Irregular Verbs in Georgian: What Makes Them Special

In Georgian, many of the most common verbs are irregular. They are irregular because:

• their stems change between tenses or aspects, or
• they use different “series” of personal markers than regular verbs, or
• some forms are historically “fused” and do not follow transparent patterns.

In this chapter we will not describe the full verb system. Instead, we will focus on recognizing and using the most frequent irregular verbs in the present tense, with some hints about how their stems change in other tenses.

Keep in mind that you have already seen some of them in earlier chapters, such as “to be” and “to have”. Here we go further with a small core group that you will meet every day.

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Recap: Two Essential Irregulars You Already Know

The verb “to be” – ყოფნა / იყო

Georgian has two related verbs, but for now, treat them together as “to be.” In the present tense you already know:

Key point: The dictionary form ყოფნა (qopna) or იყო (iq’o) does not directly give you the present forms, which is a sign of irregularity.

The verb “to have” – ქონა (“to have something”)

You have also used the present tense of ქონა (q’ona, “to have something”):

Notice the very irregular pattern: makvs, gakvs, aqvs, gvqvs, gaqvt, aqvt. You will meet the parallel verb ყოლა (q’ola, “to have someone / living beings”) later, which is also irregular.

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The Very Common Verb “to go” – წასვლა

One of the most used verbs is წასვლა (ts’asvla, “to go, to leave”). It is irregular because its present tense uses a different base stem, and many speakers use shortened spoken forms.

Dictionary form and basic meaning

• წასვლა (ts’asvla) – to go, to leave, to set off

In the present tense (simple, ongoing or near future meaning), many speakers actually use the verb დასვლა or forms with the stem მიდ-. For the basic learner level, focus on the very common forms:

Note the change of consonants: წასვლა (ts’asvla) but midis, midikhar, mivdivar in the present.

Example sentences

1. მე მივდივარ სახლში.
   me mivdivar sakhlshi.
   I am going home.
2. შენ სკოლაში მიდიხარ?
   shen skolashi midikhar?
   Are you going to school?
3. ის სამსახურში მიდის.
   is samushchrshi midis.
   He / She is going to work.
4. ჩვენ ახლა მივდივართ უნივერსიტეტში.
   tchven akhla mivdivart universitetshi.
   We are going to the university now.
5. ისინი ბაზარში მიდიან.
   isini bazarshi midian.
   They are going to the market.

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The Verb “to come” – მოსვლა

The natural partner to “to go” is მოსვლა (mosvla, “to come”). It also uses a different stem in the present.

Dictionary form and present stem

• მოსვლა (mosvla) – to come

Present tense forms use stem მოდ- or მოვდ-:

Again, the present forms do not look like mosvla, they use mod- / movd-.

Example sentences

1. მე დღეს სახლში მოვდივარ გვიან.
   me dghes sakhlshi movdivar gvian.
   Today I am coming home late.
2. შენ ჩვენთან მოდიხარ?
   shen tchventan modikhar?
   Are you coming to us?
3. ის უნივერსიტეტში მოდის.
   is universitetshi modis.
   He / She is coming to the university.
4. თქვენ აქ ხვალ მოდიხართ?
   tkven ak khval modikhart?
   Are you all coming here tomorrow?
5. ისინი სტუმრად მოდიან.
   isini stumrad modian.
   They are coming as guests.

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The Verb “to know (a fact)” – ცოდნა

Georgian has two main verbs for “to know,” and both are irregular. The first one is ცოდნა (tsodna), “to know a fact, to know information.”

Dictionary form and present tense

• ცოდნა (tsodna) – to know (a fact, information)

Present tense usually uses the stem იცოდ- (itsod-):

Spoken Georgian often reduces forms, but as a beginner it is enough to memorize these.

Example sentences

1. მე ვიცი ქართული ანბანი.
   me vitsi kartuli anbani.
   I know the Georgian alphabet.
2. შენ იცი მისი სახელი?
   shen itsi misi sakhli?
   Do you know his / her name?
3. ის იცის პასუხი.
   is itsis pasukhi.
   He / She knows the answer.
4. ჩვენ ვიცით, სად არის სკოლა.
   tchven vitsit, sad aris skola.
   We know where the school is.
5. ისინი არ იციან ინგლისური.
   isini ar itsian inglisuri.
   They do not know English.

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The Verb “to know (a person / be acquainted with)” – ცნობნა / იცნობ

The second frequent “know” is used for being familiar with a person, place, or sometimes a work of art. Learners usually begin from the common present forms.

Some dictionaries give the infinitive ცნობა or ცნობნა, but in practice beginners learn the verb starting from იცნობ and other present forms.

Present tense forms

We will use იცნობ (itsnob) as the key form: “you know (someone).”

When to use this verb

Use იცნობ and its forms when you know:

• a person,
• a city by experience,
• a writer or artist because you are familiar with their works.

Example sentences

1. მე ვიცნობ ნინოს.
   me vitsnob ninos.
   I know Nino. / I am acquainted with Nino.
2. შენ იცნობ ამ მსახიობს?
   shen itsnob am msakhiobs?
   Do you know this actor?
3. ის იცნობს თბილისის ქუჩებს.
   is itsnobs tbilisis kutchebs.
   He / She knows the streets of Tbilisi.
4. ჩვენ ვიცნობთ თქვენს მასწავლებელს.
   tchven vitsnobt tkvens mastsavlebelss.
   We know your teacher.
5. ისინი არ იცნობენ მას.
   isini ar itsnoben mas.
   They do not know him / her.

