Georgian conjugation
For non-native speakers, verb conjugation in Georgian presents a number of challenges since verbs in Georgian present numerous idiosyncracies and wide irregularities.
This article presupposes familiarity with Georgian grammar. In short, important factors to keep track of are the following:
- Georgian has four classes of verbs: transitive, intransitive, medial and indirect verbs. Each class has its own set of rules of conjugation for all screeves. However, numerous verbs in Georgian do not conform to the conjugation of a single class.
- Preverb. Although preverbs may have directional meanings, it is often diachronic patterns that indicate which verb takes which preverb. In addition, many verbs in Georgian can have a common verb stem. Since preverbs are absent in the present screeves, these verbs are identical in the present series, and differ in the rest of the series, because different preverbs are prefixed to the verb stem.
- Versions. The versioners in Georgian establish the language's polypersonalism. Although each version vowel has a specific meaning, most of the time, like preverbs, they have arbitrary meanings. Therefore, when learning a new verb, the version vowel the verb employs should also be learnt.
- Thematic suffix. Thematic suffixes are the stems that follow the root of the verb. They are used in the present and future screeves and are mostly absent in the aorist and perfective screeves. Like preverbs and versions, thematic suffixes are not only arbitrary, but they also determine the conjugation in the aorist and perfective screeves for transitive verbs. There are nine thematic suffixes in Georgian, and almost all the verbs have a specific thematic suffix. Again, when learning a new verb, the thematic suffix has to be learnt together with the other elements.
- In addition, one also has to take into account which suffixal nominal marker is to be used for each verb. This is, however, not arbitrary. The use of appropriate suffixal nominal marker depends on the thematic suffix. For each thematic suffix, there are rules for whether the conjugation is strong or weak for the aorist series and the perfective series of screeves. These rules for each thematic suffix have to be mastered.
- Unusual for an agglutinative language, Georgian has many irregular verbs. It is not possible to give an exact number, because there are different levels of irregularities. Some verbs have different verb roots in different screeves and, thus, are considered irregular. Some other verbs use the same verb root throughout all the screeves, but their conjugations deviate from the normal paradigm of the verb class that they belong to. In addition, some indirect verbs are also considered irregular, because they only behave like indirect verbs in the present screeves, and behave like transitive verbs in the rest of the screeves.
Class 1 (transitive verbs)
- In the present and future sub-series, the subject is in the nominative case and both the direct and indirect objects are in the dative case. The subject is indicated by the v- set marker, while the object is indicated by the m- set marker.
- In the aorist series, the subject is in the ergative case while the direct object is in the nominative case. Indirect object is in the dative case. The subject is indicated by the v- set marker, while the object is indicated by the m- set marker.
- In the perfective series, the subject is in the dative case while the direct object is in the nominative case. Indirect object is usually indicated with the postposition -tvis. The subject is indicated by the m- set marker, while the object is indicated by the v- set marker.
- In the present sub-series, the preverbs are absent, but the thematic suffixes are present.
- In the future sub-series, the preverbs emerge, and the thematic suffixes remain.
- In the aorist series, the preverbs emerge, and the thematic suffixes are absent.
- In the perfective series, the preverbs emerge, and, if the thematic suffix is -eb, its presence depends on whether or not there is a vowel in the root of the verb. If there is a vowel, the thematic suffix remains, otherwise it is lost.
Verb root
შენ, šen; infinite form აშენება, ašeneba
Present subseries
The thematic suffix -eb is present, but without the preverb:
| Present indicative | Imperfect ¹ | Present subjunctive ² | |
| 1s | ვაშენებ v-a-šen-eb | ვაშენებდი, v-a-šen-eb-d-i | ვაშენებდე v-a-šen-eb-de |
| 2s | აშენებ a-šen-eb | აშენებდი, a-šen-eb-d-i | აშენებდე a-šen-eb-de |
