Language/Georgian/Grammar/Past-Tense

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Welcome to this engaging lesson on the Past Tense in Georgian! Understanding how to express past actions and events is crucial for effective communication in any language, and Georgian is no exception. As you embark on this journey, you'll discover not only the grammatical structure but also the beauty and nuances of recounting experiences in Georgian.

Georgian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Past Tense

In this lesson, we will cover the following key aspects:

• The importance of the past tense in everyday conversation.

• Forming the past tense for different verb types.

• Examples illustrating the use of the past tense in various contexts.

• Exercises to solidify your understanding and application of the past tense.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid foundation in using the past tense, enabling you to share your experiences and stories in Georgian with confidence.

The Importance of the Past Tense

The past tense allows us to narrate events that have already occurred, making it an essential part of storytelling and conversation. Whether you're sharing memories, discussing your day, or recounting historical events, being able to use the past tense effectively will enhance your communication skills in Georgian.

Forming the Past Tense

In Georgian, verbs are conjugated according to tense, person, and number. The past tense has its own set of rules depending on the verb type. Let's break it down into manageable parts.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Georgian typically follow a predictable pattern when conjugated into the past tense. The most common endings for regular verbs are -ი (i) for singular and -ნენ (nen) for plural forms.

For instance:

• The verb "to write" (წერვა - ts'erva) becomes "wrote" (წერე - ts'ere) in the past tense for singular and "wrote" (წერენ - ts'eren) for plural.

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
წერდა	ts'erdɑ	he/she wrote
წერდნენ	ts'erdnen	they wrote

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs can have significant deviations from standard patterns. Here are a few common irregular verbs:

• The verb "to go" (წასვლა - ts'asvla) changes to "went" (წასულა - ts'asula) in the past tense.

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
წავიდა	ts'avidɑ	he/she went
წავიდნენ	ts'avidnen	they went

Verb Conjugation Table

Here's a comprehensive table of common Georgian verbs in the past tense:

Georgian Verb	Present Tense	Past Tense (Singular)	Past Tense (Plural)
წერა	წერს	წერა	წერენ
წასვლა	მიდის	წავიდა	წავიდნენ
ხილვა	ხედავს	იხილა	იხილნენ
მოსვლა	მოდის	მოვიდა	მოვიდნენ
თამაში	თამაშობს	ითამაშა	ითამაშეს

Examples of the Past Tense in Context

Now that we have a grasp on the formation of the past tense, let’s look at some examples that illustrate its practical use.

1. I wrote a letter yesterday.

• Georgian: მე წერილი ვწერე გუშინ.

• Pronunciation: me ts'erili vts'ere gushin.

2. They went to the market last week.

• Georgian: ისინი ბაზარში წავიდნენ გასული კვირა.

• Pronunciation: isini bazarshi ts'avidnen gasuli kvira.

3. She saw a beautiful painting.

• Georgian: მან ლამაზი ნახატი იხილა.

• Pronunciation: man lamazi nakhati ikhila.

4. We played football last Saturday.

• Georgian: ჩვენ ფეხბურთი ვითამაშეთ გასულ შაბათს.

• Pronunciation: chven pekhburti vitamashet gasul shabats.

5. He finished his homework.

• Georgian: მან სახლის დავალება დაამთავრა.

• Pronunciation: man sakhlis davaleba damtavra.

6. I visited my grandmother yesterday.

• Georgian: მე ბებია ვნახე გუშინ.

• Pronunciation: me bebiya vnakhe gushin.

7. They danced all night.

• Georgian: მათ მთელი ღამე იც danced.

• Pronunciation: mat mteli ghame its'danced.

8. We traveled to Batumi last summer.

• Georgian: ჩვენ ბათუმში ვიმგზავრეთ გასულ ზაფხულში.

• Pronunciation: chven batumshi vimgzavret gasul zafkhulshi.

9. She cooked dinner last night.

• Georgian: მან ვახშამი მოამზადა წუხელ.

• Pronunciation: man vakhsami moamzadа tsukhеl.

10. He read a book last month.

• Georgian: მან წიგნი წინა თვეში წაიკითხა.

• Pronunciation: man ts'igni ts'ina tveshi ts'aik'itha.

11. I met my friend yesterday.

• Georgian: მე მეგობარი ვნახე გუშინ.

• Pronunciation: me megobari vnakhe gushin.

12. We learned Georgian phrases.

• Georgian: ჩვენ ქართული ფრაზები ვისწავლეთ.

• Pronunciation: chven kartuli prazevi vist'vlet.

13. They watched a movie last weekend.

• Georgian: მათ ფილმი უყურეს გასულ ექვსშაბათს.

• Pronunciation: mat pilmi ughures gasul ekvshabats.

14. She bought a dress last month.

• Georgian: მან კაბა იყიდა გასულ თვეში.

