4.3 The Verb “To Have”

The idea of “to have” in Georgian

In Georgian, the idea of “to have” is expressed with two different verbs, depending on what you have.

1. For people and living beings (family members, friends, pets), Georgian uses a verb usually translated as “to have someone”.
2. For things, objects, abstract things (a book, a car, time, money, a problem), Georgian uses a different verb, “to have something”.

You do not need the technical grammar labels yet. For now, remember the simple rule:

We will call them here:

• “to have (someone)”
• “to have (something)”

You will see both in the present tense in very common, everyday sentences.

Personal forms of “to have (someone)”

Here is how “to have (someone)” works with the main personal pronouns in the present tense. Focus only on the meanings for now.

In real sentences the pronouns (მე, შენ, ის, ჩვენ, თქვენ, ისინი) are often omitted, because the form of the verb already shows the person. We will practice both with and without pronouns.

Using “to have (someone)” with family and pets

Basic pattern

The usual sentence pattern is:

• [Person who has] + [person/pet that is had] + “to have (someone)”

For example:

• მე ძმა მყავს.
  me dzma mqavs
  “I have a brother.”
• შენ და გყავს.
  shen da gqavs
  “You have a sister.”
• მას შვილები ჰყავს.
  mas shvilebi hqavs
  “He / she has children.”
• ჩვენ ძაღლი გვყავს.
  chven dzaghli gvqavs
  “We have a dog.”
• თქვენ კატა გყავთ.
  tkven kata gqavt
  “You (plural) have a cat.”
• მათ სამი შვილი ჰყავთ.
  mat sami shvili hqavt
  “They have three children.”

Notice that the thing or person you have is usually placed before the verb.

More examples with family words

You can already see some useful family vocabulary, which will be repeated in later chapters and used in more detail there. Here, just pay attention to the verb forms:

• მყავს / გყავს / ჰყავს / გვყავს / გყავთ / ჰყავთ

These are the present tense forms of “to have (someone)”.

Personal forms of “to have (something)”

Now look at the second verb, “to have (something)” in the present tense.

Again, in real sentences the pronouns are often dropped.

Using “to have (something)” with objects and abstract things

Basic pattern

The sentence pattern is the same in word order:

• [Person who has] + [thing that is had] + “to have (something)”

For example:

• მე მანქანა მაქვს.
  me mankana makvs
  “I have a car.”
• შენ წიგნი გაქვს.
  shen ts’igni gaqvs
  “You have a book.”
• მას ბინა აქვს.
  mas bina aqvs
  “He / she has an apartment.”
• ჩვენ დრო გვაქვს.
  chven dro gvqvs
  “We have time.”
• თქვენ ფული გაქვთ.
  tkven p’uli gaqt
  “You (plural) have money.”
• მათ პრობლემა აქვთ.
  mat problema aqvt
  “They have a problem.”

Notice the different forms of the verb:

• მაქვს / გაქვს / აქვს / გვაქვს / გაქვთ / აქვთ

These are the present tense forms of “to have (something)”.

More examples with common nouns

Saying that you do not have something or someone

Negation is very common with “to have”. The basic idea is:

• Put არ (ar, “not”) before the verb.

The person and the verb stay the same, only არ is added.

“Not have (someone)”

Pattern:

• [Person] + [someone] + არ + “to have (someone)”

Examples:

• მე ძმა არ მყავს.
  me dzma ar mqavs
  “I do not have a brother.”
• შენ და არ გყავს.
  shen da ar gqavs
  “You do not have a sister.”
• მას შვილები არ ჰყავს.
  mas shvilebi ar hqavs
  “He / she does not have children.”
• ჩვენ ძაღლი არ გვყავს.
  chven dzaghli ar gvqavs
  “We do not have a dog.”
• თქვენ კატა არ გყავთ.
  tkven kata ar gqavt
  “You (plural) do not have a cat.”
• მათ მეგობრები არ ჰყავთ.
  mat megobrebi ar hqavt
  “They do not have friends.”

