Language/Georgian/Grammar/The-Conjugation-System
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.
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