Giving Simple Commands and Requests

In this chapter you will learn how to tell someone to do something in Georgian in a simple and polite way. You will see everyday examples such as “come here,” “please sit,” or “give me water.”

We will focus on very common verbs and short patterns that you can immediately use.

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The Basic Imperative: Simple Commands

Georgian has special forms of verbs that are used for commands. These are called imperatives.

In this chapter we focus on the 2nd person singular form, that you use with one person that you know well, or in informal situations.

Here are some very common imperatives you will hear all the time.

Very Common Imperatives

Use the imperative by itself when context is clear:

• მოდი!
  Modi!
  “Come!”
• დაჯექი!
  Dajeki!
  “Sit!”
• გაიჩუმე!
  Gaichume!
  “Be quiet / shut up!” (informal, can be rude)

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Softening Commands With “Please”

Georgian uses several words to make commands polite or softer.

Main “Please” Words

Using **გთხოვ** with a command

Structure:
[imperative] + გთხოვ.

• მოდი, გთხოვ.
  Modi, gtkhov.
  “Come, please.”
• დაჯექი, გთხოვ.
  Dajeki, gtkhov.
  “Sit, please.”

You can also put გთხოვ first.

• გთხოვ, მომეცი წყალი.
  Gtkhov, mometsi ts’qali.
  “Please, give me water.”

Using **თუ შეიძლება** with a command

Structure:
თუ შეიძლება, [imperative].

• თუ შეიძლება, დაჯექი.
  Tu sheidzleba, dajeki.
  “Sit, please.” / “If possible, sit.”
• თუ შეიძლება, მომეცი პური.
  Tu sheidzleba, mometsi puri.
  “Please give me bread.”

You can also put it at the end:

• ნელა ილაპარაკე, თუ შეიძლება.
  Nela ilaparak’e, tu sheidzleba.
  “Speak slowly, please.”

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Saying “Give Me …” and “Show Me …”

Requests with “give me” are very common: in a shop, at the table, in class.

“Give me …” with **მომეცი**

Basic pattern:

Examples:

• მომეცი წყალი.
  Mometsi ts’qali.
  “Give me water.”
• მომეცი პური.
  Mometsi puri.
  “Give me bread.”
• მომეცი წიგნი.
  Mometsi ts’igni.
  “Give me the book.”
• მომეცი კალამი.
  Mometsi kalami.
  “Give me the pen.”

Polite versions:

• გთხოვ, მომეცი წყალი.
  “Please give me water.”
• თუ შეიძლება, მომეცი მარილი.
  Tu sheidzleba, mometsi marili.
  “Please give me the salt.”

“Give me more / a little” and similar

You can add small words:

• მომეცი ცოტა წყალი.
  Mometsi ts’ota ts’qali.
  “Give me a little water.”
• მომეცი კიდევ პური.
  Mometsi kidev puri.
  “Give me more bread.”
• მომეცი ნაკლები შაქარი.
  Mometsi naklebi shakari.
  “Give me less sugar.”

“Show me …” with ** მაჩვენე **

Pattern:

Examples:

• მაჩვენე ფოტო.
  Machvene foto.
  “Show me the photo.”
• მაჩვენე შენი წიგნი.
  Machvene sheni ts’igni.
  “Show me your book.”

Polite:

• გთხოვ, მაჩვენე.
  “Please show me.”
• თუ შეიძლება, მაჩვენე ეს.
  Tu sheidzleba, machvene es.
  “Show me this, please.”

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Simple Negative Commands: “Don’t …”

To say “do not do something”, Georgian often uses ნუ before the verb.

Pattern:

Very common negative commands:

Examples in context:

• ნუ მეჩხუბები.
  Nu mechkhubebi.
  “Do not argue with me.”
• ნუ იჩქარებ.
  Nu ich’kareb.
  “Do not hurry.”
• ნუ გაფუჭებ ამ წიგნს.
  Nu gapuch’eb am ts’igns.
  “Do not damage this book.”

Softened:

• გთხოვ, ნუ ნერვიულობ.
  “Please do not worry.”
• თუ შეიძლება, ნუ ყვირი.
  Tu sheidzleba, nu k’viri.
  “Please do not shout.”

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Everyday Classroom and Home Commands

Here are some very practical commands and requests that you can hear or use at home or in class.

In the classroom

Example sentences:

• ყურადღებით მოუსმინე.
  Droghadghit mousmine.
  “Listen carefully.”
• ეს წაიკითხე, გთხოვ.
  Es tsaik’itkhe, gtkhov.
  “Read this, please.”
• შენი სახელი დაწერე.
  Sheni sakheli dats’ere.
  “Write your name.”
• კითხვა დასვი, თუ შეიძლება.
  Kitkhva dasvi, tu sheidzleba.
  “Ask a question, please.”

