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What does 'vaime' mean in Georgian?

An exclamation of surprise, pain and delight.

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Short answer

Vaime (ვაიმე) is a Georgian exclamation, roughly like 'oh', 'ouch' or 'oh my God' in English. It expresses surprise, fright, pain, sympathy or even delight, depending on intonation. It's one of the first words tourists pick up in Georgia.

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Why

  1. The shorter form vai (ვაი) means the same.
  2. Vaime deda, literally 'oh, mother', expresses strong emotion.
  3. You'll hear it at markets, in conversation and on TV shows.

Details

Saying vaime when the host brings out yet another dish comes across as a compliment to their generosity, usually answered with a smile.

People also ask

  • What does vaime mean?

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

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