For autodidact students of Georgian, "here" is აქ (ak). აქ ვარ (ak var) is "I am here"; მოდი აქ (modi ak) is "come here"; აქ არ არის (ak ar aris) is "it is not here." It is one of the shortest words in the language, two letters and one syllable, and one of the most used.
English has two place words of this kind, "here" and "there." Georgian has three, in step with its three demonstratives: - აქ (ak): here, near the speaker, like ეს (es), "this" - მანდ (mand): there, near the person spoken to, like ეგ (eg), "that (by you)" - იქ (ik): there, far from both, like ის (is), "that (over there)"
So where English says "there" for both the chair next to you and the mountain across the valley, Georgian says მანდ for the first and იქ for the second. This lesson is about აქ, but keep the other two in mind: they are built on the same pattern.
აქ is an adverb of place, and like every Georgian adverb it does not change: it takes no case ending and agrees with nothing. To say "from here," "toward here" or "as far as here," Georgian adds a suffix to a stem აქ-, usually with the linking vowel -ე- (before -მდე, -ა-): - აქედან (akedan): from here - აქეთ (aket): this way, to this side - აქეთკენ (aketk'en): toward here - აქამდე (akamde): as far as here, and in time, until now - აქვე (akve): right here, in this very place - აქაური (akauri): from here, local
Two other things are worth knowing from the start. The first is that many verbs of motion carry a small preverb that says whether the movement is toward the speaker or away: მო- (mo-) is "hither" and წა- (ts'a-) is "away." So "come here" is მოდი აქ, and "go away from here" is წადი აქედან (ts'adi akedan). The second is a warning. The verb აქვს (akvs), "has," begins with the same two letters, and in casual speech it is sometimes clipped so that მაქვს (makvs), "I have," is said მაქ (mak). A learner who hears აქ should look at the rest of the sentence to see which is meant.
Key Takeaways: - აქ (ak): here, near the speaker. Never changes; no case endings - The three-way set: აქ (here), მანდ (there, by you), იქ (there, far away) - With a suffix: აქედან (from here), აქეთ (this way), აქამდე (as far as here), აქვე (right here) - Preverbs: მოდი აქ (come here), წადი აქედან (go away from here) - "Is here" is აქ არის; "am here" is აქ ვარ; "was here" is აქ იყო - Doubled: აქა-იქ (aka-ik), "here and there"; აქეთ-იქით (aket-ikit), "this way and that" - The place word usually stands right before the verb: აქ ვარ, "I am HERE"
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აქ is written in Mkhedruli, the everyday Georgian alphabet, with two letters: ა (a) and ქ (k). Each letter has one sound, and the word is read exactly as it is written: "ak," with a short open a and a k that is breathed out, as in English "kin."
The second letter needs care. Georgian has two k letters, and they are different consonants: ქ (k) is the aspirated one, with a puff of breath, and კ (k') is the ejective, popped sharply with no breath. აქ ends in ქ. Swap the letters and you write a different word. In the romanization of this course the plain k is ქ and the k with an apostrophe is კ: so აქ is "ak," and კიბე (k'ibe), "steps," has the apostrophe.
In Unicode, ა is U+10D0 and ქ is U+10E5, both in the Georgian block. Do not copy look-alike letters from other scripts.
Because the suffixes are added to the stem აქ-, the same two letters begin every word of the family: აქედან, აქეთ, აქამდე, აქვე, აქაური. Learn to see აქ- at the front and read the ending separately: -ედან is "from," -ეთ is "this way," -ამდე is "as far as," -ვე is "right" (the vowel before -მდე and -ვე is the linking vowel).
A reminder on the romanization: ხ is kh, ღ is gh, შ is sh, ჩ is ch, ც is ts, ძ is dz, ჟ is zh, ჯ is j, and the apostrophe marks the ejectives (კ k', პ p', ტ t', წ ts', ჭ ch', ყ q').
