ე- (Toward Someone)

Acting Toward Someone

Level 4Sounds Like e

Becoming verbs with ე- act toward another person, who goes in the dative.

How It Works

meyouhim or her
მეხმარება (helps me)გეხმარება (helps you)ეხმარება (helps him)
მელოდება (waits for me)გელოდება (waits for you)ელოდება (waits for him)

For I and we, ვ- comes before the ე- (e-): ვეხმარები (I help him), ველოდებით (we are waiting for him). With a you-object, the ვ- is left out, as usual: გელოდები (I'm waiting for you).

These are becoming verbs, so their subject is nominative in the past too: ლუკა ძმას დაეხმარა (Luka helped his brother), with no -მა.

English uses a little word here (wait for, talk to). Georgian puts that person in the dative and shows them on the verb.

Examples (5)

  1. ნინო დედას სამზარეულოში ეხმარება.

    Nino helps her mom in the kitchen.

    დედას is the person she helps.

  2. გარეთ გელოდები.

    I'm waiting for you outside.

    გ-: for you.

  3. ლუკა ძმას დავალებაში დაეხმარა.

    Luka helped his brother with his homework.

    The past: ლუკა stays nominative.

  4. ტელეფონზე ბებიას ველაპარაკები.

    I'm talking to grandma on the phone.

    ვ- before ე-.

  5. ბავშვი ძაღლს ეთამაშება.

    The child is playing with the dog.

    ძაღლს is the one he plays with.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -მა in the past.

    ნინომ დედას დაეხმარა.
    ნინო დედას დაეხმარა.

    ე- verbs are becoming verbs, so the subject has no -მა.

How It Connects

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

ე- (Toward Someone)Level 4Acting Toward Someone

Learn This First

ე- marks acting toward someone.