First Encounters in Georgian

In this chapter you will learn very basic phrases for greeting people and introducing yourself in Georgian. We will focus only on simple, high‑frequency expressions that you can start using immediately.

Georgian examples are given in three ways:

• Georgian script
• A rough pronunciation guide
• English meaning

Pronunciation is approximate and will be refined in later chapters.

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Basic Greetings

These are the most common ways to say “hello” and “goodbye” in everyday Georgian.

Saying “Hello”

The most neutral, all‑purpose “hello”:

• გამარჯობა
  gamardjoba
  “Hello”

You can use გამარჯობა with one person or a small group in informal or neutral situations. In more formal contexts, Georgians often use a plural / polite form, which you will learn in later chapters.

Other greeting words you will hear, especially between friends:

• სალამი
  salami
  “Hi” (very informal, friendly)

Use სალამი only with people you are close to, like friends or peers.

Time‑of‑day Greetings (Informal Use)

These can be used like “good morning,” “good afternoon,” and “good evening,” but for beginners it is perfectly fine to rely mainly on გამარჯობა until you are comfortable.

• დილა მშვიდობისა
  dila mshvidobisa
  “Good morning” (literally “morning of peace”)
• დღე მშვიდობისა
  dɣe mshvidobisa (you can say dghe mshvidobisa)
  “Good day / Good afternoon”
• საღამო მშვიდობისა
  saghamo mshvidobisa
  “Good evening”

These are polite and a bit more formal in tone.

Saying “Goodbye”

The most common way to say “goodbye”:

• ნახვამდის
  nakhvamdis
  “Goodbye” / “See you”

Useful when you are leaving, or at the end of a meeting or class.

A more casual, “bye” style expression:

• ბაი
  bai
  “Bye” (very informal, borrowed from English “bye”)

Use ბაი only with friends.

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Being Polite in Greetings

Even with very limited vocabulary you can be polite in Georgian by adding “please” and “thank you” around greetings.

Thanking Someone

Two core words:

• გმადლობთ
  gmadlobt
  “Thank you” (polite or plural)
• გმადლობ
  gmadlob
  “Thank you” (informal, to one person)

At this level you can simply memorize გმადლობთ and use it everywhere.

Saying “Please” and “You are welcome”

• გეთაყვა
  getaqva
  “Please” (very common polite word)
• არაფრის
  arapris
  “You are welcome” / “It is nothing”

Example mini exchanges:

• A: გამარჯობა.
  gamardjoba.
  “Hello.”
• B: გამარჯობა. გმადლობთ.
  gamardjoba. gmadlobt.
  “Hello. Thank you.”

Another:

• A: გმადლობთ.
  gmadlobt.
  “Thank you.”
• B: არაფრის.
  arapris.
  “You are welcome.”

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Asking “How Are You?”

You can combine a greeting with a simple “How are you?” question.

Most basic pattern:

• როგორ ხარ?
  rogor khar?
  “How are you?” (informal, to one person)

This is common with friends and people your own age.

A very easy response:

• კარგად.
  kargad.
  “(I am) fine.”

Put it together:

• A: გამარჯობა, როგორ ხარ?
  gamardjoba, rogor khar?
  “Hello, how are you?”
• B: კარგად, გმადლობ.
  kargad, gmadlob.
  “Fine, thank you.”

You can optionally repeat the question:

• კარგად, გმადლობ, შენ?
  kargad, gmadlob, shen?
  “Fine, thank you, and you?” (informal)

Note that here შენ (shen) is “you” in an informal way, but the detailed explanation of pronouns will come in a later chapter.

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Introducing Yourself: Names

To handle a first meeting you mainly need phrases around names and “nice to meet you”.

Saying Your Name

A very basic structure for self introduction:

• მე მქვია [name].
  me mkvia [name].
  “My name is [name].”

You do not need to change anything here, just replace [name] with your own:

• მე მქვია ანა.
  me mkvia Ana.
  “My name is Ana.”
• მე მქვია ლუკა.
  me mkvia Luka.
  “My name is Luka.”

