5.1 Cardinal Numbers

Understanding Georgian Cardinal Numbers

In this chapter you will learn how to count in Georgian and how to use the most common cardinal numbers in simple situations. We focus on numbers that beginners need right away, for age, prices, time, and quantities.

Georgian numbers have some unique patterns, so pay close attention to how the base numbers combine.

Numbers 0 to 10

First, learn 0 to 10 very well. These will be the building blocks for many larger numbers.

Practice saying them in order and backwards:

• ერთი, ორი, სამი, ოთხი, ხუთი, ექვსი, შვიდი, რვა, ცხრა, ათი
• ათი, ცხრა, რვა, შვიდი, ექვსი, ხუთი, ოთხი, სამი, ორი, ერთი

Example uses:

• ერთი წიგნი, erti tsigni, one book
• ორი ყავა, ori qava, two coffees
• სამი ბავშვი, sami bavshvi, three children

You will learn more about plural forms in another chapter, so here we just note the pattern.

Numbers 11 to 20

Georgian 11 to 19 are built on "ათი", ten. They look a bit special, so memorize them.

Notice:

• The ending -მეტი often appears in 11 to 19.
• 20, ოცი, otsi, is a completely new word.

Some examples:

• მე თოთხმეტი წლის ვარ, me totkhmeti tslis var, I am fourteen years old.
• თვრამეტი სტუდენტი, tvrameti studenti, eighteen students.
• ოცდაორი ლარი, otsdaori lari, twenty two lari.

(The pattern in "ოცდაორი" will be explained below.)

Georgian Vigesimal Pattern: Counting by Twenties

From 20 up, Georgian uses a system based on 20, similar to French. Many numbers are "x times twenty plus y".

Basic multiples of twenty:

Here:

• ორი, ori, two, becomes ორშ, or- + მოცი, motsi, forty.
• სამი, sami, three, gives სამოცი, samotsi, sixty.
• ოთხი, otkhi, four, gives ოთხმოცი, otkhmotsi, eighty.

So keep in mind: -მოცი is connected to "twenty".

20 to 99: The Pattern with "და"

Numbers like 21, 22, 35, 47, etcetera, follow patterns based on:

• a multiple of 20
• plus a small number, 1 to 19
• connected by "და", da, and

The word "და", and, is usually attached to the first part, and very often simplifies to "დ".

20 to 29

Base: 20, ოცი, otsi.

• 21: ოცდაერთი, otsdaerti, literally twenty and one
• 22: ოცდაორი, otsdaori, twenty and two
• 23: ოცდასამი, otsdasami, twenty and three
• 24: ოცდაოთხი, otsdaotkhi, twenty and four
• 25: ოცდახუთი, otsdakhuti, twenty and five
• 26: ოცდაექვსი, otsdaekvsi, twenty and six
• 27: ოცდაშვიდი, otsdashvidi, twenty and seven
• 28: ოცდარვა, otsdarva, twenty and eight
• 29: ოცდაცხრა, otsdatskhra, twenty and nine

Pattern:

Examples:

• ოცდაოთხი საათი, otsdaotkhi saati, twenty four hours.
• ოცდაცხრა ლარი, otsdatskhra lari, twenty nine lari.

30 and 50, 70, 90

Some tens are not simple multiples of twenty. They have their own shapes.

In modern everyday Georgian, learners usually concentrate first on clearly used multiples: 20, 40, 60, 80, then add the pattern for plus numbers (21, 22, 41, 42, etcetera). For basic beginner communication, numbers 20 to 39 are used most, so we will give fuller examples there.

To keep this chapter focused and clear, we will give full details for 20s and 30s, and simple lists for up to 100.

30 to 39

30 is:

• ოცდაათი, otsdaati, literally twenty and ten.

