ვიყავი/იყო

Was

Level 3Sounds Like viqʼavi/iqʼo

The past of to be is ვიყავი (I was) and იყო (he, she or it was).

How It Works

The present of to be is ვარ, ხარ, არის. Its past is built on a different stem: ვიყავი (viq'avi) (I was), იყო (iq'o) (he, she or it was).

PersonPresentPast
Iვარვიყავი
youხარიყავი
he, she, itარისიყო
weვართვიყავით
you (several, or polite)ხართიყავით
theyარიანიყვნენ

To be is a becoming verb, so the subject never takes -მა: ფილმი კარგი იყო (the film was good).

იყო also means there was: ქალაქში ბევრი ხალხი იყო (there were a lot of people in the city).

For a polite question, use the plural: სად იყავით? (Where were you?)

Examples (5)

  1. გუშინ სახლში ვიყავი.

    I was at home yesterday.

    ვიყავი is I was.

  2. სად იყავი?

    Where were you?

    იყავი is you were.

  3. ფილმი ძალიან კარგი იყო.

    The film was very good.

    იყო is it was.

  4. ზაფხულში ბათუმში ვიყავით.

    We were in Batumi in the summer.

    ვიყავით is we were.

  5. ბავშვები სკოლაში იყვნენ.

    The children were at school.

    იყვნენ is they were.

Common Mistakes

  • Using იყო for every person.

    მე გუშინ სახლში იყო.
    მე გუშინ სახლში ვიყავი.

    იყო is only for he, she or it. For I, say ვიყავი.

How It Connects

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

ვიყავი/იყოLevel 3Was

Learn This First

Was is the past of to be.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ვიყავიიყოარის