Language/Georgian/Grammar/The-Conjugation-System

The Conjugation System in Georgian

The Georgian verb has three series and 11 so called mts’krivi or screeves (rows) of conjugation. There are 11 rows of conjugation in Georgian.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Future Tense, Georgian Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparison, Derivation & Nominative Case.

I Series

ats’mq’o – Present Indicative – is indefinite or present continuous, narrative (vkhat’av – I paint / I am painting). Sometimes these forms without a preverb may be polysemantic with a meaning of future tense: vkhat’av – now and vkhat’av – tomorrow.

uts’q’vet’eli – Imperfect – is past continuous, narrative (vkhat’avdi – I was painting).

ats’mq’os k’avshirebiti – Present Subjunctive – is the present subjunctive (vkhat’avde – if I paint / if I were painting).

mq’opadi – Future Indicative – is the imperfect future indefinite, narrative (davkhat’av – I will paint).

kholmeobiti – Conditional – is the future in the past conditional (davkhat’avdi – I would paint).

mq’opadis k’avshirebiti – Future Subjunctive – is the future subjunctive, conditional (davkha’tavde – if I were to paint).

II Series

ts’q’vet’ili / aoristi – Aorist Indicative – is the general past, narrative: (da)vkhat’e – I have painted / I painted. It could be in the present/past perfect with preverbs.

II k’avshirebiti – Optative – is the future subjunctive: (da)vkhat’o – I should paint. It could also be in the present/past perfect with preverbs.

III Series

I turmeobiti – Perfect – is the past narrative (the subject can hardly believe in his act: turme – it seems): (da)mikhat’avs – it seems I painted / I have/had painted. It could be in the present/past perfect with preverbs.

II turmeobiti – Pluperfect – and III k’avshirebiti – Perfect Subjunctive – are very close rows; they are future in the past subjunctive conditional: (da)mekhat’a – (da)mekhat’os – if I had painted it.

The subjunctive mood is exposed by the following rows: ats’mq’os k’avshirebiti, kholmeobiti, mq’opadis k’avshirebiti, II k’avshirebiti and III k’avshirebiti.

The imperatives in modern Georgian don’t have special rows. They use the following rows:

a) ts’q’vet’ili – dakhat’e!

b) II k’avshirebiti – for the I and the III persons – (ar) davkhat’ot! (ar) dakhat’on! For negative imperatives of the II person – ar (da)khat’ot!

c) mq’opadi is seldom used, only for very categorical orders – (ar) davkhat’av!

Negative forms are produced by adding “ar” or “ver”. “ar” is more categorical.

Compare:

• ar davkhat’av – I will not paint
• ver davkhat’av – I can’t paint

Indefinite

1. Present – ats’mq’o

2. Past – ts’q’vet’ili (aoristi)

3. Future – mq’opadi

4. Future in the past – kholmeobiti

Continuous

1. Present – ats’mq’o

2. Past – uts’q’vet’eli

3. Future – ats’mq’o

4. Future in the past – II turmeobiti / III k’avshirebiti

Perfect

1. Present – ts’q’vet’ili (aoristi) or I turmeobiti

2. Past – ts’q’vet’ili (aoristi) or I turmeobiti

3. Future – mq’opadi

4. Future in the past – II turmeobiti / III k’avshirebiti

Perfect-continuous

1. Present – uts’q’vet’eli

2. Past – uts’q’vet’eli

3. Future – mq’opadi

4. Future in the past – II turmeobiti / III k’avshirebiti

Sources

http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/3071/1/Basic-Georgian%202%20bolo%20versia.pdf

Other Lessons

• Adverbial forms "to have breakfast, dinner, lunch and supper"
• Cases of the subject and direct object with transitive verbs
• Adverbs produced from Adjectives
• Nouns
• Postpositions of the Genitive
• Noun Inflection
• Adverbs of Time
• Inflection of adjectives with nouns
• Verbs Destination System
• The adverbial case