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82.1a აქ here ვარ I-am
82.1b ak (AK) here var (VAR) be-PRES.1SG
82.2a მანქანა car აქ here დგას stands
82.2b mankana (MAN-ka-na) car-NOM ak (AK) here dgas (DGAS) stand-PRES.3SG
82.3a ვინ who არის is აქ here
82.3b vin (vin) who-NOM aris (A-ris) be-PRES.3SG ak (AK) here
82.4a წიგნი book აქ here არ not არის is
82.4b ts'igni (TS'IG-ni) book-NOM ak (AK) here ar (ar) not aris (A-ris) be-PRES.3SG
82.5a მოდი come აქ here
82.5b modi (MO-di) come-IMP.2SG ak (AK) here
82.6a აქ here ძალიან very ლამაზია beautiful-is
82.6b ak (AK) here dzalian (DZA-li-an) very lamazia (LA-ma-zi-a) beautiful-NOM.is
82.7a ბავშვები children აქ here თამაშობენ they-play
82.7b bavshvebi (BAVSH-ve-bi) children-NOM ak (AK) here tamashoben (TA-ma-sho-ben) play-PRES.3PL
82.8a გუშინ yesterday აქ here არავინ nobody იყო was
82.8b gushin (GU-shin) yesterday ak (AK) here aravin (A-ra-vin) nobody-NOM iq'o (I-q'o) be-PAST.3SG
82.9a აქ here ყველაფერი everything ძვირია expensive-is
82.9b ak (AK) here q'velaperi (Q'VE-la-pe-ri) everything-NOM dzviria (DZVI-ri-a) expensive-NOM.is
82.10a მე I აქ here პირველად for-the-first-time ვარ I-am
82.10b me (me) I-NOM ak (AK) here p'irvelad (P'IR-ve-lad) first-ADV var (VAR) be-PRES.1SG
82.11a აქედან from-here ზღვა sea ჩანს is-visible
82.11b akedan (A-ke-dan) here-ABL zghva (ZGHVA) sea-NOM chans (CHANS) be-visible-PRES.3SG
82.12a ბაღში in-garden აქა-იქ here-and-there ყვავილები flowers ყვავის bloom
82.12b baghshi (BAGH-shi) garden-IN aka-ik (A-ka-ik) here-there q'vavilebi (Q'VA-vi-le-bi) flowers-NOM q'vavis (Q'VA-vis) bloom-PRES.3SG
82.13a აქამდე as-far-as-here ფეხით on-foot მოვედით we-came
82.13b akamde (A-kam-de) here-UNTIL pekhit (PE-khit) foot-INSTR movedit (MO-ve-dit) come-AOR.1PL
82.14a დამელოდე wait-for-me აქ here ახლა now მოვალ I-will-come
82.14b damelode (DA-me-lo-de) wait-IMP.2SG.for-me ak (AK) here akhla (AKH-la) now moval (MO-val) come-FUT.1SG
82.15a აქ here დავიბადე I-was-born და and აქვე right-here მინდა I-want ვიცხოვრო I-live
82.15b ak (AK) here davibade (DA-vi-ba-de) be-born-AOR.1SG da (da) and akve (A-kve) here-EMPH minda (MIN-da) want-PRES.1SG vitskhovro (VI-tskho-vro) live-OPT.1SG
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82.1 აქ ვარ. (Ak var.) "I am here." 82.2 მანქანა აქ დგას. (Mankana ak dgas.) "The car is standing here." 82.3 ვინ არის აქ? (Vin aris ak?) "Who is here?" 82.4 წიგნი აქ არ არის. (Ts'igni ak ar aris.) "The book is not here." 82.5 მოდი აქ. (Modi ak.) "Come here." 82.6 აქ ძალიან ლამაზია. (Ak dzalian lamazia.) "It is very beautiful here." 82.7 ბავშვები აქ თამაშობენ. (Bavshvebi ak tamashoben.) "The children play here." 82.8 გუშინ აქ არავინ იყო. (Gushin ak aravin iq'o.) "Yesterday nobody was here." 82.9 აქ ყველაფერი ძვირია. (Ak q'velaperi dzviria.) "Everything is expensive here." 82.10 მე აქ პირველად ვარ. (Me ak p'irvelad var.) "I am here for the first time." 82.11 აქედან ზღვა ჩანს. (Akedan zghva chans.) "From here the sea can be seen." 82.12 ბაღში აქა-იქ ყვავილები ყვავის. (Baghshi aka-ik q'vavilebi q'vavis.) "In the garden flowers are blooming here and there." 82.13 აქამდე ფეხით მოვედით. (Akamde pekhit movedit.) "We came this far on foot." 82.14 დამელოდე აქ, ახლა მოვალ. (Damelode ak, akhla moval.) "Wait for me here, I will be back in a moment." 82.15 აქ დავიბადე და აქვე მინდა ვიცხოვრო. (Ak davibade da akve minda vitskhovro.) "I was born here, and I want to live right here."
