Compound Words
Two words can join into one: დედაქალაქი (capital city), თვითმფრინავი (airplane).
How It Works
Georgian joins two words into one to make a new noun. The parts often explain the meaning:
| Word | Parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| დედაქალაქი | mother + city | capital |
| დედამიწა | mother + earth | the Earth |
| რკინიგზა | iron + road | railway |
| ფეხსაცმელი | foot + something to wear | shoe |
| ხელსახოცი | hand + something to wipe with | napkin |
The compound is one word, so case endings and postpositions go only on its end: დედაქალაქში (in the capital), თვითმფრინავით (by plane). The first part does not change.
Some compounds hide their parts a little. ცისარტყელა (rainbow) starts with ცის, the genitive of ცა (sky), and თვითმფრინავი (airplane) is something that flies by itself.
Two related words joined with a hyphen, such as ცოლ-ქმარი (husband and wife), are a different kind of pair, which comes at Level 5.
Examples (5)
- თბილისი საქართველოს დედაქალაქია.
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia.
დედაქალაქი with the short -ა for is.
- წვიმის შემდეგ ცაზე ცისარტყელა გამოჩნდა.
After the rain, a rainbow appeared in the sky.
ცისარტყელა: one word for rainbow.
- ახალი ფეხსაცმელი ვიყიდე.
I bought new shoes.
ფეხსაცმელი: foot + something to wear.
- ბათუმში თვითმფრინავით წავედით.
We flew to Batumi.
-ით on the end: by plane.
- ხელსახოცი მომეცი, თუ შეიძლება.
Could you give me a napkin, please?
ხელსახოცი: hand + something to wipe with.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Compound words join two words.
Related Patterns
Practice Compound Words in Bubblegum
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