Up, Down, In and Out

Level 3

With verbs of motion, the preverb shows the direction: up, down, in, out or across.

How It Works

Motion verbs take a preverb that shows direction. The rest of the verb stays the same:

PreverbDirectionHe wentI will go
ა-upავიდაავალ
ჩა-downჩავიდაჩავალ
შე-inშევიდაშევალ
გა-outგავიდაგავალ
გადა-across, overგადავიდაგადავალ
მი-to, up toმივიდამივალ
წა-awayწავიდაწავალ

Pair the preverb with a postposition for the place: ოთახში შევიდა (went into the room), ეზოში გავიდა (went out into the yard).

Some uses go beyond the literal direction. ჩა- is also used for arriving in a town: ბათუმში ჩავედით (we arrived in Batumi). გადა- is used for moving house: ახალ ბინაში გადავედით (we moved into a new flat).

To point the motion toward the speaker, add მო- after the preverb: შემოვიდა (came in).

Examples (5)

  1. ნინო მეორე სართულზე ავიდა.

    Nino went up to the second floor.

    ა- for up.

  2. ბავშვები ეზოში გავიდნენ.

    The children went out into the yard.

    გა- for out.

  3. ოთახში შევედი და ფანჯარა გავაღე.

    I went into the room and opened the window.

    შე- for in.

  4. ახალ ბინაში გადავედით.

    We moved into a new flat.

    გადა- for moving across, to a new place.

  5. ხვალ მთაზე ავალთ.

    Tomorrow we'll go up the mountain.

    ავალთ, the future with ა-.

How It Connects

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

Up, Down, In and OutLevel 3

Learn This First

Direction preverbs add up, down, in and out.

Words in This Pattern

ა-ჩა-შე-გა-გადა-მი-წა-