5.5 Months and Seasons

Understanding Months and Seasons in Georgian

In this chapter you will learn the Georgian names of the months and the four seasons, and how to start using them in simple phrases. You will also see how dates are often mentioned in everyday speech, without going into full date‑forming rules, which you will study later.

The Four Seasons in Georgian

Georgian has four seasons, just like English. Here are their basic names.

You can use these words alone, or in simple sentences.

Examples:

• გაზაფხული თბილია.
  gazapkhuli tbilia.
  “Spring is warm.”
• ზაფხული ცხელია.
  zapkhuli tskhelia.
  “Summer is hot.”
• შემოდგომა ლამაზია.
  shemodgoma lamazia.
  “Autumn is beautiful.”
• ზამთარი ცივია.
  zamthari tsivia.
  “Winter is cold.”

You can also say “in spring”, “in summer”, etc. Everyday speech often uses a simple pattern “in the spring” with the word გაზაფხულზე or გაზაფხულში. For now, just remember these very common forms:

We will not analyze the case endings here. Just learn them as ready phrases.

Examples:

• გაზაფხულზე ხშირად წვიმს.
  gazapkhulze khshirad tshuims.
  “In spring it often rains.”
• ზაფხულში ზღვისპირა ქალაქში ვარ.
  zapkhulshi zghvispira kalakshi var.
  “In summer I am in a seaside city.”

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The Twelve Months

Georgian month names are close to international forms, but they look and sound Georgian. All month names are written with a small initial letter in normal Georgian writing, but in English explanation we keep the capital in translation.

Month Names Table

Some are very easy to recognize, especially September to December.

Saying “in January”, “in May”, etc.

In Georgian, when you want to say “in January”, you usually add a small ending to the month name, often ‑ში or ‑შია depending on the sentence. For simple everyday speech, the form with ‑ში is very common.

In this chapter we do not fully explain why this ending appears. Just memorize some typical forms.

Note that Georgian spelling can double some consonants when endings are added. For now, focus on the sound and the idea “in [month]”.

Examples:

• იანვარში ცივა.
  ianvarshi tsiva.
  “In January it is cold.”
• მაისში თბილისში ვარ.
  maisshi tbilisshi var.
  “In May I am in Tbilisi.”
• აგვისტოში დასვენება მაქვს.
  agvistoshi dasveneba makvs.
  “In August I have a vacation.”
• დეკემბერში ახალი წელი მოდის.
  dekembershi akhali ts’eli modis.
  “In December New Year is coming.”

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Months and Seasons Together

You can connect months and seasons in simple descriptive sentences. This helps you remember both sets of words.

Examples:

• მარტი გაზაფხულის თვეა.
  marti gazapkhulis tvea.
  “March is a spring month.”
• ივლისი ზაფხულის თვეა.
  ivlisi zapkhulis tvea.
  “July is a summer month.”
• ოქტომბერი შემოდგომის თვეა.
  oktomberi shemodgomis tvea.
  “October is an autumn month.”
• იანვარი ზამთრის თვეა.
  ianvari zamthris tvea.
  “January is a winter month.”

You can also say that something happens every year in a certain month and season.

• ყოველ წელს აგვისტოში ზღვაზე მივდივარ.
  ykhovel ts’els agvistoshi zghvaze mivdivar.
  “Every year in August I go to the sea.”
• გაზაფხულზე აპრილში ყვავილები ყვავის.
  gazapkhulze aprilshi qvavilebi qvavis.
  “In spring, in April, flowers bloom.”

(Do not worry about all verb forms here, focus on the month and season words.)

Talking About Weather with Months and Seasons

You already know some simple weather adjectives such as “warm”, “cold”, “hot”, and “beautiful”. Combine them with months and seasons.

Useful adjectives:

Examples with seasons:

• გაზაფხული თბილი და წვიმიანია.
  gazapkhuli t’bili da tshvimiania.
  “Spring is warm and rainy.”
• ზაფხული ძალიან ცხელი არის.
  zapkhuli dzalian tskheli aris.
  “Summer is very hot.”
• ზამთარი ხშირად თოვლიანია.
  zamthari khshirad thovliania.
  “Winter is often snowy.”

Examples with months:

• მარტში ხ иногда ცივა, ხ иногда თბილი ამინდია.
  martshi kh sometimes tsiva, kh sometimes t’bili amindia.
  “In March sometimes it is cold, sometimes the weather is warm.”
• ივლისში თბილისში ძალიან ცხელია.
  ivlisshi tbilisshi dzalian tskhelia.
  “In July in Tbilisi it is very hot.”
• იანვარში ხშირად თოვს.
  ianvarshi khshirad thovs.
  “In January it often snows.”

Again, do not worry yet about every detail of the verbs. Use the month and season as your main practice.

Simple Personal Sentences with Months and Seasons

You can also talk about yourself: your birthday month, your favorite season, or your travel month.

Common patterns:

1. “My favorite season is …”
• ჩემი საყვარელი სეზონია …
  chemi sak’vareli sezonia …
2. “My birthday is in …”
• ჩემი დაბადების დღე არის …
  chemi dabadebis dghe aris …
  (You can follow this with a month name, later with a full date.)
3. “I like …” with a season or month.
• მე მიყვარს გაზაფხული.
  me miqvars gazapkhuli.
  “I like spring.”

Examples:

• ჩემი საყვარელი სეზონია ზაფხული.
  chemi sak’vareli sezonia zapkhuli.
  “My favorite season is summer.”
• მე ძალიან მიყვარს შემოდგომა.
  me dzalian miqvars shemodgoma.
  “I like autumn very much.”
• ჩემი დაბადების დღე არის მაისში.
  chemi dabadebis dghe aris maisshi.
  “My birthday is in May.”
• ჩემი მეგობარი იანვარში ჩამოდის საქართველოში.
  chemi megobari ianvarshi chamodis sakartveloshi.
  “My friend arrives in Georgia in January.”

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Short Practice Dialogues

Here are two short dialogues that use months and seasons. Read them aloud several times.

Dialogue 1: Favorite Season

A: შენი საყვარელი სეზონი რომელი არის?
sheni sak’vareli sezoni romeli aris?
“Which is your favorite season?”

B: ჩემი საყვარელი სეზონი არის გაზაფხული.
chemi sak’vareli sezoni aris gazapkhuli.
“My favorite season is spring.”

A: რატომ?
ratom?
“Why?”

B: რადგან გაზაფხულზე თბილია და ყვავილები ყვავის.
radgan gazapkhulze t’bilia da qvavilebi qvavis.
“Because in spring it is warm and flowers bloom.”

Dialogue 2: Vacation Month

A: როდის გაქვს შვებულება?
rodis gakvs shvebuleba?
“When do you have vacation?”

B: აგვისტოში.
agvistoshi.
“In August.”

A: აგვისტოში ზღვაზე მიდიხარ?
agvistoshi zghvaze midikhar?
“Do you go to the sea in August?”

B: დიახ, ყოველ წელს აგვისტოში ზღვაზე მივდივარ.
diakh, ykhovel ts’els agvistoshi zghvaze mivdivar.
“Yes, every year in August I go to the sea.”

Try to change the month or season in these dialogues and say them with your own information.

New Vocabulary from this Chapter

Use these words to describe your own year in Georgian: which month you were born in, when you travel, and which season you like most.