Language/Georgian/Grammar/Questions

Georgian Grammar - Questions

Hi Georgian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to ask questions in Georgian. Asking questions is an important part of learning any language. By asking questions, we can get more information and practice our conversational skills. In Georgian, asking questions is relatively easy, and it's a great way to improve your conversational skills.

Word Order

In Georgian, word order typically follows the subject-verb-object pattern. However, when asking a question, the word order changes. The order becomes verb-subject-object (VSO). Here is an example:

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
მე	me	I
ვიყავი	viqavi	was
სკოლაში	skolashi	at school
?	?	Was I at school?

As you can see, the word order changes from "I was at school" to "Was I at school?" by switching the subject and verb.

Tag Questions

Another way to ask questions in Georgian is to use tag questions. A tag question is a short question that comes at the end of a statement. The word for "isn't it?" in Georgian is "arah" (არაანა?). Here is an example:

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
დახატა	daxata	He drew it
ფრთხილის	prtkhilis	a horse
არაანა?	arah?	He drew a horse, didn't he?

In this example, "arah" is added at the end of the statement to form the tag question. This is a simple yet effective way to ask questions in Georgian.

Interrogative Words

One of the most common ways to ask questions is to use interrogative words. In Georgian, there are several interrogative words that you can use. Here are some examples:

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
ვინ	vin	who
რა	ra	what
როდის	rodis	when
სად	sad	where
როგორ	rogor	how
რამდენი	ramdeni	how many
რამე	rame	something
რაღაც	ragats	something

Here are some examples of how to use interrogative words in Georgian:

Georgian	Pronunciation	English
ვინ მიიღებს მობილურის ზარს?	vin miigebi mobileeris zars?	Who is answering the phone?
რა არის ეს?	ra aris es?	What is this?
როდის მოყვანილია განათლების შეტანა?	rodis moqvanilia ganatlebis shetana?	When is the deadline for submitting the assignments?
სად არის ბილიკის აგური?	sad aris bilikis aguri?	Where is the entrance of the theatre?
რას სწავლიდა ეს გული?	ras stsavlidia es guli?	What did this heart learn?

Interrogative words are a great tool for asking questions in Georgian. By practicing with these words, you can improve your conversational skills and build your vocabulary.

Dialogue

To help you practice asking questions in Georgian, here's a dialogue between two people:

• Person 1: რამე არ ვიცი, რა არის ეს? (rame ar vitsi, ra aris es?) (I don't know what this is)
• Person 2: ეს ფრთხილია, არაანა? (es prtkhilia, arah?) (This is a horse, isn't it?)
• Person 1: ე, სარტყელად იყო. (e, sartqelad iqo) (Yes, it was a caricature)

Culture and Interesting Facts

Georgian cuisine is famous for its emphasis on fresh ingredients and bold flavors. One popular Georgian dish is khachapuri, a cheese-filled bread that is baked until crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. This dish is so beloved in Georgia that it is often called the "national dish." Georgian cuisine also features many meat dishes, such as chakapuli (a lamb stew) and kharcho (a beef and walnut soup).

Georgia is also known for its rich tradition of polyphonic singing. Georgian polyphonic singing is a style of singing that features multiple voices singing different melodies simultaneously. This style of singing has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Practice with Native Speakers

To improve your understanding of Georgian grammar and practice asking questions, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Georgian language
• Georgian polyphony
• Khachapuri