Georgian (ქართული) is the official language of Georgia, spoken by around four million people at the foot of the Caucasus. It is written with its own unique alphabet, mkhedruli, recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage. With this kit, you have the bare essentials to greet people, find your way around and share a glass of wine in Tbilisi or the Kakheti valley.
Georgian (ქართული, kartuli) is the official language of Georgia and one of the oldest living literary languages, with inscriptions dating back to the 5th century. Spoken by around four million people, it belongs to the Kartvelian family, which is entirely isolated: it has no genetic link to Russian, Turkish, Armenian or the Indo-European languages of its neighbours. This singularity explains both its reputation as a demanding language and its strong identity.
Georgian is written with its own alphabet, mkhedruli, one of only fourteen writing systems still in active use worldwide and inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2016. Its thirty-three rounded, elegant letters make no distinction between uppercase and lowercase. The phonetics can disorient learners with ejective consonants (k', t', p') and dense consonant clusters, but each letter is pronounced regularly: no surprises once the alphabet is mastered.
Travelling in Georgia means discovering a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the self-proclaimed cradle of wine with 8,000 years of viticulture. The culture of the meal takes on an almost sacred dimension around the supra, a ritual feast led by a tamada who orchestrates the toasts. This kit gathers the bare essentials to greet warmly, find your way through the streets of Tbilisi, order a khachapuri, signal pain or take your leave. You will also find cultural tips to avoid faux pas around wine, the Orthodox Church and Georgian linguistic pride. Memorise these phrases before leaving and you will instantly win the sympathy of your hosts.
Here is how these phrases play out in real life. Each scene sets the stage and gathers the useful expressions.
You land at Tbilisi airport in the early morning. The immigration officer welcomes you with a smile. You greet him warmly and wish him a good day before collecting your luggage.
The driver loads your suitcase and asks for your destination. You give him the address of your guesthouse in old Tbilisi, mentioning it is near the school and the central bazaar. He points out the Rustaveli Theatre as you drive by.
You settle into a small traditional restaurant to discover the local cuisine. The waitress hands you the menu and you order a khachapuri with fresh bread, a glass of water and a glass of Kakheti wine. The aroma of melted cheese is mouth-watering.
You feel unwell after a long day of sightseeing and ask for help at the reception. You explain where it hurts by pointing to your head, eye and ear so the symptoms are clear. The receptionist immediately calls a doctor.
On the morning of departure, you warmly thank your hosts for their welcome. You use both formal and informal expressions depending on the person, and say goodbye before stepping into the taxi that takes you to the airport.
What you need to know before travelling to a géorgien-speaking country.
The Georgian feast (supra) is a sacred ritual, led by a tamada (toastmaster) who guides the toasts. If you are invited, wait for the first toast before drinking and raise your glass whenever a toast is made to your hosts or the homeland.
Hospitality is seen as a gift from God: a proverb says that a guest comes from the Almighty. Refusing a meal, wine or coffee is almost impossible without offending. Accept at least a symbolic sip.
Georgia claims to be the cradle of wine with 8,000 years of viticulture. Wine fermented in clay jars (qvevri) is iconic. Try it without hesitation, but drink in moderation: toasts keep coming.
The mkhedruli alphabet has 33 letters and makes no distinction between uppercase and lowercase. It is one of only fourteen writing systems still in active use worldwide and is inscribed by UNESCO. Recognising a few letters always impresses your hosts.
The Orthodox Church plays a central role in daily life. When visiting a monastery or church, cover your shoulders, and women should bring a headscarf. Men remove their hats at the entrance.
Georgians take pride in distinguishing their language from Russian and Turkish: it is neither a Slavic nor a Turkic language but a Kartvelian one with no direct relatives among its neighbours. Avoiding confusion with Russian is much appreciated.
Tbilisi stays up late. The bars and restaurants of Sololaki and Vera neighbourhoods run well into the night. Breakfast, however, often happens late, around 10 or 11am, especially after a supra.
When greeting a superior or older person, use the polite form batono (sir) or kalbatono (madam) followed by the first name. It corresponds to formal address and marks respect for elders.
Preview. The full glossary (30 words) and all the phrases are in the PDF.
მშვიდობით
goodbye, farewell
დიახ
yes (formal)
კი
yes (neutral)
არა
no
ბოდიში
sorry, excuse me
მინდა
I want
ვიცი
I know
ჭამა
to eat (verbal noun)
სმა
to drink (verbal noun)
ძილი
to sleep, sleep (n.)
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Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.
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