Learning Georgian, a unique and complex language from the Kartvelian family, requires a deep understanding of its verb system. Unlike many Indo-European languages, Georgian verbs conjugate for tense, mood, aspect, person, number, and sometimes even the object’s and subject’s status. This guide provides a detailed exploration of Georgian verbs, including transliteration for pronunciation help.

Introduction to the Georgian Verb System

The Georgian verb system is notably intricate, characterized by its agglutinative nature. Verbs are inflected through prefixes, suffixes, and infixes to express a wide range of grammatical categories.

Verb Conjugation Overview

Georgian verbs are divided into three series (screeves) based on tense and aspect:

• Series I: Present, Future
• Series II: Aorist (simple past), Imperfect
• Series III: Pluperfect, Future in the past

Present Tense

The present tense in Georgian is used for current actions or habitual states. It is marked by specific verb endings.

• Example: “სცემს” (ts’ems) – “hits”
  • მე ვსცემ (me vts’em) – “I hit”

Past Tense

The past tense in Georgian is expressed through the aorist and imperfect screeves, indicating completed and ongoing past actions, respectively.

• Aorist Example: “წავიდა” (ts’avida) – “He/She went”
• Imperfect Example: “წადიოდა” (ts’adioda) – “He/She was going”

Future Tense

The future tense is formed by modifying the present tense forms or using auxiliary constructions.

• Example: “წავა” (ts’ava) – “He/She will go”

Mood

Georgian verbs express various moods including indicative, subjunctive, conditional, and imperative.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood, often used for wishes or potential actions, is formed with specific markers.

• Example: “მე წავიდე” (me ts’avide) – “I might go”

Imperative Mood

Commands in Georgian use the imperative mood, which has unique forms for giving orders or making requests.

• Example: “წადი!” (ts’adi!) – “Go!”

Aspect

Georgian verbs indicate aspect through the verb series, showing whether an action is complete, ongoing, or repeated.

• Perfective Aspect: Indicated by Series II and III verbs for completed actions.
• Imperfective Aspect: Shown in Series I verbs for ongoing or habitual actions.

Voice

Georgian has active, passive, and mediopassive voices, each changing the verb’s form to indicate the action’s direction.

• Active Voice Example: “მე ვსცემ” (me vts’em) – “I hit”
• Passive Voice Example: “მე ვსცემები” (me vts’emebi) – “I am hit”

Negative Form

Negation in Georgian is expressed with the particle “არ” (ar) placed before the verb.

• Example: “მე არ ვსცემ” (me ar vts’em) – “I do not hit”

Verb Classes and Irregularities

Georgian verbs are categorized into classes based on their conjugation patterns, with many showing irregularities that must be memorized.

• Class 1 Example: Regular verbs ending in -ება (-eba)
• Irregular Verb Example: “მიდის” (midis – to go) has unique conjugation forms across tenses and moods.

Practice Exercises

1. Conjugate in Present Tense: Use “სცემს” (ts’ems – to hit) to form sentences in the present tense for different persons.
2. Form Negative Sentences: Create negative sentences using “წავიდა” (ts’avida – went) in the past tense.
3. Imperative Mood Practice: Provide imperative forms for “დაწერე” (dats’ere – to write).
4. Subjunctive Mood Usage: Form a subjunctive sentence using “წავიდე” (ts’avide – might go).

Conclusion

Mastering Georgian verbs involves understanding their complex conjugation patterns, tense, mood, aspect, and voice. Regular practice, along with active engagement in listening, speaking, reading, and writing exercises, will significantly enhance your proficiency in Georgian. The richness of the Georgian verb system allows for precise expression of action, mood, and aspect, making it a key component of effective communication in this unique language.