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82.1 აქ ვარ. 82.2 მანქანა აქ დგას. 82.3 ვინ არის აქ? 82.4 წიგნი აქ არ არის. 82.5 მოდი აქ. 82.6 აქ ძალიან ლამაზია. 82.7 ბავშვები აქ თამაშობენ. 82.8 გუშინ აქ არავინ იყო. 82.9 აქ ყველაფერი ძვირია. 82.10 მე აქ პირველად ვარ. 82.11 აქედან ზღვა ჩანს. 82.12 ბაღში აქა-იქ ყვავილები ყვავის. 82.13 აქამდე ფეხით მოვედით. 82.14 დამელოდე აქ, ახლა მოვალ. 82.15 აქ დავიბადე და აქვე მინდა ვიცხოვრო.
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These are the grammar rules for აქ (ak), "here."
აქ is an adverb of place and never changes. It has no case, no number and no gender, and nothing in the sentence agrees with it. Everything that English does with a preposition ("from here," "to here," "up to here") Georgian does by changing the adverb's ending: - აქ (ak) — here (82.1) - აქედან (akedan) — from here (82.11) - აქეთ (aket) — this way, to this side - აქეთკენ (aketk'en) — toward here - აქამდე (akamde) — as far as here, up to here (82.13) - აქვე (akve) — right here, in this very spot (82.15). The ending -ვე (-ve) makes a word more exact: "this same place" - აქაური (akauri) — from here, local; as a noun, "a local" (a person of this place)
The three-way set. The same endings fit the other two place words, with their own first vowel: - აქ (ak) — here; იქ (ik) — there, far away; მანდ (mand) — there, by you - აქედან (akedan) — from here; იქიდან (ikidan) — from there - აქეთ (aket) — this way; იქით (ikit) — that way - აქეთ-იქით (aket-ikit) — this way and that, on both sides - აქაური (akauri), იქაური (ikauri), მანდაური (mandauri) — one from here, one from over there, one from there by you
Note the linking vowel: after აქ- the suffixes begin with -ე- (აქედან, აქეთ), after იქ- with -ი- (იქიდან, იქით); only აქამდე, with -ა-, is different, and აქვე takes none. Learn them in these pairs.
Doubling. აქა-იქ (aka-ik), "here and there," scatters things over a place (82.12). აქეთ-იქით (aket-ikit) is "on this side and that."
Position in the sentence. The ordinary place for the place word is right before the verb, and that gives it the stress of the sentence: - აქ ვარ (82.1): "I am HERE" (not somewhere else) - ვინ არის აქ? (82.3): in a question, the place can follow the verb and the stress falls on "who"
You will hear and see both orders, but the word standing directly in front of the verb is the one the speaker is pointing at. In 82.2 and 82.7 the "here" is placed before the verb for that reason.
The verb "to be" with აქ. "Be" is the commonest verb that goes with a place word. The present: - მე ვარ (me var) — I am - შენ ხარ (shen khar) — you are - ის არის (is aris) — he, she, it is - ჩვენ ვართ (chven vart) — we are - თქვენ ხართ (tkven khart) — you (plural or polite) are - ისინი არიან (isini arian) — they are
The past: ვიყავი (viq'avi), იყავი (iq'avi), იყო (iq'o), ვიყავით (viq'avit), იყავით (iq'avit), იყვნენ (iq'vnen). So "I was here" is აქ ვიყავი, and "nobody was here" is აქ არავინ იყო (82.8). The negative is არ before the verb: წიგნი აქ არ არის (82.4).
Verbs of position. When the subject is a thing, Georgian often says how it sits instead of just "is": მანქანა აქ დგას (82.2), "the car stands here." People and animals say "sits" (ზის, zis); a thing laid down "lies" (ძევს, dzevs; past იდო, ido). The English "is" works almost everywhere; the Georgian verb is more exact.
Motion toward and away: მო- and წა-. The preverb მო- (mo-) means the movement ends at the speaker. მოდი (modi), "come!", takes აქ; მოვედით (movedit, 82.13), "we came," and მოვალ (moval, 82.14), "I will come," also have it. The preverb წა- (ts'a-) means away from the speaker: წადი (ts'adi), "go!", goes with აქედან, "from here." The pair is the reason you cannot say წადი აქ for "come here": წა- says the opposite.
The imperative. Commands to one person end in -ი or -ე: მოდი (modi), "come!"; დამელოდე (damelode), "wait for me!" (82.14, where the მ- inside the verb is "me"); დაჯექი (dajeki), "sit down!"; წადი (ts'adi), "go!". For a plural or polite "you" add -თ (-t): მოდით (modit), დაჯექით (dajekit).
