LingoflyFood and drink in Georgian
191 words in Georgian on the topic “food and drink”: ყავა (qava) — coffee, ჩაი (chai) — tea, წყალი (tsqali) — water, პური (puri) — bread. 191 words can be played from recordings.
191 words on the topic
- ყავაqavacoffeeThe opening q is a deep guttural sound from the very bottom of the throat — nothing in English stands this far back
- ჩაიchaiteaThe word traveled half the world almost unchanged. Tea is poured into a chika (glass), coffee into a pinjani (cup)
- წყალიtsqaliwaterTwo hard sounds in a row: the sharp ejective ts and the deep throaty q. A real tongue workout
- პურიpuribreadGeorgian bread bakes in a round clay oven, a tone — hence shotis puri, the boat-shaped loaf
- ყველიqvelicheeseThat deep throaty q again at the start. Sulguni and the Imeretian kind are the two cheeses to know
- ხორციkhortsimeatMenus usually list its kinds: beef, pork, chicken — each named as 'of the animal'
- თევზიtevzifishHence metevzi, fisherman: the me- prefix turns a thing into a trade, as in mebaghe, gardener
- სალათიsalatisaladA borrowing with the obligatory -i. On menus it is most often kartuli salati — tomatoes with walnuts
- სუპიsupisoupA borrowing. The native neighbor is tsvniani, from tsveni — juice, broth
- მარილიmarilisaltHence mariliani, salty — the -iani tail means 'with something'
- ხილიkhilifruitA collective word: 'fruit' and 'fruits' in one. Vegetables are a separate word, bostneuli
- ვაშლიvashliappleThe tree has no word of its own: vashlis khe, literally 'apple wood'
- ფორთოხალიportokhaliorangeAlso gives the color: portokhlisperi, orange, literally 'orange-colored'
- პომიდორიpomidoritomatoThe opening p is ejective, with no puff of air. In Georgia tomato goes into salad more often than into soup
- ღვინოghvinowineThe Georgian word from which both 'wine' and 'vin' took their sound
- ხაჭაპურიkhachapurikhachapuriKhacho is curd cheese, puri is bread: the word is built from these two
- გემრიელიgemrielideliciousFrom gemo, taste. One word praises the whole meal: gemrielia!
- ვჭამvchamto eatA personal form: vcham, I eat. The v- at the very start is 'I', then the root cham. He eats is chams
- ვსვამvsvamto drinkA personal form: vsvam, I drink. He drinks is svams, we drink is vsvamt
- მწიფეmtsiperipethe ts is a short sharp ts, with no puff and no stretching
- საუზმეsauzmebreakfastIt appears whole in sauzme passhi shedis, breakfast is included. To have breakfast is the single word sauzmoba
- სადილიsadililunchThe main meal of the day, in the afternoon
- ვახშამიvakhshamidinnerAs in vakhshmis momzadeba, making dinner: when it declines, the middle -a- drops out and vakhshami becomes vakhshmis
- ღეჭვაghechvato chewthe gh is a rolling throaty rasp, the ch a sharp click of a ch: ghe-ch-va
- ყლაპვაqlapvato swallowthe q is a catch in the very depth of the throat, neither k nor kh; the p after it is a sharp p with no puff
- მადაmadaappetiteAt the table they wish mada sheni — bon appetit, literally 'your appetite'. Do not confuse with madloba, thank you
- ნაჭერიnacheripiecethe ch is the same sharp clicking ch as in chabuki: na-che-ri
- სუნიsunismellOn its own the word is neutral, but without an adjective it is often taken as a bad smell. A pleasant scent is surneli
- კარაქიkarakibutterk at the start is sharp with no puff of air, k at the end is aspirated; both are written k, but the ear hears two sounds: ka-ra-ki
- კარტოფილიkartopilipotatoboth the k and the t are ejective, with no puff of air: kar-to-pi-li
- ფქვილიpkviliflourthe opening pkhv is three consonants in a row — aspirated p, aspirated k, then v — read in one motion: pkvi-li
- თაფლიtaplihoneyHere p again sounds as p, not f: the word is tapli. From it comes tapliani, honeyed
- კაკალიkakaliwalnutsboth k sounds are sharp ejectives, no puff of air: ka-ka-li
- ხახვიkhakhvioniontwo kh sounds separated by a vowel: kha-khvi — a deep, throaty h, further back than English h
- სტაფილოstapilocarrotthe t after s is a sharp ejective t, no puff of air: sta-pi-lo