• Pronunciation: man kaba ikhida gasul tveshi.

15. I found my keys yesterday.

• Georgian: მე გასაღებები ვიპოვე გუშინ.

• Pronunciation: me gasagebi vipove gushin.

16. We celebrated New Year’s Eve last year.

• Georgian: ჩვენ ახალი წლის ღამე აღვნიშნეთ გასულ წელს.

• Pronunciation: chven akhali ts'lis ghame avnishnet gasul ts'els.

17. He helped his brother last week.

• Georgian: მან ძმას დაეხმარა გასულ კვირას.

• Pronunciation: man dzmas daekhmarа gasul kvira.

18. They played a game last night.

• Georgian: მათ თამაში ითამაშეს წუხელ.

• Pronunciation: mat tamashi itamashe tsukhеl.

19. I studied for the exam.

• Georgian: მე გამოცდისთვის ვისწავლე.

• Pronunciation: me gamotsdisthvis vist'vle.

20. She cleaned the house last weekend.

• Georgian: მან სახლი გაწვდილი გასულ ექვსშაბათს.

• Pronunciation: man sakhli gats'vdili gasul ekvshabats.

Practice Exercises

To help you apply what you've learned, here are some exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct past tense form of the verb in parentheses.

1. მე (წერო) _______ წერილი გუშინ.

2. მათ (წასვლა) _______ ზღვა გასულ ზაფხულში.

3. მან (ხვდება) _______ მეგობარი წინა კვირას.

4. ჩვენ (მოდიხარ) _______ ბათუმში გასულ სეზონში.

5. ისინი (დაიწყო) _______ სწავლა მარტში.

Answers:

1. ვწერე

2. წავიდნენ

3. ნახა

4. მოვედით

5. დაიწყეს

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Georgian.

1. I saw a movie last night.

2. They played football last Saturday.

3. She cooked dinner.

4. We traveled to Tbilisi last week.

5. He finished his homework.

Answers:

1. მე ფილმი ვნახე წუხელ.

2. მათ ფეხბურთი ითამაშეს გასულ შაბათს.

3. მან ვახშამი მოამზადა.

4. ჩვენ თბილისი ვიმგზავრეთ გასულ კვირას.

5. მან სახლის დავალება დაამთავრა.

Exercise 3: Verb Conjugation

Conjugate the following verbs in the past tense for the singular and plural forms.

1. წერა (to write)

2. წასვლა (to go)

3. თამაში (to play)

Answers:

1. წერდა (singular), წერდნენ (plural)

2. წავიდა (singular), წავიდნენ (plural)

3. ითამაშა (singular), ითამაშეს (plural)

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences

Write three sentences in Georgian using the past tense.

Example Answers:

1. მე წიგნი წავიკითხე გუშინ. (I read a book yesterday.)

2. ჩვენ ფანტასტიური ვახშამი მოვამზადეთ. (We prepared a fantastic dinner.)

3. მან მეგობრებთან ერთად წავიდა. (She went with friends.)

Conclusion

Mastering the past tense in Georgian opens up a world of expression for you. It's the key to sharing stories, experiences, and emotions, making your language learning journey all the more enriching. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t hesitate to revisit these exercises and examples as often as you need. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Georgian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Sounds

• Consonants and Vowels
• Pronunciation Rules
• Word Order

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings and Responses
• Introducing Yourself
• Polite Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Cases

• Noun Gender
• Nominative Case
• Genitive Case
• Dative Case
• Accusative Case
• Locative Case

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships and Titles

  ---

Food and Drink

• Traditional Dishes
• Wine and Spirits
• Table Manners

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense
• Conditional and Imperative

  ---

Transportation and Directions

• Public Transportation
• Asking for and Giving Directions

  ---

Holidays and Celebrations

• New Year's and Christmas
• Easter
• Independence Day

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparison

  ---

Shopping and Services

• Money and Currency
• Shopping Vocabulary
• Services and Emergencies

  ---

Arts and Entertainment

• Music and Dance
• Theater and Film
• Literature and Poetry

  ---

Prepositions

• Simple Prepositions
• Compound Prepositions

  ---

Work and Employment

• Job Titles and Professions
• Applying for a Job

  ---

Georgian History and Geography

• Ancient Kingdoms
• Recent History
• Geographic Regions

Sources

• 15+ Basic Georgian Verbs: Easiest Guide - Ling App
• Georgian grammar - Wikipedia
• Georgian Past Tense | POLYMATH.ORG

Other Lessons

• Adjective Agreement
• Negative imperatives with “ნუ”
• Conjugation verb “to be” ყოფნა in the past tense
• Future Tense
• Cases of Verbal Persons in Transitive Verbs
• Noun Inflection
• Gender
• Nouns with “many”, “much” and “a few”
• Word Order
• Types of Verbs

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