At home

Examples:

• მოდი აქ, გთხოვ.
  Modi ak, gtkhov.
  “Come here, please.”
• დახურე კარი, თუ შეიძლება.
  Dakhure kari, tu sheidzleba.
  “Please close the door.”
• დამეხმარე, გთხოვ.
  Damekhmare, gtkhov.
  “Help me, please.”
• გარეცხე ჭურჭელი.
  Garets’khe ch’urch’eli.
  “Wash the dishes.”

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In Shops and Cafés: Polite Requests

In shops and cafés you usually want to sound polite. You very often use:

• მომეცით “give me, please” (formal / plural)
• მომაწოდეთ “bring me, hand me” (formal)
• თუ შეიძლება “please, if it is possible”

In this beginner chapter we keep focus on informal patterns, but you will see the formal ones so you can recognize them.

Informal “give me” patterns that you will hear

At a café with a friend, talking to the waiter (informal style, if appropriate):

• გთხოვ, მომეცი ერთი ყავა.
  Gtkhov, mometsi erti k’ava.
  “Please give me one coffee.”
• თუ შეიძლება, მომეცი ჩაი.
  Tu sheidzleba, mometsi chai.
  “Please give me tea.”

You can also ask your friend:

• მომეცი შენი ტელეფონი, გთხოვ.
  Mometsi sheni telefoni, gtkhov.
  “Give me your phone, please.”

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Asking Someone to Speak or Act in a Certain Way

You can combine imperatives with adverbs or short phrases to shape the request.

Speaking

Examples:

• ნელა ილაპარაკე, გთხოვ.
  Nela ilaparak’e, gtkhov.
  “Speak slowly, please.”
• ქართულად ილაპარაკე.
  Kartulad ilaparak’e.
  “Speak in Georgian.”
• ხმამაღლა ილაპარაკე, ნუ გერიდება.
  Khmamaghla ilaparak’e, nu gerideba.
  “Speak loudly, do not be shy.”

Moving and doing

Examples:

• ნელა იარე, გთხოვ.
  Nela iare, gtkhov.
  “Walk slowly, please.”
• ხვალ მოდი ადრე.
  Khval modi adre.
  “Come early tomorrow.”
• აქ გაჩერდი, თუ შეიძლება.
  Ak gach’erdi, tu sheidzleba.
  “Stop here, please.”

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Friendly vs Rude Commands

Just like in English, in Georgian the same command can sound friendly or rude depending on tone and extra words.

To sound friendlier, you can:

• add გთხოვ or თუ შესაძლებელია / თუ შეიძლება
• use a softer voice
• add words like გეთაყვა (very polite, more advanced)

Compare:

• მოდი აქ.
  “Come here.” (neutral, can be a bit direct)
• მოდი აქ, გთხოვ.
  “Come here, please.” (softer)
• თუ შეიძლება, აქ დაჯექი.
  “If possible, sit here.” (very polite)

For beginners, you can safely use:

These patterns usually sound polite enough.

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Mini Dialogues Using Commands and Requests

Dialogue 1: At home

A: მედილა, მოდი აქ.
Medila, modi ak.
“Medea, come here.”

B: კარგი, მოვდივარ.
K’argi, movdivar.
“OK, I am coming.”

A: დახურე, გთხოვ, ფანჯარა.
Dakhure, gtkhov, panjara.
“Close the window, please.”

B: კარგი, დავხურავ.
K’argi, davkhurav.
“OK, I will close it.”

Dialogue 2: In a small café, informally

A: გთხოვ, მომეცი ერთი ყავა.
Gtkhov, mometsi erti k’ava.
“Please give me one coffee.”

Waiter: კარგი. შაქრით თუ უშაქროდ?
K’argi. Shakrit tu ushakrod?
“OK. With sugar or without sugar?”

A: ცოტა შაქრით, თუ შეიძლება.
Ts’ota shakrit, tu sheidzleba.
“With a little sugar, please.”

Dialogue 3: In class

Teacher: ბავშვებო, ნელა ილაპარაკეთ.
Bavshvebo, nela ilaparak’et.
“Children, speak slowly.” (plural form, for recognition)

Student: მას, ეს წავიკითხო?
Mas, es ts’avik’itkho?
“Teacher, should I read this?”

Teacher: კი, ეს წაიკითხე.
K’i, es tsaik’itkhe.
“Yes, read this.”

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Vocabulary List

Below is a list of new or important words and phrases from this chapter.

Use these patterns and words to start giving gentle, polite commands and requests in simple Georgian.

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