- წიწაკაtsitsakapeppertwo sharp ts in a row plus an ejective k: tsi-tsa-ka. A gym of a word
- ლობიოlobiobeansThe same word names the signature dish made of it. On a menu lobio is the dish, not the shelf product
- სანელებლებიsaneleblebispicesThe singular is sanelebeli, a seasoning. The sa-…-ebeli frame is the same as in satskhovrebeli, 'a dwelling': 'that which seasons'
- მომზადებაmomzadebato prepareThe verbal noun is 'preparation' — of food or for an exam. Inside is the same root as in mzareuli, cook
- დაბანაdabanato washWashing with water — hands, face, vegetables. Dishes and laundry get a different verb, retskhva
- დანაdanaknifeDiffers from dabana, to wash, by one letter in the middle — and they are easy to confuse by ear
- ხარშვაkharshvato boilthe rshv cluster in the middle reads without a vowel: khar-shva
- შეწვაshetsvato fryts is a sharp ts with no aspiration, then straight into v: she-tsva
- ცხობაtskhobato bakethe opening tskh is ts and kh in a row with no vowel: tskho-ba
- ჭრაchrato cuta sharp ch cut off short, with r right behind it: chra — one syllable
- ქვაბიkvabipotDon't confuse with kva, stone — though the root looks shared: a pot as something hollowed out. The clay pot is kotani
- ტაფაtapafrying panthe t is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: ta-pa
- გაზქურაgazkurastovegazi plus kura, hearth: a gas stove. The oven is a separate thing, ghumeli
- თეფშიtepshiplateA Persian-Turkish word. The p once more reads as p: tep-shi
- ფინჯანიpinjanicupA cup with a handle — for coffee and tea. The handleless glass is chika, and the two are different things
- ჭიქაchikawater glassa sharp ch with no puff of air, then an aspirated k: chi-ka. Don't confuse it with chika spelled with the soft ch — that would be another word
- კოვზიkovzispoonthe k is a sharp ejective k, no puff of air: kov-zi
- ჩანგალიchangaliforkThe same word means 'pitchfork': the farm tool and the table utensil share a name
- ბოთლიbotlibottleEnglish bottle with a Georgian -i. Wine is counted the same way: erti botli ghvino — one bottle of wine
- ხელსახოციkhelsakhotsinapkinBuilt like pirsakhotsi, a towel: there piri was 'face', here kheli is 'hand'
- ჩაიდანიchaidaniteapotInside lives chai, tea; -dani is a Persian suffix for containers
- ლანგარიlangaritrayA word heard in cafes and at feasts: food and dishes alike arrive on it
- ცხელიtskhelihotthe opening tskh is ts and kh in a row, no vowel between: tskhe-li
- ცივიtsivicoldThe partner of tskheli. About the weather — tsiva, it is cold — and inside matsivari, the refrigerator, sits the same root
- მშიერიmshierihungryThe counterpart of madzghari, full. A speaker more often reaches for the phrase mshia — literally 'it hungers to me'
- გემოgemotasteFrom it comes gemrieli, tasty: literally 'having taste'
- მარილიანიmarilianisaltymarili, salt, plus -iani, 'with something': salty is 'with salt'. Built the same way as khmauriani, noisy, and mziani, sunny
- მჟავეmzhavesourthe opening mzh is m and zh in a row, no vowel between them: mzha-ve
- მწარეmtsarebitterthe opening mts is m and a sharp ts in a row: mtsa-re
- ცხარეtskharespicybegins the same way as tskheli: tskha-re
- მაძღარიmadzgharifullthe core dzgh is a fused dz then a rolled gh in a row: ma-dzgha-ri
- გასინჯვაgasinjvato tryThe verbal noun is 'a trial'. In speech: gasinje — try it. A second meaning is an examination at the doctor's
- მენიუmeniumenuNo -i at the end: the word stayed a French guest, like palto, coat
- ოფიციანტიopitsiantiwaiterthe t at the end is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: o-pi-tsi-an-ti
- შეკვეთაshekvetaorderthe k is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: she-kve-ta
- დაკვეთაdakvetato orderSame -kvet- root, different preverb: she- makes the noun of the order, da- the action. In speech: shevkvetav — I'll order
- კერძიkerdzidishthe k is ejective — sharp, no puff of air; dz is one fused sound: kerd-zi