Wanting to be here. The place word fits naturally with the verb of the last lesson: აქ რა გინდა? (ak ra ginda?), "What do you want here?" And 82.15 turns on მინდა (minda), "I want," with the optative ვიცხოვრო (vitskhovro), "I live": "I want that I live right here."
Common Mistakes: - Adding a case ending to აქ. There is no \აქში or \აქს. For "from here" use აქედან, for "as far as here" use აქამდე. - Writing \*აქიდან. After აქ- the suffix begins with -ე-: აქედან. The form with -ი- belongs to იქ: იქიდან. - Using იქ for something near the listener. იქ is far from both people; for the place by the person you are talking to say მანდ. - Saying წადი აქ for "come here." Say მოდი აქ. - Confusing აქ with აქვს. აქ is "here"; აქვს is "has." In writing they are different words. - Putting "here" at the end by habit, as English does. In Georgian the word before the verb is the point of the sentence, so choose the order by what you want to stress. - Writing the ejective კ for ქ, or the reverse. აქ ends in ქ.
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აქ is among the first words anyone says in Georgian, since it goes with pointing. A host points to a seat and says აქ დაჯექი (ak dajeki), "sit here"; a friend says მოდი აქ and pats the bench. In a shop or at a market stall the seller says აქეთ მობრძანდით (aket mobrdzandit), "please come this way," using a polite verb for "come" that is kept for guests and customers. The ordinary მოდით would also be understood, but მობრძანდით is warmer.
A speaker who is looking for something and finds it says აი, აქ არის (ai, ak aris), "look, here it is." The small word აი (ai) is a pointing word, "behold, here is," and it often travels with აქ.
The word აქაური (akauri), "local," is used for what belongs to a place: აქაური ხალხი (akauri khalkhi), "the local people." To a stranger's question a Georgian can answer აქაური ვარ (akauri var), "I'm from here." The opposite, იქაური (ikauri), is one from "over there."
Because Georgian has a separate word for the place where the listener is, a speaker on the phone can ask მანდ რა ამინდია? (mand ra amindia?), "What is the weather like there, where you are?" This is the use of the middle word of the three, and it has no single-word equivalent in English.
The proverb in Section F opens with the same word: აქ is where the speaker is, and it is the speaker whom the other person failed to see.
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Georgian folk proverb (ანდაზა)
აქ იყავი, არა მნახე, ვირზე შეჯექ ისე მნახე.
The proverb is given in this wording on the aura.ge page ქართული ხალხური ანდაზები (Georgian Folk Proverbs), which is headed as drawn from a 1935 collection by D. Turdospireli and E. Gabrichidze, and the same wording was returned by an independent search of Georgian-language sources. No printed edition could be opened for this lesson, and neither source explains the saying, so it is given here as a traditional proverb, without an editor, and the reading below is the Latinum Institute's own.
The proverb is chosen because it opens with the headword, as the place where the missed meeting happened, and because it says the verb "to see," with the speaker as its object, twice: first negated, then not.
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a აქ here იყავი you-were არა not მნახე you-saw-me
F.1b ak (AK) here iq'avi (I-q'a-vi) be-PAST.2SG ara (A-ra) not mnakhe (MNA-khe) see-AOR.2SG.OBJ1SG
F.2a ვირზე on-donkey შეჯექ you-mounted ისე so მნახე you-saw-me
F.2b viraze (VI-ra-ze) donkey-ON shejek (SHE-jek) mount-AOR.2SG ise (I-se) so mnakhe (MNA-khe) see-AOR.2SG.OBJ1SG
F-B: Original and Translation
აქ იყავი, არა მნახე, ვირზე შეჯექ ისე მნახე.
"You were here and did not see me; you got up on a donkey, and then you saw me." (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
აქ იყავი, არა მნახე, ვირზე შეჯექ ისე მნახე.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The two halves end on the same word, მნახე, and that repetition makes the proverb easy to remember. The collection does not say when it is used. Its sense is clear enough: a man was within reach and did not look at the speaker, and then, once he had risen, in this case onto a donkey and so above the people on foot, he found that he could see him. It is said to someone who remembers an acquaintance only when it suits him or when he has gained standing. Whether the donkey is a sign of wealth, of rank or of simple height, the proverb does not decide.
