-ღა

Only Now, Only One Left

Level 5Sounds Like gha

-ღა on a word means only now, only so much left, or what else at this point.

How It Works

-ღა (-gha) is a small ending glued to the word it limits. Its meaning depends on that word:

Glued toMeaningExample
a time wordonly now, so lateახლაღა გავიგე. (I only just found out.)
an amountonly that much leftერთღა დარჩა. (Only one is left.)
a question wordwhat else, at this pointრაღა ვქნა? (What else can I do?)

With an amount, it often goes with დარჩა (is left). It can sit on the number, and ერთი then becomes ერთღა: ერთღა ხინკალი (only one khinkali). It can also sit on the noun after a number: ორი დღეღა დარჩა (only two days are left).

მხოლოდ (only) is the neutral word for only. -ღა adds the feeling that time or things are running out. Compare მხოლოდ ერთი დარჩა (only one is left) with ერთღა დარჩა (just one left now).

With a question word, -ღა sounds tired or resigned: რაღა ვქნა? is what you say when you have tried everything.

Examples (4)

  1. ახლაღა გავიგე, რომ ხვალ დასვენების დღეა.

    I only just found out that tomorrow is a day off.

    ახლაღა: only now, so late.

  2. თეფშზე ერთღა ხინკალი დარჩა.

    There's only one khinkali left on the plate.

    ერთი becomes ერთღა.

  3. შვებულებამდე ორი დღეღა დარჩა.

    Only two days are left until the vacation.

    Here -ღა sits on the noun after the number.

  4. რაღა ვქნა?

    What else can I do?

    With a question word, -ღა sounds resigned.

How It Connects

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

-ღაLevel 5Only Now, Only One Left

Learn This First

-ღა is a short only, for time or things running out.

Words in This Pattern

-ღა