- პორციაportsiaportionthe p is ejective — no puff of air: por-tsi-a
- მაგიდა ორისთვისmagida oristvistable for twoori, two, plus -stvis, for: a table for two. The same pattern gives otxistvis — for four
- დესერტიdesertidessertthe t at the end is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: de-ser-ti
- ხორცის გარეშეkhortsis gareshewithout meatgareshe, without, as in retseptis gareshe, without a prescription. The word every vegetarian here lives by
- ტორტიtorticakeboth t sounds are sharp, no puff of air: tor-ti
- მაკარონიmakaronipastathe k is sharp, no puff of air: ma-ka-ro-ni
- იოგურტიiogurtiyogurtthe t at the end is ejective — sharp: i-o-gur-ti
- ნაღებიnaghebicreamthe gh is voiced and throaty: na-ghe-bi
- ნაყინიnaqiniice creamthe q is a throaty k from deep in the throat: na-qi-ni
- შოკოლადიshokoladichocolateA bar of it is sokoladis fila. Hot chocolate as a drink is cxeli sokoladi, and in a cafe that is exactly how it is ordered
- ორცხობილაortskhobilacookiethe rcx is r, ts and kh in a row: or-tskho-bi-la
- საქონლის ხორციsakonlis khortsibeefsaqoneli is cattle — hence saqonlis xorc, literally 'the meat of cattle'. The same word saqoneli also means 'goods' in a store, a second sense living alongside
- ცხვრის ხორციtskhvris khortsilambfour consonants in a row: tsxv-ris
- კრევეტებიkrevetebishrimp (as food)the k sharp, the t sharp: kre-ve-te-bi
- ყურძენიqurdzenigrapesthe q throaty, the dz one fused sound: qur-dze-ni
- კიტრიkitricucumberthe k and the t are both sharp, no puff of air: kit-ri
- კომბოსტოkombostocabbagethe k sharp, the t sharp: kom-bos-to
- ნიორიniorigarlicA clove of it is nioris kbili, literally 'a tooth of garlic'. Georgian cooking puts garlic in almost everything, and niorcqali — garlic water — is served with meat
- გოგრაgograpumpkinThe pumpkin as a vegetable and as a vessel made of a dried one. The zucchini is a different word, qabaqi, and the two should not be confused
- ბადრიჯანიbadrijanieggplantIts most famous dish is badrijani nigvzit, eggplant with walnut paste. In old texts the tomato was called citeli badrijani — the red eggplant
- ლიმონიlimonilemonA wedge of it is limonis naceri. Lemonade in Georgia is its own drink, limonati, and most often it has nothing to do with the lemon at all
- საზამთროsazamtrowatermelonLiterally 'of winter' — from zamtari, winter: watermelons were stored until winter. The melon is nesvi, and at the market the two are named as a pair: sazamtro da nesvi
- მარწყვიmartsqvistrawberrythe rcq is r, a sharp ts and the throaty q in a row: mar-tsqvi
- მსხალიmskhalipearthree consonants in a row — m, s and kh — without a vowel: mskha-li
- ატამიatamipeachthe t is ejective — sharp, no puff of air: a-ta-mi
- კერძის რეცეპტიkerdzis retseptirecipethe k sharp, the dz fused, the t sharp: ker-dzis re-tsep-ti
- ბოსტნეულის გაფცქვნაbostneulis gaptskvnato peel vegetablesthe middle cluster ptsqvn is one breath: ga-ptcxvna
- ადუღებაadughebato bring to a boilthe gh is voiced and throaty: a-du-ghe-ba
- არევაarevato stirTo stir with a spoon. The same word means 'to mix up': saxelebi ameria — I mixed up the names. In the kitchen almost always with a preverb: movurie, avurie
- დამარილებაdamarilebato saltFrom marili, salt. damarilebuli is salted. To oversalt: gadamarileba, with the preverb gada-
- გაცხელებაgatskhelebato reheatthe cx is ts and kh in a row: ga-tsxhe-le-ba
- გაცივებაgatsivebato coolFrom civi, cold. One letter decides: gaciveba is to cool food, while gacieba, without the v, is a cold and catching one
- კვერცხების ათქვეფაkvertskhebis atkvepato whisk the eggsthe rcx is r, ts and kh in a row: kver-tsxhe-bis
- წყლის დამატებაtsqlis damatebato add waterthe cql is a sharp ts, the throaty q and l: cq-lis
- გრილზე შეწვაgrilze shetsvato grillthe cv is a sharp ts and v: she-tsva
- ვარგისიანობის ვადაvargisianobis vadaexpiration datevargisi is fit for use, vada is a term — the same vada as in gadaxdis vada, the due date. On the packaging it is written shorter: vargisia …-mde
