Preverbs

Foundations

A preverb is a short piece at the front of a verb that adds a direction or marks a finished action.

How It Works

PreverbDirectionExample
ა-upადის (goes up)
ჩა-downჩადის (goes down)
შე-inშედის (goes in)
გა-outგადის (goes out)
გადა-across, overგადადის (goes across)
მი-away from the speakerმიდის (goes)
მო-toward the speakerმოდის (comes)

Without a direction, a preverb usually makes the action finished or future: წერს (writes, is writing) and დაწერს (will write). The same preverb appears in the past: დაწერა (wrote).

Sometimes a preverb changes the meaning: გადაწერს means will copy. A dictionary gives each verb with its preverb, so learn the two as one word.

Examples (5)

  1. ნინო წერილს წერს.

    Nino is writing a letter.

    No preverb: the action is going on now.

  2. ნინო წერილს დაწერს.

    Nino will write a letter.

    და- gives the future.

  3. ბავშვი ხეზე ადის.

    The child is climbing up the tree.

    ა- means up.

  4. გიორგი კიბეზე ჩადის.

    Giorgi is going down the stairs.

    ჩა- means down.

  5. ის ტექსტს გადაწერს.

    She'll copy the text.

    Here გადა- changes the meaning to copy.

How It Connects

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

PreverbsFoundations

Learn This First

Preverbs matter because they turn a present into a future or past.