The grammar teaches how a Georgian verb can carry its object inside it. მნახე (mnakhe) is one word: the prefix მ- (m-) is "me," the root -ნახ- (-nakh-) is "see," and the ending -ე (-e) is "you, in the past." Georgian puts the pronouns into the verb, so English "you saw me" needs three words and Georgian one. The same prefix მ- is the one that begins მინდა (minda), "I want," in lesson 81: it stands for "me" in both, although there it marks the wanter and here the one who is seen.
არა (ara) does the work of არ (ar), "not," before the verb; the longer form is common in proverbs and verse. იყავი (iq'avi) is the past of "be," the same verb as in აქ ვიყავი, "I was here." ვირზე (viraze) is ვირი (viri), "donkey," with the ending -ზე (-ze), "on." შეჯექ (shejek) is "you mounted," a shortened form of the kind that speech and verse allow, and ისე (ise) here means "only in that way," that is, "only then."
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Nino and her little brother Luka are playing at their grandmother's house, and the ball goes missing. The story is told in the past tense, as Georgian narratives usually are, with the speech of the characters quoted in the present or the past. Every sentence turns on აქ or one of its family.
82.16a ლუკა Luka და and ნინო Nino ბაღში in-garden თამაშობდნენ they-were-playing
82.16b luk'a (LU-k'a) Luka-NOM da (da) and nino (NI-no) Nino-NOM baghshi (BAGH-shi) garden-IN tamashobdnen (TA-ma-shob-dnen) play-IMPF.3PL
82.17a ლუკამ Luka ბურთი ball ხის tree's ქვეშ under დადო put
82.17b luk'am (LU-k'am) Luka-ERG burti (BUR-ti) ball-NOM khis (khis) tree-GEN kvesh (kvesh) under dado (DA-do) put-AOR.3SG
82.18a შემდეგ then ლუკა Luka სახლში in-house შევიდა went-in
82.18b shemdeg (SHEM-deg) then luk'a (LU-k'a) Luka-NOM sakhlshi (SAKHL-shi) house-IN shevida (SHE-vi-da) go-in-AOR.3SG
82.19a როცა when გამოვიდა he-came-out ბურთი ball აღარ no-longer იყო was
82.19b rotsa (RO-tsa) when gamovida (GA-mo-vi-da) come-out-AOR.3SG burti (BUR-ti) ball-NOM aghar (A-ghar) no-longer iq'o (I-q'o) be-PAST.3SG
82.20a ლუკამ Luka დაიძახა called-out ნინო Nino ბურთი ball აქ here იყო was
82.20b luk'am (LU-k'am) Luka-ERG daidzakha (DA-i-dza-kha) call-out-AOR.3SG nino (NI-no) Nino-VOC burti (BUR-ti) ball-NOM ak (AK) here iq'o (I-q'o) be-PAST.3SG
82.21a ნინომ Nino უპასუხა answered მე I აქ here არ not ვიყავი I-was
82.21b ninom (NI-nom) Nino-ERG up'asukha (U-p'a-su-kha) answer-AOR.3SG me (me) I-NOM ak (AK) here ar (ar) not viq'avi (VI-q'a-vi) be-PAST.1SG
82.22a ნინო Nino და and ლუკა Luka ბურთს ball აქა-იქ here-and-there ეძებდნენ they-were-looking-for
82.22b nino (NI-no) Nino-NOM da (da) and luk'a (LU-k'a) Luka-NOM burts (BURTS) ball-DAT aka-ik (A-ka-ik) here-there edzebdnen (E-dzeb-dnen) look-for-IMPF.3PL
82.23a ბებიამ grandmother ფანჯრიდან from-window გამოიხედა looked-out და and უთხრა said აქეთ this-way მოდით come ბავშვებო children
82.23b bebiam (BE-bi-am) grandmother-ERG panjridan (PAN-jri-dan) window-ABL gamoikheda (GA-mo-i-khe-da) look-out-AOR.3SG da (da) and utkhra (UT-khra) say-AOR.3SG aket (A-ket) here-WARD modit (MO-dit) come-IMP.2PL bavshvebo (BAVSH-ve-bo) children-VOC
82.24a ბავშვები children ბებიასთან to-grandmother მივიდნენ went
82.24b bavshvebi (BAVSH-ve-bi) children-NOM bebiastan (BE-bi-as-tan) grandmother-AT mividnen (MI-vid-nen) go-AOR.3PL
82.25a ბებიამ grandmother თქვა said ბურთი ball აქ here კიბესთან by-the-steps იდო lay და and მე I ავიღე I-picked-up
82.25b bebiam (BE-bi-am) grandmother-ERG tkva (tkva) say-AOR.3SG burti (BUR-ti) ball-NOM ak (AK) here k'ibestan (K'I-bes-tan) steps-AT ido (I-do) lie-PAST.3SG da (da) and me (me) I-NOM avighe (A-vi-ghe) pick-up-AOR.1SG