- გაფუჭდაgapuchdait went offthe ch is sharp: ga-puch-da
- ქილაkilajarthe q is aspirated — the air escapes right after the closure: qi-la. Through the sharp ejective k it would be another word
- დამატებითი პორციაdamatebiti portsiasecond helpingthe p is sharp: por-tsi-a
- თან წასაღებიtan tsasaghebifor takeawaythe ts is sharp: tsa-sa-ghe-bi
- შაქრის გარეშეshakris gareshewithout sugargareshe is 'without', and it follows the word: shakris gareshe; xorcis gareshe — without meat. shakari itself loses a vowel with the -is tail: shakris
- ვეგეტარიანელი ვარvegetarianeli varI'm a vegetarianNo gender: a woman will say exactly the same. A vegan is vegani. On Georgian menus the word samarxvo, Lenten, saves you: Lenten dishes are many here, without meat or milk
- გემრიელად მიირთვითgemrielad miirtvitenjoy your mealLiterally 'eat tasty': miirtvit is the polite 'eat'. To one person: gemrielad miirtvi. The reply is madloba, or an invitation to the table: modi, ertad vcamot
- ცხიმიანი საჭმელიtskhimiani sachmelifatty foodthe opening tskh has no vowel, and the ch is a sharp clipped ch: tskhi-mia-ni sach-me-li
- კანფეტიkanpeticandythe k is ejective and the p aspirated: kan-pe-ti
- ეროვნული კერძიerovnuli kerdzinational dishthe k is ejective and dz is one fused dz sound: ker-dzi
- ქუჩის საჭმელიkuchis sachmelistreet foodthe k with a puff of air, and the ch a sharp clipped ch: ku-chis sach-me-li
- ღორის ხორციghoris khortsiporkNo dedicated word: 'pig's meat'. Ghori is the pig, and the 'whose' ending -is sets it to the left of khortsi
- ქათმის ხორციkatmis khortsichickenThe live bird is katami; on the table it becomes katmis khortsi — the 'whose' form eats a vowel
- იხვის ხორციikhvis khortsiduck (meat)The bird itself, ikhvi, means duck; it becomes food through the same 'whose' form -is
- ფარშიparshiground meatA borrowing with the obligatory tail -i. The native description is dakepili khortsi, minced meat
- ლორიlorihamA native word, not a borrowing: it names both boiled ham and the cured ham leg
- სოსისიsosisisausageA borrowing with the tail -i. In the plural it becomes sosisebi
- თინუსიtinusitunaThe opening t is aspirated, not the ejective t — the difference is audible and it changes meaning
- ორაგულიoragulisalmonA native word: it covers both the trout of mountain rivers and the salmon on the counter — this fish is local, not imported
- კრევეტიkrevetia shrimp (one)A borrowing where both the k and the t are ejectives — a sharp click, no puff
- ზღვის პროდუქტებიzghvis produktebiseafoodLiterally 'products of the sea': no single word exists, and the 'whose' form zghvis does the work a prefix would
- ქლიავიkliaviplumA native word. The kh is aspirated, and kl at the start really do run together with no vowel between them
- ჟოლოzholoraspberryzh is its own letter, the sound in 'measure'. A native word; its jam is zholos muraba
- ნესვიnesvimelonMelon is nesvi, watermelon is sazamtro: two different roots, and mixing them up strikes a Georgian as odd
- ბროწეულიbrotseulipomegranateThe opening ts is ejective — a sharp ts with the throat closed off. A native word, and the pomegranate is also a sign of abundance in Georgia
- ანანასიananasipineappleA borrowing with the tail -i, like almost every imported fruit
- მანდარინიmandarinitangerineTangerines grow in Georgia, in Adjara, but the word is still a borrowing — with the obligatory -i
- კივიkivikiwiThe opening k is ejective. The word did take the tail -i, though it arrived only recently
- ავოკადოavokadoavocadoOne of the few words with no -i tail: borrowings ending in -o never take it
- ქიშმიშიkishmishiraisinsIt came from the east along with the raisins themselves. In the villages the native chamichi lives on beside it
- ლეღვიleghvifigAn ancient native word. The gh is throaty, a voiced rasp deeper than English g
- ბულგარული წიწაკაbulgaruli tsitsakabell pepperTsitsaka on its own is the hot kind; the sweet vegetable one Georgians call 'Bulgarian'