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The Verb “to want” – სურდეს / უნდა

“To want” is particularly tricky because everyday Georgian normally uses უნდა with pronouns, not a transparent infinitive.

For now, use მინდა type forms to say “I want” etc. You will later see the deeper grammar and series system.

Present forms with “want”

These forms combine with nouns or verbs in the masdar / infinitive-like form, which you will learn more systematically elsewhere. For now, focus on simple noun objects.

Example sentences with nouns

1. მე მინდა ყავა.
   me minda q’ava.
   I want coffee.
2. შენ გინდა ჩაი?
   shen ginda chai?
   Do you want tea?
3. მას უნდა წყალი.
   mas unda ts’q’ali.
   He / She wants water.
4. ჩვენ გვინდა პური და ყველი.
   tchven gvinda puri da kveli.
   We want bread and cheese.
5. მათ უნდათ სახლი თბილისში.
   mat undat sakhli tbilisshi.
   They want a house in Tbilisi.

Example sentences with activity ideas (simple)

1. მე მინდა დასვენება.
   me minda dasveneba.
   I want rest.
2. შენ გინდა სეირნობა?
   shen ginda seirnoba?
   Do you want a walk?
3. მას უნდა სწავლა.
   mas unda sts’avla.
   He / She wants to study. / He / she wants studies.

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The Daily Verb “to do / to make” – გაკეთება

The verb გაკეთება (gak’eteba) means “to do, to make.” In the present tense its personal forms are partly regular in endings but the stem აკეთებ- is not obvious for beginners.

Dictionary form and present stem

• გაკეთება (gak’eteba) – to do, to make
• Present stem: აკეთებ- (ak’eteb-)

Present tense forms (simple active)

The endings look familiar from more regular verbs, but the base გაკეთება → აკეთებ is irregular enough that most learners simply memorize the present pattern.

Example sentences

1. მე ვაკეთებ დავალებას.
   me vak’eteb davalebas.
   I am doing the homework.
2. შენ რას აკეთებ ახლა?
   shen ras ak’eteb akhla?
   What are you doing now?
3. ის აკეთებს ჩაის.
   is ak’eteb chais.
   He / She is making tea.
4. ჩვენ ვაკეთებთ პროექტს.
   tchven vak’etebt proeqts.
   We are doing a project.
5. ისინი ხშირად აკეთებენ შეცდომებს.
   isini khshirad ak’eteben shecdomebs.
   They often make mistakes.

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High Frequency Irregular Pair: “to say” and “to speak”

Learners meet the verbs to say and to speak very often. Their forms are not entirely regular in all tenses, but you can start with the most frequent present forms.

“To say, to tell” – თქმა

The dictionary form is თქმა (tk’ma). For beginners, the present tense is often learned through the form ამბობს, which comes from a related stem.

You will see this more fully when you study verb series. Here, just recognize and use these common forms:

Example sentences

1. მე ვამბობ სიმართლეს.
   me vambob simartles.
   I am telling the truth.
2. შენ რას ამბობ?
   shen ras ambob?
   What are you saying?
3. ის ამბობს, რომ მოდის.
   is ambobs, rom modis.
   He / She says that he / she is coming.
4. ჩვენ ვამბობთ “მადლობა”.
   tchven vambobt “madloba”.
   We say “thank you”.
5. ისინი სულ ამას ამბობენ.
   isini sul amas amboben.
   They always say this.

“To speak, to talk” – ლაპარაკი

The noun and verb form in everyday language is ლაპარაკი (lap’araki). Here, too, present forms are somewhat irregular in stem use, but the endings are familiar.

Example sentences

1. მე ვლაპარაკობ ქართულად.
   me vlap’arakob kartulad.
   I speak Georgian.
2. შენ ლაპარაკობ ინგლისურად?
   shen lap’arakob inglisurad?
   Do you speak English?
3. ის ნელა ლაპარაკობს.
   is nela lap’arakobs.
   He / She speaks slowly.
4. ჩვენ ვლაპარაკობთ მეგობრებთან.
   tchven vlap’arakobt megobrebtan.
   We are talking with friends.
5. ისინი ლაპარაკობენ ტელეფონზე.
   isini lap’arakoben teleponze.
   They are talking on the phone.

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The Verb “to see” – დანახვა / ხედვა

For “to see” Georgian uses several related verbs. At beginner level you often meet the present form ვხედავ and a few others. The underlying verb is irregular, so treat the common forms as special.

Useful present forms

Use ვხედავ (vkhedav) to say “I see.”

Example sentences

1. მე ვხედავ შენს სახლს.
   me vkhedav shens sakhlss.
   I see your house.
2. შენ ხედავ ავტობუსს?
   shen khedav avtobuss?
   Do you see the bus?
3. ის ხედავს მთებს.
   is khedavs mtebs.
   He / She sees the mountains.
4. ჩვენ ვხედავთ ქალაქს აქედან.
   tchven vkhedavt qalaqs akedan.
   We see the city from here.
5. ისინი კარგად ვერ ხედავენ.
   isini kargad ver khedaven.
   They cannot see well.

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Learning Strategy for Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs in Georgian are extremely frequent. Instead of trying to derive everything from the infinitive, use the following strategy.

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Summary Table of Irregular Verbs in This Chapter

The following table gives you a quick overview of the key irregulars covered here, using 1st person singular present as the reference form.

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New Vocabulary from This Chapter

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