82.26a მადლობა thanks ბებია grandmother თქვა said ლუკამ Luka
82.26b madloba (MAD-lo-ba) thanks-NOM bebia (BE-bi-a) grandmother-VOC tkva (tkva) say-AOR.3SG luk'am (LU-k'am) Luka-ERG
82.27a ახლა now აქ here დაჯექით sit-down და and ჩაი tea დალიეთ drink უთხრა said ბებიამ grandmother
82.27b akhla (AKH-la) now ak (AK) here dajekit (DA-je-kit) sit-down-IMP.2PL da (da) and chai (CHA-ee) tea-NOM daliet (DA-li-et) drink-IMP.2PL utkhra (UT-khra) say-AOR.3SG bebiam (BE-bi-am) grandmother-ERG
82.28a ნინომ Nino ჰკითხა asked ბებია grandmother ბაბუა grandfather აქ here არის is
82.28b ninom (NI-nom) Nino-ERG hk'itkha (HK'IT-kha) ask-AOR.3SG bebia (BE-bi-a) grandmother-VOC babua (BA-bu-a) grandfather-NOM ak (AK) here aris (A-ris) be-PRES.3SG
82.29a ბებიამ grandmother თქვა said ბაბუა grandfather აქ here არ not არის is ის he ბაზარში to-market წავიდა went
82.29b bebiam (BE-bi-am) grandmother-ERG tkva (tkva) say-AOR.3SG babua (BA-bu-a) grandfather-NOM ak (AK) here ar (ar) not aris (A-ris) be-PRES.3SG is (is) he-NOM bazarshi (BA-zar-shi) market-IN ts'avida (TS'A-vi-da) go-AOR.3SG
82.30a ნინო Nino და and ლუკა Luka ბებიასთან by-grandmother დასხდნენ sat-down ბურთი ball კი and აქვე right-here იდო lay
82.30b nino (NI-no) Nino-NOM da (da) and luk'a (LU-k'a) Luka-NOM bebiastan (BE-bi-as-tan) grandmother-AT daskhdnen (DASKH-dnen) sit-down-AOR.3PL burti (BUR-ti) ball-NOM k'i (k'i) and.TOPIC akve (A-kve) here-EMPH ido (I-do) lie-PAST.3SG
82.16 ლუკა და ნინო ბაღში თამაშობდნენ. (Luk'a da Nino baghshi tamashobdnen.) "Luka and Nino were playing in the garden." 82.17 ლუკამ ბურთი ხის ქვეშ დადო. (Luk'am burti khis kvesh dado.) "Luka put the ball under the tree." 82.18 შემდეგ ლუკა სახლში შევიდა. (Shemdeg Luk'a sakhlshi shevida.) "Then Luka went into the house." 82.19 როცა გამოვიდა, ბურთი აღარ იყო. (Rotsa gamovida, burti aghar iq'o.) "When he came out, the ball was no longer there." 82.20 ლუკამ დაიძახა: „ნინო, ბურთი აქ იყო!“ (Luk'am daidzakha: "Nino, burti ak iq'o!") "Luka called out: 'Nino, the ball was here!'" 82.21 ნინომ უპასუხა: „მე აქ არ ვიყავი.“ (Ninom up'asukha: "Me ak ar viq'avi.") "Nino answered: 'I wasn't here.'" 82.22 ნინო და ლუკა ბურთს აქა-იქ ეძებდნენ. (Nino da Luk'a burts aka-ik edzebdnen.) "Nino and Luka looked for the ball here and there." 82.23 ბებიამ ფანჯრიდან გამოიხედა და უთხრა: „აქეთ მოდით, ბავშვებო!“ (Bebiam panjridan gamoikheda da utkhra: "Aket modit, bavshvebo!") "Grandmother looked out of the window and said: 'Come this way, children!'" 82.24 ბავშვები ბებიასთან მივიდნენ. (Bavshvebi bebiastan mividnen.) "The children went to Grandmother." 82.25 ბებიამ თქვა: „ბურთი აქ, კიბესთან, იდო და მე ავიღე.“ (Bebiam tkva: "Burti ak, k'ibestan, ido da me avighe.") "Grandmother said: 'The ball was lying here, by the steps, and I picked it up.'" 82.26 „მადლობა, ბებია!“ — თქვა ლუკამ. ("Madloba, bebia!" — tkva Luk'am.) "'Thank you, Grandmother!' said Luka." 82.27 „ახლა აქ დაჯექით და ჩაი დალიეთ,“ — უთხრა ბებიამ. ("Akhla ak dajekit da chai daliet," — utkhra bebiam.) "'Now sit down here and drink some tea,' Grandmother told them." 82.28 ნინომ ჰკითხა: „ბებია, ბაბუა აქ არის?“ (Ninom hk'itkha: "Bebia, babua ak aris?") "Nino asked: 'Grandmother, is Grandfather here?'" 82.29 ბებიამ თქვა: „ბაბუა აქ არ არის, ის ბაზარში წავიდა.“ (Bebiam tkva: "Babua ak ar aris, is bazarshi ts'avida.") "Grandmother said: 'Grandfather is not here, he has gone to the market.'" 82.30 ნინო და ლუკა ბებიასთან დასხდნენ, ბურთი კი აქვე იდო. (Nino da Luk'a bebiastan daskhdnen, burti k'i akve ido.) "Nino and Luka sat down by Grandmother, and the ball lay right there."