Asking for Someone’s Name

To ask “What is your name?”:

• რა გქვია?
  ra gkvia?
  “What is your name?” (informal, to one person)

Very simple dialogue:

• A: გამარჯობა, მე მქვია მარია.
  gamardjoba, me mkvia Maria.
  “Hello, my name is Maria.”
• B: გამარჯობა, მარია. მე მქვია გიორგი.
  gamardjoba, Maria. me mkvia Giorgi.
  “Hello, Maria. My name is Giorgi.”
• A: სასიამოვნოა.
  sasiamovnoa.
  “Nice to meet you.”

We will explain the inner structure of these sentences later, for now treat them as fixed chunks.

More Examples with Names

Practice with different names:

• მე მქვია დევიდი.
  me mkvia Devidi.
  “My name is David.”
• მე მქვია ნინო.
  me mkvia Nino.
  “My name is Nino.”
• მე მქვია ტომი. შენ რა გქვია?
  me mkvia Tomi. shen ra gkvia?
  “My name is Tom. What is your name?”
• მე მქვია სარა, სასიამოვნოა.
  me mkvia Sara, sasiamovnoa.
  “My name is Sarah, nice to meet you.”

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Simple “Nice to Meet You” Phrases

To react politely when meeting someone for the first time, you can memorize these expressions:

• სასიამოვნოა.
  sasiamovnoa.
  “(It is) nice.” / “Nice to meet you.”

Longer versions:

• ძალიან სასიამოვნოა.
  dzalian sasiamovnoa.
  “(It is) very nice to meet you.”
• შენთან გაცნობა სასიამოვნოა.
  shentan gatsnoba sasiamovnoa.
  “It is nice to meet you.” (informal “you”)

In very simple exchanges:

• A: მე მქვია ალექსი.
  me mkvia Aleksi.
  “My name is Alex.”
• B: ძალიან სასიამოვნოა, ალექს.
  dzalian sasiamovnoa, Aleks.
  “Very nice to meet you, Alex.”

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Putting It Together: Sample Mini Dialogues

Here are short, realistic conversations you can already attempt as a beginner. Focus on memorizing them as whole units.

Friendly Informal Meeting

A: გამარჯობა.
gamardjoba.
Hello.

B: გამარჯობა. როგორ ხარ?
gamardjoba. rogor khar?
Hello. How are you?

A: კარგად, გმადლობ. შენ?
kargad, gmadlob. shen?
Fine, thank you. And you?

B: მეც კარგად.
mets kargad.
I am fine too.

New element: მეც (mets) means “me too,” but you can simply treat mets kargad as “I am also fine.”

First Introduction Between Peers

A: გამარჯობა, მე მქვია დენიელი.
gamardjoba, me mkvia Denieli.
Hello, my name is Daniel.

B: გამარჯობა, დენიელ. მე მქვია თეკლა.
gamardjoba, Deniel. me mkvia Tekla.
Hello, Daniel. My name is Tekla.

A: სასიამოვნოა.
sasiamovnoa.
Nice to meet you.

B: ძალიან სასიამოვნოა.
dzalian sasiamovnoa.
Very nice to meet you.

Greeting and Goodbye in One Encounter

A: გამარჯობა.
gamardjoba.
Hello.

B: გამარჯობათ.
gamardjobat.
Hello. (polite / plural form, you will learn details later)

A: მე მქვია იამან.
me mkvia Yaman.
My name is Yaman.

B: სასიამოვნოა, იამან.
sasiamovnoa, Yaman.
Nice to meet you, Yaman.

A: ნახვამდის.
nakhvamdis.
Goodbye.

B: ნახვამდის.
nakhvamdis.
Goodbye.

You do not need to worry yet about the polite form გამარჯობათ (gamardjobat), just recognize it when you hear it.

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Useful Phrase Table

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New Vocabulary from this Chapter

Below is a list of new words and fixed phrases introduced here.

With these few expressions you can already greet someone, ask their name, and say “nice to meet you” in Georgian.

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