ი- (For Yourself)

Doing Something for Yourself

Level 4Sounds Like i

The version vowel ი- before the verb root shows that you do the action for yourself or on yourself.

How It Works

Many doing verbs have a slot right before the root for a version vowel. The vowel says who the action is for. ი- (i) means the doer does it for themselves, or on their own body or things.

PlainWith ი-
ბავშვს ვბან. (I bathe the child.)ხელებს ვიბან. (I wash my hands.)
ყავა გავაკეთე. (I made coffee.)ყავა გავიკეთე. (I made myself a coffee.)
ნომერი ჩავწერე. (I wrote the number down.)ნომერი ჩავიწერე. (I wrote the number down for myself.)

The ი- comes after the person marker ვ- and after any preverb: ვიბან, გავიკეთე.

Putting on and taking off your own clothes uses ი-: ქურთუკს ვიცვამ (I put on my coat), ფეხსაცმელს ვიხდი (I take off my shoes). Buying always has a version vowel: its usual past ვიყიდე (I bought it) has ი-, and the next entry shows ვუყიდე, I bought it for him.

The ი- in the future of activity verbs, such as ვითამაშებ (I will play), is part of that form and has no for-yourself meaning.

Examples (5)

  1. ჭამის წინ ხელებს ვიბან.

    I wash my hands before eating.

    ი-: your own hands, so ჩემი is not needed.

  2. ყავა გავიკეთე.

    I made myself a coffee.

    ი- after the preverb and ვ-.

  3. ტელეფონის ნომერი ჩავიწერე.

    I wrote down the phone number.

    For myself, to keep it.

  4. ბავშვი ქურთუკს იცვამს.

    The child is putting on a coat.

    Your own clothes take ი-.

  5. ახალი ფეხსაცმელი ვიყიდე.

    I bought new shoes.

    The usual past of buying has ი-, with no one else named.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out ი- for your own body.

    ხელებს ვბან.
    ხელებს ვიბან.

    Without ი-, it sounds like you are washing someone else's hands.

How It Connects

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

ი- (For Yourself)Level 4Doing Something for Yourself

Learn This First

The version vowel ი- shows an action for yourself.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.