From there:

• 31: ოცდერთმეტი, otsdertmeti, twenty and eleven
• 32: ოცდაოთორმეტი, otsdaormeti, twenty and twelve
• 33: ოცდაცამეტი, otsdatsameti, twenty and thirteen
• 34: ოცდანოთხმეტი, otsdanotkhmeti, twenty and fourteen
• 35: ოცდათხუთმეტი, otsdatkhutmeti, twenty and fifteen
• 36: ოცდაქექვსმეტი, otsdaqekvsmeti, twenty and sixteen
• 37: ოცდაჩვიდმეტი, otsdachvidmeti, twenty and seventeen
• 38: ოცდათვრამეტი, otsdatvrameti, twenty and eighteen
• 39: ოცდაცხრამეტი, otsdatskhrameti, twenty and nineteen

You can see the idea:

For day to day speaking, many Georgians may say these a bit more quickly or with small pronunciation shortcuts, but as a learner, focus on the clear written forms first.

Example sentences:

• ჩემს ჯგუფში ოცდაოთხმეტი სტუდენტია.
  chems jgupshi otsdatvrameti studenti a.
  There are thirty eight students in my group.
• ნომერი არის ოცდაცხრამეტი.
  nomeri aris otsdatskhrameti.
  The number is thirty nine.

Common Learner Set: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50

At absolute beginner level, it is useful to at least recognize these common tens:

Examples you might hear:

• ბილეთი ოცი ლარი ღირს.
  bileti otsi lari ghirs.
  The ticket costs twenty lari.
• ეს წიგნი ორმოცი ლარი ღირს.
  es tsigni ormotsi lari ghirs.
  This book costs forty lari.
• ტელეფონი ორმოცდაათი ლარი ღირს.
  teleponi ormotsdaati lari ghirs.
  The phone costs fifty lari.

These long words may feel complicated, but you do not need to produce all of them perfectly at once. Start with 10, 20, and the teen numbers, then build step by step.

100, 1000, and Bigger Basics

For many basic dialogues, you just need to recognize the big units.

Pattern:

You will meet more exact rules for all numbers later in the course. For an absolute beginner, just recognize the forms and learn how to say 100, 200, 300, and 1000.

Example sentences:

• აქ არის ასი ადამიანი.
  ak aris asi adamiani.
  There are one hundred people here.
• ბილეთები ორასი ლარი ჯდება.
  biletebi orasi lari jdeb a.
  The tickets cost two hundred lari.
• თბილისში დაახლოებით ერთი მილიონი ადამიანი ცხოვრობს.
  Tbilisshi akhloblif erti milioni adamiani tskhovrobs.
  About one million people live in Tbilisi.

Using Numbers with Nouns in Simple Phrases

At this level, use patterns like:

• [number] + [noun]

Examples:

You do not need to add a plural ending to the noun after a number for basic usage. That topic appears later in the grammar part of the course.

Saying Phone Numbers and Room Numbers

Phone numbers and room numbers are usually said digit by digit.

Example:

• 5 6 3 9
  ხუთი, ექვსი, სამი, ცხრა.
  khuti, ekvsi, sami, tskhra.
• ოთახი 24
  ოცდაოთხი ოთახი.
  otsdaotkhi otakhi.
  Room twenty four.

You can also say:

• ნომერი ოცდაოთხი.
  nomeri otsdaotkhi.
  Number twenty four.

Short Practice Section

Read the Georgian number, then say or think the English meaning.

1. სამი
2. ცხრა
3. თორმეტი
4. ოცი
5. ოცდაშვიდი
6. ასი
7. რვა
8. ოთხმოცი

Answers:

1. three
2. nine
3. twelve
4. twenty
5. twenty seven
6. one hundred
7. eight
8. eighty

Now the opposite. Read the English, think how to say it in Georgian.

1. ten
2. fourteen
3. eighteen
4. twenty two
5. twenty nine
6. one hundred
7. two hundred
8. one thousand

Suggested answers:

1. ათი, ati
2. თოთხმეტი, totkhmeti
3. თვრამეტი, tvrameti
4. ოცდაორი, otsdaori
5. ოცდაცხრა, otsdatskhra
6. ასი, asi
7. ორასი, orasi
8. ათასი, atasi

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