Georgian language and communication
Whether people in Georgia speak Russian or English, how to say hello and thank you, how many letters the Georgian alphabet has and what surnames ending in -shvili and -dze mean.
-
Basic Georgian words and phrases: a mini phrasebook
The most useful Georgian words are gamarjoba, hello; madloba, thank you; ki or diakh, yes; ara, no; tu sheidzleba, please; bodishi, sorry; ra ghirs, how much; and nakhvamdis, goodbye.
-
How do you say hello in Georgian?
In Georgian, hello is gamarjoba, and you can say it at any time of day.
-
What language is spoken in Svaneti and Mingrelia?
The official language of Georgia, including Svaneti and Mingrelia, is Georgian, and the Svans have their own language and folklore.
-
What does the phrase 'too late to drink Borjomi' mean?
'Too late to drink Borjomi' is a Russian colloquial saying meaning it's too late to fix things and action should have been taken earlier.
-
Which is correct: Sighnaghi or Signagi?
In Russian the town's name is written as Signakhi or Signagi, and both try to render the Georgian spelling of its name.
-
What does 'aba' mean in Georgian?
Aba is a conversational Georgian word that roughly means 'well', 'so' or 'come on'.
-
How do you ask a price or opening hours in Georgian?
In a shop or at a market, ask the price with ra ghirs, 'how much'.
-
Mutso village in Khevsureti: what it is and how to get there
Mutso is an ancient fortress village in the historical region of Khevsureti in northern Georgia, at about 1,880 metres above sea level in the Ardoti River Valley.
-
What types of cheese are there in Georgia?
Georgia makes Imeretian cheese, imeruli, sulguni, smoked sulguni and guda.
-
How do you say 'very tasty' in Georgian?
Dzalian gemrieli kerdzia means 'such a delicious dish', and it suits a cook, a waiter or your hosts.
-
What does 'sheni' mean in Georgian?
Sheni and tkveni are used for 'your', as in gamikharda sheni/tkveni nakhva, 'nice seeing you'.
-
How do you accept an invitation to the table in Georgia?
An invitation to a supra, the Georgian feast, is worth accepting: it is the best way to get to know the locals.
-
How do you answer 'how are you' in Georgian?
The question rogor brdzandebit, 'how are you doing', is answered with gmadlobt, kargad, 'thank you, I'm well'.
-
How do you make a polite request in Georgian?
A polite request in Georgian starts with ukatsravad, 'excuse me', followed by sheidzleba, 'is it possible'.
-
How do you praise a meal and thank your hosts in Georgian?
To praise a dish in Georgian, say dzalian gemrieli kerdzia, 'such a delicious dish'.
-
How do you politely address a young woman or a woman in Georgian?
A young woman is addressed as gogona, 'miss', a woman as kalbatono, 'ma'am', and a man as batono, 'sir'.