Introduction
The Georgian language, like many others, uses a system of cases to indicate the grammatical roles of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in a sentence. Unlike English, which relies mostly on word order and prepositions, Georgian modifies words using specific case endings. Understanding these cases is essential for forming correct sentences and grasping the structure of the language.
Georgian has seven cases, each serving different syntactic and semantic functions.
Cases
1. Nominative Case (სახელობითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The nominative case is the base form of a noun, used primarily for the subject of a sentence.
- It also marks the direct object in certain verb forms (present and future tenses in Series I verbs).
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ი (if the noun ends in a consonant)
- Plural: -ები
Examples:
ბიჭი თამაშობს.
"The boy is playing."
მასწავლებელი კითხულობს წიგნს.
"The teacher is reading a book."
2. Ergative Case (მოთხრობითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The ergative case marks the subject of transitive verbs in the past tense.
- It is a distinctive feature of Georgian and a key difference from nominative-accusative languages like English.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -მა
- Plural: -ებმა
Examples:
ბიჭმა დაწერა წერილი.
"The boy wrote a letter."
მასწავლებელმა აუხსნა გაკვეთილი.
"The teacher explained the lesson."
3. Dative Case (მიცემითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The dative case is used for indirect objects, some subjects, and direct objects in past tenses.
- It also marks time expressions and certain prepositional phrases.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ს
- Plural: -ებს
Examples:
ბიჭს ვუთხარი სიმართლე.
"I told the boy the truth."
ქალაქს აქვს ლამაზი პარკი.
"The city has a beautiful park."
გოგოს მოსწონს მუსიკა.
"The girl likes music."
4. Genitive Case (ნათესაობითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The genitive case expresses possession, relationships, and origin.
- It can also be used in compound noun phrases.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ის
- Plural: -ების
Examples:
თამუნას წიგნი მაგიდაზეა.
"Tamuna's book is on the table."
ბავშვების სათამაშოები იატაკზეა.
"The children's toys are on the floor."
5. Instrumental Case (მოქმედებითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The instrumental case indicates the means or instrument by which an action is performed.
- It is also used with some postpositions and expressions of manner.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ით
- Plural: -ებით
Examples:
მანქანით მივდივარ სკოლაში.
"I am going to school by car."
ფანქრით დავწერე წერილი.
"I wrote the letter with a pencil."
6. Adverbial Case (ვითარებითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The adverbial case describes how an action is performed or in what role someone functions.
- It is commonly used to form adverbs and indicate transformation.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ად
- Plural: -ებად
Examples:
მასწავლებლად მუშაობს.
"He works as a teacher."
ბავშვი სწრაფად გაიქცა.
"The child ran quickly."
7. Vocative Case (წოდებითი ბრუნვა)
Function:
- The vocative case is used to directly address someone.
- It often appears in greetings and exclamations.
Example Endings:
- Singular: -ო (for most nouns), -ვ (for some)
- Plural: -ებო
Examples:
ბიჭო, სად მიდიხარ!
"Boy, where are you going?"
მეგობარო, როგორ ხარ?
"Friend, how are you?"
Conclusion
Understanding Georgian declension is essential for mastering the language. By familiarizing yourself with the cases, noun forms, and their usage, you can gain better control over Georgian sentence structure and convey precise meaning.