Introduction
The Georgian verb system is well-known for its complexity, characterised by polypersonalism (marking subject, direct object, and indirect object within the verb) and a rich conjugation system with 3 series and 11 screeves. This article provides a concise overview of Georgian verb conjugation, focusing on verb groups, series, and screeves.
Georgian Verbs
Georgian has four classes of verbs: transitive, intransitive, medial, and indirect verbs. Each class has its own set of rules of conjugation for all screeves (counterpart of tense-aspect-moods). However, numerous verbs in Georgian do not conform to the conjugation of a single class.
Class 1 (Transitive Verbs)
These verbs require both a subject and a direct object. In the present-future series, the subject appears in the nominative case, but in the aorist series, it takes the ergative case (e.g., ხატავს [khatavs] – "He/she paints," დახატა [dakhata] – "He/she painted").
Class 2 (Intransitive Verbs)
These verbs do not take a direct object. The subject remains in the nominative case across all series (e.g., იბადება [Ibadeba] – "He/she is born," დაიბადა [daibada] – "He/she was born").
Class 3 (Medial Verbs)
These verbs have the same case marking as group 1 verbs. The difference being that they describe intransitive activities: verbs expressing movement, sound, and weather are found in this category (e.g., თამაშობს [tamašobs] – "He/she plays," ითამაშა [Itamaša] – "He/she played").
Class 4 (Indirect or 'Inversion' Verbs)
These verbs are known as indirect or 'inverted' as they take the Dative/Accusative case for the subject and the Nominative for the object. This is a reversal of the normal subject-object case relationship used with the other three verb types. Verbs such as 'to love', 'to like', 'to want', and 'to prefer' belong to this type. (e.g., მოსწონს [mostsons] – "He/she likes," მოეწონა [moetsona] – "He/she liked").
Many Georgian verbs do not strictly adhere to these groups, leading to irregular conjugation patterns that learners must memorize.
Series and Screeves
Georgian has 11 screeves (conjugation rows) distributed across 3 three series. These determine tense, aspect, and mood:
Series I (Present-Future)
This series is used to express actions in the present or future, and the subject is in the nominative case (the direct subject).
Present Indicative (აწმყო)
Function: Expresses actions happening in the present, either continuously or indefinitely.
Usage:
- For actions happening at the moment of speaking (e.g., "მე ვწერ - I am writing.")
- For habitual or repeated actions (e.g., "მე ყოველთვის ვსვამ ყავას - I always drink coffee.")
- For general truths or facts (e.g., "მზე აღმოსავლეთიდან ამოდის - The sun rises in the east.")
Example: ვხატავ - "I paint/I am painting" (ხატვა - to paint)
Imperfect (უწყვეტელი)
Function: Expresses actions that were happening continuously in the past.
Usage:
- To describe ongoing actions in the past (e.g., "მე ვკითხულობდი, როდესაც შენ დარეკე - I was reading, when you called.")
- To describe repeated or habitual actions in the past (e.g., "ის ყოველდღე დადიოდა პარკში - He went to the park every day.")
- Often used to set the scene or provide background information in a narrative (e.g., "ღამე იყო, წვიმდა - It was night, it was raining.")
Example: ვხატავდი - "I was painting" (ხატვა - to paint)
Present Subjunctive (აწმყოს კავშირებითი)
Function: Expresses hypothetical or subjunctive actions in the present or related to the present.
Usage:
- In conditional sentences to express hypothetical situations (e.g., "კარგად რომ ვხატავდე, უკეთესი იქნებოდა - If I were to paint well, it would be better.")
- After verbs of wishing, suggesting, or requesting (e.g., "ნეტავ, ვიცოდე - I wish I knew.")
Example: ვხატავდე - "If I painted" (ხატვა - to paint)
Future Indicative (მყოფადი)
Function: Expresses actions that will happen in the future.
Usage:
- For simple future actions (e.g., "მე წავალ ხვალ - I will go tomorrow.")