82.16 ლუკა და ნინო ბაღში თამაშობდნენ. 82.17 ლუკამ ბურთი ხის ქვეშ დადო. 82.18 შემდეგ ლუკა სახლში შევიდა. 82.19 როცა გამოვიდა, ბურთი აღარ იყო. 82.20 ლუკამ დაიძახა: „ნინო, ბურთი აქ იყო!“ 82.21 ნინომ უპასუხა: „მე აქ არ ვიყავი.“ 82.22 ნინო და ლუკა ბურთს აქა-იქ ეძებდნენ. 82.23 ბებიამ ფანჯრიდან გამოიხედა და უთხრა: „აქეთ მოდით, ბავშვებო!“ 82.24 ბავშვები ბებიასთან მივიდნენ. 82.25 ბებიამ თქვა: „ბურთი აქ, კიბესთან, იდო და მე ავიღე.“ 82.26 „მადლობა, ბებია!“ — თქვა ლუკამ. 82.27 „ახლა აქ დაჯექით და ჩაი დალიეთ,“ — უთხრა ბებიამ. 82.28 ნინომ ჰკითხა: „ბებია, ბაბუა აქ არის?“ 82.29 ბებიამ თქვა: „ბაბუა აქ არ არის, ის ბაზარში წავიდა.“ 82.30 ნინო და ლუკა ბებიასთან დასხდნენ, ბურთი კი აქვე იდო.
Here, in every shape. The story uses the family in four forms: აქ (82.20, 82.21, 82.25, 82.27, 82.28, 82.29), აქა-იქ (82.22), აქეთ (82.23) and აქვე (82.30). In each the word is placed before the verb or the thing it points at, and it never takes an ending.
აქ with the past of "be" (82.20, 82.21). Luka says ბურთი აქ იყო, "the ball was here"; Nino says მე აქ არ ვიყავი, "I was not here." The verb is the past of "be," იყო for "he, she, it was" and ვიყავი for "I was". The negative არ stands right before the verb.
Three subject cases. As in the last lesson, the subject of a verb of doing in the aorist takes the ergative: ლუკამ დადო (82.17), ნინომ უპასუხა (82.21), ბებიამ უთხრა (82.23). The subject of a verb of going is nominative: ლუკა შევიდა (82.18), ბავშვები მივიდნენ (82.24), ნინო და ლუკა დასხდნენ (82.30). In the imperfect (the "was doing" past) the subject is nominative again: ლუკა და ნინო თამაშობდნენ (82.16).
Preverbs of direction. The verbs of this story show the preverbs in use. შე- (she-) is "in" (შევიდა, "went in"), გამო- (gamo-) is "out toward the speaker" (გამოვიდა, "came out"; გამოიხედა, "looked out"), მი- (mi-) is "to, away from the speaker" (მივიდნენ, "went to"), წა- (ts'a-) is "away" (წავიდა, "went off," 82.29). Compare მოდით (82.23), "come," where მო- is "hither": it is the verb that goes with აქეთ, "this way."
ბებიასთან (82.24, 82.30). The ending -თან (-tan) means "at, by, with" a person or a place: ბებიასთან, "at Grandmother's, by Grandmother"; კიბესთან (82.25), "by the steps." The same ending is "to" with a verb of going (82.24) and "at" with a verb of sitting (82.30).