- ყაბაყიqabaqizucchiniTwo of that deep throaty q in one word — it sits deeper than any English k
- ჭარხალიcharkhalibeetThe ch here is ejective, sharper than the plain ch. From it comes charkhlis pkhali, a beet pate
- ბოლოკიbolokiradishA native word; the final k is ejective, and the first two syllables sound level and plain
- მწვანილიmtsvanilifresh herbsFrom mtsvane, green, with the tail -ili. In Georgia this is not a garnish but a whole plate on the table
- კამაkamadillA short native word with an ejective k. Do not confuse with kamathi, an argument
- ოხრახუშიokhrakhushiparsleyA long native word with two of those throaty kh sounds, like in 'aha'
- ჯანჯაფილიjanjapiligingerIt arrived through Persian together with the root itself. j is one letter, the fused sound in 'judge'
- სიმინდიsimindicornA native word, and in western Georgia it matters more than wheat: the corn bread mchadi bakes from its flour
- ისპანახიispanakhispinachThe opening p is ejective, the final kh throaty. It traveled from the east by the same road the spinach did
- ფუნთუშაpuntushabunA native word; the p and the th are both aspirated. It covers both a rich sweet bun and a plain round roll
- ღვეზელიghvezelipieA native word for a closed pie with a filling. The opening ghv is the throaty gh straight into a v
- ნამცხვარიnamtskhvaripastryFrom tskhoba, to bake, with the na- prefix: 'that which was baked'. It names both a pastry and a slice of cake
- პონჩიკიponchikidonutA borrowing with the tail -i; the p is ejective. In Batumi it is street food filled with condensed milk
- ნაცხობიnatskhobibaked goodsThe same root tskhoba, to bake, but the na- prefix without a tail names the whole class: everything baked at once
- ჯემიjemijamA borrowing; the native muraba is preserves with whole berries, while jemi on the jar means smooth
- სიროფიsiropisyrupA borrowing with the tail -i; the final p is aspirated, not the ejective p
- პოპკორნიpopkornipopcornIt came by way of English; both the p and the k are ejectives, and the tail -i is obligatory
- ჩიფსიchipsipotato chipsA borrowing, and in Georgian it is singular: chipsi is the whole bag at once
- საღეჭი რეზინიsaghechi rezinichewing gumLiterally 'chewing rubber': the sa-...-i ring wraps ghechva, to chew. In speech plain rezini works too
- ლიმონათიlimonatilemonadeNot 'limonadi': Georgian took the word with its own -ti tail. It names any sweet fizzy drink
- მინერალური წყალიmineraluri tsqalimineral waterThe -uri adjective marks the borrowed part. The opening tsq of tsqali is the ejective ts and the throaty q in a row
- გაზიანი წყალიgaziani tsqalisparkling waterThe -iani tail means 'with something': gaziani is 'with gas'. Without gas they say ugazo
- კოქტეილიkokteilicocktailA borrowing with both pairs in one word: the ejective k and t, and the aspirated kh
- კაკაოkakaococoaNo -i tail, like all borrowings in -o. Both k's are ejectives
- ხსნადი ყავაkhsnadi qavainstant coffeeKhsnadi comes from khzna, to dissolve. The opening khs has no vowel, and the q in qava is that deep throaty one
- ჩაის პაკეტიchais paketitea bagEnglish builds an adjective; Georgian reaches for the 'whose' form: chais, of tea. The p and the t are ejectives
- მდუღარეmdughareboiling waterFrom dughili, to boil: 'boiling'. Tskhel tsqali is just hot water — this one is at the bubble
- ალკოჰოლიalkoholialcoholA borrowing; the opening h is its own letter, a light exhale. The tail -i is obligatory
- სასმელიsasmelibeverageThe sa-...-eli ring around sma, to drink: 'the thing drunk'. The same device builds satchmeli, food
- წვენიtsvenijuiceThe same word for the juice of a fruit and the gravy of meat. Which juice says the 'whose' form on the left: vashlis tsveni
- ხინკალიkhinkalikhinkaliA good khinkali has no fewer than nineteen pleats; people count them in earnest
- ქვევრიkvevriqvevriHence amber wine: white grapes fermented on the skins give the orange color
- ჩურჩხელაchurchkhelachurchkhelaThe thickened juice is called tatara; without it you get not a churchkhela but a string of nuts