- To express predictions or expectations (e.g., "ის გაიმარჯვებს - He will win.")
Example: დავხატავ - "I will paint" (ხატვა - to paint)
Conditional (ხოლმეობითი)
Function: Expresses future actions from a past perspective (the "future in the past").
Usage:
- In reported speech to express what someone said would happen (e.g., "მან თქვა, რომ მოვიდოდა - He said that he would come.")
- In narrative to describe future events from a past viewpoint (e.g., "ფიქრობდა, რომ მე დავეხმარებოდი - He thought that I would help.")
Example: დავხატავდი - "I would paint" (ხატვა - to paint)
Future Subjunctive (მყოფადის კავშირებითი)
Function: Expresses hypothetical future actions.
Usage:
- After verbs expressing doubt, possibility, or desire regarding the future (e.g., "ნეტავ, ხვალ მოვიდოდეს შენს დაბადების დღეზე - I wish he would come tomorrow to your birthday party.")
Example: დავხატავდე - "If I were to paint" (ხატვა - to paint)
Note: The future subjunctive and present subjunctive are often translated in the same way in English. Furthermore it would be much more common to use the present subjunctive instead of the future subjunctive, with roughly the same meaning conveyed.
Series II (Aorist Series)
This series is primarily used to express simple past actions. In this series, the subject is in the ergative case (for transitive verbs).
Aorist Indicative (წყვეტილი)
Function: Expresses a completed action in the past, a simple past event.
Usage:
- For single, completed actions in the past (e.g., "მე ვჭამე ვაშლი - I ate an apple.")
- To narrate past events in a concise way (e.g., "მან დაწერა წერილი - He wrote a letter.")
Example: დავხატე - "I painted" (ხატვა - to paint)
Optative (მეორე კავშირებითი)
Function: Expresses, desire, obligation or possibility.
Usage:
- To express wishes or hopes (e.g., "მინდა, ის მოვიდეს! - I want him to come!")
- To express obligation (e.g., "ხვალ უნდა ვიმუშაო! - Tomorrow, I have to work!")
- To express possibility (e.g., "შემიძლია დავწერო! - I can write!")
Example: დავხატო - "May I paint" (ხატვა - to paint)
Note: If a verb in the optative is placed after a verb in the present or future screeve, it will correspond to the English infinitive. Often the nominal form of the Georgian verb can be used in place of optative.
Series III (Perfect Series)
This series expresses actions that have relevance to the present, often indicating a result or a state resulting from a past action. Notably, in this series, the verb conjugation can show what is often called "inversion" of subject and object marking.
Perfect (პირველი თურმეობითი)
Function: Expresses a completed action with a present result or relevance.
Usage:
- To express actions whose results are still present (e.g., "აქ მიმუშავია - I have worked here.")
Example: დამიხატავს - "I have painted" (ხატვა - to paint)
Pluperfect (მეორე თურმეობითი)
Function: Expresses a past action that was complete before another past action.
Usage:
- This is the past perfect tense, used to describe what had been done before another past action occurred.
Example: დამეხატა - "I had painted" (ხატვა - to paint)
Note: In contemporary Georgian aorist or imperfect screeves are usually used for this purpose with the adverbs such as უკვე-already and ადრე-before.
Perfect Subjunctive (მესამე კავშირებითი)
Function: Expresses hypothetical or potential perfect actions.
Usage:
- Used in subjunctive or conditional sentences to show a hypothetical past action, with current relevance.
- Also used to show a wish about a past action.
Example: დამეხატოს - "If I had painted" (ხატვა - to paint)
Note: Rarely used in contemporary Georgian.
Conclusion
Georgian verb conjugation is a complex system made up of four verb classes and three series, each with unique screeves that express tense, aspect, and mood. By understanding these structures, learners can navigate the intricacies of Georgian verbs more easily and improve their fluency. While there are regular patterns to follow, learners may also encounter irregularities that add an extra layer of challenge.