the preverb she- completes the action: to praise once
- განკითხვაgankitkhvacensureTo censure in conversation, not in court: a court delivers ganacheni. The familiar dagmoba is condemning aloud and sharply
- იმედის გაცრუებაimedis gatsruebalet downLiterally 'to wring out the hope'. The familiar imedgatsrueba is disappointment as a feeling, while this is about an act
- განგებgangebdeliberatelyThe familiar gangzraxi is deliberate, with calculation, while gangeb is more colloquial: out of spite, for fun
- სისულელითsisulelitout of foolishnessThe si-…-e frame from suleli, foolish, gives sisulele, and the instrumental -it makes 'out of foolishness'
- კეთილი განზრახვითketili ganzrakhvitwith the best intentionsthe k in ketili is ejective
- ასე არ იქცევიანase ar iktsevianit is not doneLiterally 'people do not act so'. Georgian speaks of an act through behavior, not through beauty
- ბოროტი განზრახვა არ ჰქონდაboroti ganzrakhva ar hkondahe meant no harmLiterally 'he had no evil intent'. The familiar boroti is evil, ganzraxva is an intent
- ნდობაndobatrustthe opening nd has no vowel: n-do-ba
- შურიshurienvyThe same word means 'vengeance': shuri idzia means 'he took revenge'. To envy is shuri akvs
- სიბრალულიsibralulipityThe si-…-i frame from brali, guilt. The familiar shebraleba, to take pity, shares the root
- გავლენაgavlenainfluenceKnown from the turn gavlenis mokhdena, to have an influence. The stronger word is zegavlena
- ავტორიტეტიavtoritetiauthoritythe t twice, both ejectives: av-to-ri-te-ti
- ორმხრივადormkhrivadmutualthe rmkhr run has no vowel: or-mkhri-vad
- თანაბარ პირობებშიtanabar pirobebshion equal termsLiterally 'in equal conditions': tanabari, the same root as in 'equally', plus piroba. Tanastsorad is about standing, this one about conditions
- მორიგებაmorigebaget alongThe familiar sherigeba is to make peace after a quarrel, while morigeba is to come to terms and get along
- განზე დგომაganze dgomastay on the sidelinesThe familiar gantse gadgoma is to step aside once, while gantse dgoma is to stand apart constantly
- ხალხიkhalkhipeople (persons)Grammatically singular, like English 'a crowd': the verb stays singular with it
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- ჩემი მეგობარი ბათუმში ცხოვრობსchemi megobari batumshi tskhovrobsMy friend lives in Batumi
- დიდი ოჯახი გვყავსdidi ojakhi gvqavsWe have a big family
- დედა ხაჭაპურს აცხობსdeda khachapurs atskhobsMother is baking khachapuri
- მამა სამსახურში წავიდაmama samsakhurshi tsavidaFather left for work
- ორი შვილი მყავსori shvili mqavsI have two children
- გამყიდველი ბაზარშიაgamqidveli bazarshiaThe seller is at the market
What is worth knowing about these words
მეგობარი (megobari) — friend. Addressing a friend is megobaro: the ending -o is the vocative case
ოჯახი (ojakhi) — family. A Persian word. About family one says hqavs — the verb for people, not akvs, the one for things
დედა (deda) — mother. Hence dedaena, mother tongue — literally 'mother language'
მამა (mama) — father. The trap for beginners: mama in Georgian is the father
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is მეგობარი (megobari) — friend.
- What is this word?
It is მეზობელი (mezobeli) — neighbor.
- What is this word?
It is უცნობი (utsnobi) — stranger.
- What is this word?
It is ულვაში (ulvashi) — mustache.
- What is this word?
It is ჭკვიანი (chkviani) — smart.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “friend” in Georgian?
Addressing a friend is megobaro: the ending -o is the vocative case
- How do you say “neighbor” in Georgian?
The prefix me- often marks someone located somewhere or occupied with something: mezobeli, metevzi the fisherman
- How do you say “stranger” in Georgian?
The u- negates, tsnoba is to recognize: 'unrecognized'. Do not confuse with utskheli, foreigner — a stranger may well be one of your own
- How do you say “mustache” in Georgian?
Like the beard, it is singular in Georgian: a mustache is one thing
- How do you say “smart” in Georgian?
To a child the same word doubles as 'well-behaved': chkvianiad iqavi means 'behave yourself'
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Mum, friend, child, neighbour. The first thing people ask you about, and the first thing you tell about yourself.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “friend” in Georgian?
«მეგობარი», read “megobari”. Addressing a friend is megobaro: the ending -o is the vocative case. It is one of 134 words in the set “people and family” — the rest are in the table above.
How many family words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 134 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 134 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.