“Not have (something)”

Pattern:

• [Person] + [thing] + არ + “to have (something)”

Examples:

• მე მანქანა არ მაქვს.
  me mankana ar makvs
  “I do not have a car.”
• შენ წიგნი არ გაქვს.
  shen ts’igni ar gaqvs
  “You do not have a book.”
• მას ბინა არ აქვს.
  mas bina ar aqvs
  “He / she does not have an apartment.”
• ჩვენ დრო არ გვაქვს.
  chven dro ar gvqvs
  “We do not have time.”
• თქვენ ფული არ გაქვთ.
  tkven p’uli ar gaqt
  “You (plural) do not have money.”
• მათ პრობლემა არ აქვთ.
  mat problema ar aqvt
  “They do not have a problem.”

Short answers with “to have”

In conversation, you often answer with just the verb “I have”, “I do not have”, without repeating the noun.

With “to have (something)”:

• გაქვს პული?
  gaqvs p’uli?
  “Do you have money?”
• დიახ, მაქვს.
  diakh, makvs
  “Yes, I have (it).”
• არა, არ მაქვს.
  ara, ar makvs
  “No, I do not have (it).”

With “to have (someone)”:

• გყავს ძაღლი?
  gqavs dzaghli?
  “Do you have a dog?”
• დიახ, მყავს.
  diakh, mqavs
  “Yes, I have (one).”
• არა, არ მყავს.
  ara, ar mqavs
  “No, I do not have (one).”

Here the noun can be dropped if it is clear from the question.

Choosing the correct verb: “someone” or “something”?

A simple way to decide which verb to use is to ask yourself:

1. Is it a person or a pet / animal you treat like a person?
• Use “to have (someone)”: მყავს, გყავს, ჰყავს, გვყავს, გყავთ, ჰყავთ.
2. Is it an object, place, or abstract thing?
• Use “to have (something)”: მაქვს, გაქვს, აქვს, გვაქვს, გაქვთ, აქვთ.

Compare:

• მე ძაღლი მყავს.
  me dzaghli mqavs
  “I have a dog.”
  (dog as a pet, living being)
• მე მანქანა მაქვს.
  me mankana makvs
  “I have a car.”
  (thing)
• მას შვილი ჰყავს.
  mas shvili hqavs
  “He / she has a child.”
• მას დრო აქვს.
  mas dro aqvs
  “He / she has time.”
• ჩვენ მასწავლებელი გვყავს.
  chven mast’ts’avlebeli gvqavs
  “We have a teacher.”
• ჩვენ გაკვეთილი გვაქვს.
  chven gakvet’ili gvqvs
  “We have a lesson / class.”

These pairs are very useful to remember.

Common everyday patterns with “to have”

You can already make many practical sentences in the present tense.

Saying your possessions

• მე ბინა მაქვს.
  me bina makvs
  “I have an apartment.”
• მე პატარა მანქანა მაქვს.
  me pat’ara mankana makvs
  “I have a small car.”
• შენ დიდი მასალა გაქვს.
  shen didi masala gaqvs
  “You have a lot of material.”
• ჩვენ კარგი ოთახი გვაქვს.
  chven k’argi otakhi gvqvs
  “We have a good room.”

Talking about family

• მე დიდი ოჯახი მაქვს?
  Careful: for family members use “to have (someone)”.
  Correct:
• მე დიდი ოჯახი მყავს.
  me didi ojakhi mqavs
  “I have a big family.”
• მას ორი შვილი ჰყავს.
  mas ori shvili hqavs
  “He / she has two children.”
• მათ ნათესავები ჰყავთ თბილისში.
  mat natesavebi hqavt t’bilisshi
  “They have relatives in Tbilisi.”

Saying if you have time or money

• მე დრო მაქვს.
  me dro makvs
  “I have time.”
• მე დრო არ მაქვს.
  me dro ar makvs
  “I do not have time.”
• შენ ფული გაქვს?
  shen p’uli gaqvs?
  “Do you have money?”
• ჩვენ ფული არ გვაქვს.
  chven p’uli ar gvqvs
  “We do not have money.”
• მათ სასმელი აქვთ.
  mat sasmeli aqvt
  “They have drinks.”

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Practice contrasts

Look at these pairs and notice the change in the verb form:

The only difference is whether the “thing” is a living person / pet or not.

Chapter vocabulary

Below is a list of new or important words from this chapter. Pronunciation is approximate.

These forms of “to have” will be used again in later chapters when you build full positive sentences and questions.