Activity Verbs

Level 3

Activity verbs name an activity, such as playing, dancing or working, and take -მა in the past.

How It Works

Activity verbs describe something a person does for a while: playing, dancing, singing, working, swimming, crying, laughing, talking.

PresentPast (he)Meaning
თამაშობსითამაშაplay
ცეკვავსიცეკვაdance
მღერისიმღერაsing
მუშაობსიმუშავაwork
ლაპარაკობსილაპარაკაtalk

They usually have no object, so they look like becoming verbs. But in the past they act like doing verbs: the doer takes -მა.

  • ნინომ იცეკვა (Nino danced), never ნინო იცეკვა
  • ბავშვებმა ითამაშეს (the children played)

Their past and future have no preverb. Instead they take ი- in front: იცეკვა (danced), იცეკვებს (will dance).

The present of many activity verbs ends in -ობს: თამაშობს, მუშაობს, ლაპარაკობს.

Examples (5)

  1. ნინომ ქორწილში იცეკვა.

    Nino danced at the wedding.

    ნინომ with -მ: an activity verb.

  2. ბავშვები ეზოში თამაშობენ.

    The children are playing in the yard.

    In the present, the doer is in the nominative.

  3. ჩემი ძმა ბანკში მუშაობს.

    My brother works at a bank.

    მუშაობს, the present.

  4. გიორგიმ სუფრაზე ძალიან ლამაზად იმღერა.

    Giorgi sang very beautifully at the feast.

    იმღერა with ი-.

  5. გუშინ ორი საათი ვიმუშავე.

    I worked for two hours yesterday.

    ვიმუშავე, the past I-form.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating an activity verb like a becoming verb in the past.

    ნინო იცეკვა.
    ნინომ იცეკვა.

    Activity verbs take -მა in the past, like doing verbs.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Activity VerbsLevel 3

Learn This First

Activity verbs take -მა but no preverb.