Four Kinds of Verbs
Georgian verbs fall into four classes, and the class decides how the verb and its cases behave.
How It Works
| Class | Example | Subject in the present | Subject in the past |
|---|---|---|---|
| doing verbs (class 1) | წერს (writes) | nominative: ნინო წერს | ergative: ნინომ დაწერა |
| becoming verbs (class 2) | მოდის (comes) | nominative: ნინო მოდის | nominative: ნინო მოვიდა |
| activity verbs (class 3) | თამაშობს (plays) | nominative: ნინო თამაშობს | ergative: ნინომ ითამაშა |
| feeling verbs (class 4) | უყვარს (loves) | dative: ნინოს უყვარს | dative: ნინოს უყვარდა |
Many activity verbs end in -ობს in the present, such as თამაშობს (plays), მუშაობს (works) and ცხოვრობს (lives). The verbs for wanting and having work the same way, such as მინდა (I want) and მაქვს (I have): the person is in the dative and the thing is nominative.
When you learn a verb, learn its past form too, since the past shows which class it belongs to.
Examples (4)
- გიორგი წერილს წერს.
Giorgi is writing a letter.
A doing verb: Giorgi acts on the letter.
- გიორგი სახლში მოდის.
Giorgi is coming home.
A becoming verb: movement toward a place.
- ბავშვები ეზოში თამაშობენ.
The children are playing in the yard.
An activity verb, with -ობ- in the present.
- გიორგის ღვინო უყვარს.
Giorgi loves wine.
A feeling verb: the person who feels is in the dative, გიორგის.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Verb kinds are told apart by how they mark their people.
Related Patterns
- Three Groups of Tenses
How each class changes its cases across tenses.
Foundations - Activity Verbs
The class with -ობ- in the present.
Level 3 - Becoming Verbs
The class with a nominative subject in every tense.
Level 3 - Feeling Verbs
Why the person who feels is in the dative.
Level 2 - მიყვარსI Love
The first feeling verb most learners meet.
Level 1
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