ხის ქვეშ (82.17). ქვეშ (kvesh), "under," is a postposition that follows the genitive: ხის, "of the tree," ქვეშ, "under." It stands after its noun, as the English preposition "under" stands before it.
ბურთს ეძებდნენ (82.22). The verb ძებნა (dzebna), "to look for," takes its object in the dative: ბურთს, not \*ბურთი. The verb is in the imperfect, the "was looking" past, and in the plural because there are two subjects.
აქ, კიბესთან, იდო (82.25). The place words can be stacked, one more exact than the other: აქ, "here," then კიბესთან, "by the steps." The verb იდო is the past of ძევს, the verb that says an object lies somewhere.
The imperative plural (82.23, 82.27). Grandmother speaks to two children, so she uses the plural in -თ (-t): მოდით, დაჯექით, დალიეთ. A single child would hear მოდი, დაჯექი, დალიე.
ბაბუა აქ არის? (82.28). A yes-or-no question has the same word order as a statement and is marked by the rising voice. The place word stays before the verb.
კი (82.30). The particle კი (k'i), "and, but, on the other hand," sets one subject against another: the children sat down, "and the ball" lay right there.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Georgian stress is light, usually on the first syllable of a short word; no syllable is pushed hard as in English. The capitals in the respellings mark that first syllable as a guide, but say each syllable clearly and evenly. Vowels are short and pure: a as in "father," e as in "bed," i as in "machine," o as in "port," u as in "rule."
აქ (ak) — IPA: /akʰ/ — One syllable. The a is open and short. The final ქ is an aspirated k: let a little breath out after it, as in English "kin," and do not drop it as in "back." მანდ (mand) — IPA: /mand/ — The nd stays together, with the tongue at the teeth, and the d is clear. იქ (ik) — IPA: /ikʰ/ — The same final ქ as in აქ. აქედან (akedan) — IPA: /akʰedan/ — Three even syllables, ak-e-dan. აქეთ (aket) — IPA: /akʰetʰ/ — Two syllables, a-ket, with an aspirated t at the end (თ). აქვე (akve) — IPA: /akʰve/ — The k and v meet without a vowel between them. აქამდე (akamde) — IPA: /akʰamde/ — The mde cluster is run together: m, d, e. აქა-იქ (aka-ik) — IPA: /akʰa ikʰ/ — The two vowels a and i do not blend: say a-ka, then i-k. დგას (dgas) — IPA: /dgas/ — Two consonants before the vowel, d and g, with no vowel between them. ძალიან (dzalian) — IPA: /dzalian/ — ძ is a voiced dz, as in English "adze." ძვირია (dzviria) — IPA: /dzviria/ — The dz and v belong to the same syllable: dzvi-ri-a. ლამაზია (lamazia) — IPA: /lamazia/ — Four even syllables, la-ma-zi-a. ყველაფერი (q'velaperi) — IPA: /qʼvɛlapʰɛri/ — The ყ is made far back in the throat, behind the k, and is ejective; then v. ფ is a p with a puff of breath, as in English "pin." ყვავილები (q'vavilebi) — IPA: /qʼvavilebi/ — The same ყ and v at the start, then the open vowels. ფეხით (pekhit) — IPA: /pʰɛχitʰ/ — ხ is the rough sound of Scottish "loch," made further back. The final თ is aspirated. ბაღში (baghshi) — IPA: /baʁʃi/ — ღ is a voiced sound at the back of the throat, close to the French r in "Paris." ზღვა (zghva) — IPA: /zʁva/ — z, the throaty ღ, then v, all before the vowel. ჩანს (chans) — IPA: /tʃʰans/ — ჩ is an aspirated ch, as in English "chair." ჯ (j) — in ვირზე შეჯექ and დაჯექი (dajeki) — IPA: /dʒ/ — as in English "judge." მნახე (mnakhe) — IPA: /mnaχe/ — One breath for the first two sounds: m then n, with no vowel. Georgian allows such clusters. პირველად (p'irvelad) — IPA: /pʼirvɛlad/ — პ is an ejective p: a sharp, popped sound with no breath after it. კიბე (k'ibe) — IPA: /kʼibɛ/ — კ is the ejective k: contrast ქ (k) in აქ. ცხოვრობს (tskhovrobs) — IPA: /tsʰχovrobs/ — Two sounds run together at the start, ts and kh, with no vowel between them. ბავშვები (bavshvebi) — IPA: /bavʃvebi/ — The cluster vshv is said smoothly.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
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