- ტყემალიtkemalitkemaliThe tree itself bears the same name: the sauce is named after its raw material
- მწვადიmtsvadimtsvadiTo marinate mtsvadi is considered an admission that the meat is not fresh
- მჭადიmchadimchadiPut cheese inside and you get chvishtari — a different dish and a different name
- საცივიsatsivisatsiviThe sauce thickens as it cools — which is why the dish is never reheated
- საფერავიsaperaviSaperaviIt makes both the dry and the semisweet; Georgians count the semisweet as wine for guests
- ჭაჭაchachachachaDrunk from a small glass and always under a toast, never just so
- სულგუნიsulgunisulguniA Mingrelian name: suli is soul, guli is heart — though that is folk etymology
- ნადუღიnadughinadughiFrom dughili, boiling: nadughi is what floated up during the boiling
- შოთიshotishotiThe hole is there so the bread does not fall off the oven wall while it bakes
- თონეtonetone ovenA cousin of the Central Asian tandoor, in both name and design
- აჯიკაajikaajikaAn Abkhaz word that simply means 'salt': the pepper was added by shepherds
- ფხალიpkhalipkhaliThe different-colored balls on one plate are one dish of different vegetables, not three
- ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზითbadrijani nigvzitbadrijaniNigvzit means 'with walnut': walnut paste stands in for both sauce and gravy in Georgian cooking
- ხარჩოkharchokharchoThe full name is 'beef kharcho'; the sour note comes from plum, not tomato
- ღომიghomighomiBefore corn, ghomi was cooked from millet — the word and the dish are older than America
- მაწონიmatsonimatsoniThe Armenian matsun is the same word and the same product: the kinship is plain to see
- ნიგვზის საწებელიnigvzis satsebeliwalnut sauceUtkho-suneli is blue fenugreek, and nothing can replace it: without it the taste is another
- ალუბალიalubalisour cherryThe prefix alu- points to sourness, as in alucha, the cherry plum
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
The CSV contains spelling, reading guides, translations and links to word pages. Use the browser menu to save the printable sheet as a PDF.
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.
What is worth knowing about these words
ყავა (qava) — coffee. The opening q is a deep guttural sound from the very bottom of the throat — nothing in English stands this far back.
ჩაი (chai) — tea. The word traveled half the world almost unchanged. Tea is poured into a chika (glass), coffee into a pinjani (cup).
წყალი (tsqali) — water. Two hard sounds in a row: the sharp ejective ts and the deep throaty q. A real tongue workout.
პური (puri) — bread. Georgian bread bakes in a round clay oven, a tone — hence shotis puri, the boat-shaped loaf.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee” in Georgian?
The opening q is a deep guttural sound from the very bottom of the throat — nothing in English stands this far back
- How do you say “salad” in Georgian?
A borrowing with the obligatory -i. On menus it is most often kartuli salati — tomatoes with walnuts
- How do you say “wine” in Georgian?
The Georgian word from which both 'wine' and 'vin' took their sound
- How do you say “lunch” in Georgian?
The main meal of the day, in the afternoon
- How do you say “butter” in Georgian?
Butter the dairy kind. The oil you fry in is a different word, zeti — mixing them up in the kitchen is a real offense
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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 “coffee” in Georgian?
«ყავა» (qava), read “qava”. The opening q is a deep guttural sound from the very bottom of the throat — nothing in English stands this far back. It is one of 191 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.
How many food words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 191 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
Is there audio?
Yes, 191 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.