Add organization

How many cases and tenses does Georgian have, and is it hard?

Cases, verb forms and how Georgian differs from Russian.

Answered at: Checked at:

Short answer

Georgian has 7 cases, and verbs have about 11 series of tense and mood forms called mts'krivi (screeves). There is no grammatical gender and no capital letters, but a verb can mark both who acts and whom the action affects. That's why Georgian is considered hard, especially its verbs, though the alphabet and reading come quickly.

Where to Learn Georgian: Free Courses, Schools and Online Options faq-cover-georgian-language.png

Why

  1. The cases are nominative, ergative, dative, genitive, instrumental, adverbial and vocative.
  2. The ergative marks the subject of some verbs in the past tense, which Russian doesn't have.
  3. Georgian is written as it's spoken, so reading new words is easy.

Details

Start with the alphabet and ready-made phrases, and learn the grammar gradually. Simple structures are enough for everyday talk, and locals are happy to help and correct you.

Tip

Start with the alphabet and reading signs, and leave the complex verb grammar for later.

What may differ

Common misconception

You can't learn Georgian unless you're Georgian.

What actually happens

Verbs are hard, but foreigners reach basic conversational level in a few months of regular study.

People also ask

  • Is Georgian hard to learn?

The transliteration is approximate; the Georgian spelling gives the pronunciation most accurately.

Where to Learn Georgian: Free Courses, Schools and Online Options
Help