| 3s | აშენებს a-šen-eb-s | აშენებდა a-šen-eb-d-a | აშენებდეს a-šen-eb-des |
| 1p | ვაშენებთ v-a-šen-eb-t | ვაშენებდით v-a-šen-eb-d-i-t | ვაშენებდეთ v-a-šen-eb-det |
| 2p | აშენებთ a-šen-eb-t | აშენებდით a-šen-eb-d-i-t | აშენებდეთ a-šen-eb-det |
| 3p | აშენებენ a-šen-eb-en | აშენებდნენ a-šen-eb-d-nen | აშენებდნენ a-šen-eb-d-nen |
Future subseries
The preverb a- emerges:
| Future indicative | Conditional | Future subjunctive | |
| 1s | ავაშენებ, a-v-a-šen-eb | ავაშენებდი, a-v-a-šen-eb-d-i | ავაშენებდე, a-v-a-šen-eb-de |
| 2s | ააშენებ, a-a-šen-eb | ააშენებდი, a-a-šen-eb-d-i | ააშენებდე, a-a-šen-eb-de |
| 3s | ააშენებს, a-a-šen-eb-s | ააშენებდა, a-a-šen-eb-d-a | ააშენებდეს, a-a-šen-eb-des |
| 1p | ავაშენებთ, a-v-a-šen-ebt | ავაშენებდით, a-v-a-šen-eb-d-it | ავაშენებდეთ, a-v-a-šen-eb-d-et |
| 2p | ააშენებთ, a-a-šen-ebt | ააშენებდით, a-a-šen-eb-d-it | ააშენებდეთ, a-a-šen-eb-d-et |
| 3p | ააშენებენ, a-a-šen-eb-en | ააშენებდნენ, a-a-šen-eb-d-nen | ააშენებდნენ, a-a-šen-eb-d-nen |
Aorist series
The preverb is present; the thematic suffix is lost:
| Aorist indicative ³ | Optative | |
| 1s | ავაშენე, a-v-a-šene | ავაშენო, a-v-a-šen-o |
| 2s | ააშენე, a-a-šene | ააშენო, a-a-šen-o |
| 3s | ააშენა, a-a-šen-a | ააშენოს, a-a-šen-o-s |
| 1p | ავაშენეთ, a-v-a-šenet | ავაშენოთ, a-v-a-šen-o-t |
| 2p | ააშენეთ, a-a-šenet | ააშენოთ, a-a-šen-o-t |
| 3p | ააშენეს,a-a-šenes | ააშენონ,a-a-šen-o-n |
Perfective series
The preverb is present; the thematic suffix is present. N.B. subject is marked with the m- set, and the verb form here assumes a 3rd person singular direct object:
| Perfect † | Pluperfect ‡ | Perfect subjunctive | |
| 1s | ამიშენებია, a-m-i-šen-eb-i-a | ამეშენებინა, a-m-e-šen-eb-in-a | ამეშენებინოს, a-m-e-šen-eb-in-o-s |
| 2s | აგიშენებია, a-g-i-šen-eb-i-a | აგეშენებინა, a-g-e-šen-eb-in-a | აგეშენებინოს, a-g-e-šen-eb-in-o-s |
| 3s | აუშენებია, a-u-šen-eb-i-a | აეშენებინა, a-e-šen-eb-in-a | აეშენებინოს, a-e-šen-eb-in-o-s |
| 1p | აგვიშენებია, a-gv-i-šen-eb-i-a | აგვეშენებინა, a-gv-e-šen-eb-in-a | აგვეშენებინოს, a-gv-e-šen-eb-in-o-s |
| 2p | აგიშენებიათ, a-g-i-šen-eb-i-a-t | აგეშენებინათ, a-g-e-šen-eb-in-a-t | აგეშენებინოთ, a-g-e-šen-eb-in-o-t |
| 3p | აუშენებიათ, a-u-šen-eb-i-a-t | აეშენებინათ, a-e-šen-eb-in-a-t | აეშენებინოთ, a-e-šen-eb-in-o-t |
Notes
¹ The imperfective screeve of class 1 verbs always takes the strong suffixal nominal marker -i
² The present subjunctive screeve of class 1 verbs always takes the weak suffixal nominal marker -e
³ Class 1 verbs which take the weak suffixal nominal marker in the aorist screeve, take the -o- nominal
marker in the optative screeve, and verbs which take the strong suffixal nominal marker in the aorist
screeve, take the -a- nominal marker in the optative screeve.
† The perfective screeve of class 1 verbs always uses the -i- versioner.
‡ The pluperfect and the perfect subjunctive screeves of class 1 verbs always employ the -e- versioner.
Class 2 (intransitive verbs)
- In class 2 verbs, the subject is in the nominative case for all series, using the v- set marker. Indirect objects are indicated with the m- set marker.
- The pattern of preverbs and thematic suffixes is generally the same as with class 1 verbs, except in the perfective series.
- Almost all intransitives utilise the thematic suffix -eb in formation. Additionally, intransitives may use formational affixes: resulting in a total of three types of formation pattern in intransitives:
- prefixal: i- appears immediately before the verb root
- suffixal: -d appears immediately after the verb root
- markerless: no affixes appear
Verb root
ბად, bad; infinite form დაბადება, dabadeba
This verb exhibits the prefixal intransitive pattern; ი-, i- is placed immediately before the verb root in all series apart from the perfective.
Present subseries
The thematic suffix -eb is present, without the preverb:
| Present indicative | Imperfect | Present subjunctive | |
| 1s | ვიბადები, v-i-bad-eb-i | ვიბადებოდი, v-i-bad-eb-od-i | ვიბადებოდე, v-i-bad-eb-od-e |
| 2s | იბადები, i-bad-eb-i | იბადებოდი, i-bad-eb-od-i | იბადებოდე, i-bad-eb-od-e |
| 3s | იბადება, i-bad-eb-a | იბადებოდა, i-bad-eb-od-a | იბადებოდეს, i-bad-eb-od-e-s |
| 1p | ვიბადებით, v-i-bad-eb-i-t | ვიბადებოდით, v-i-bad-eb-od-i-t | ვიბადებოდეთ, v-i-bad-eb-od-e-t |
| 2p | იბადებით, i-bad-eb-i-t | იბადებოდით, i-bad-eb-od-i-t | იბადებოდეთ, i-bad-eb-od-e-t |
| 3p | იბადებიან, i-bad-eb-i-an | იბადებოდნენ, i-bad-eb-od-nen | იბადებოდნენ, i-bad-eb-od-nen |
Future subseries
The preverb da- emerges:
| Future indicative | Conditional | Future subjunctive | |
| 1s | დავიბადები, da-v-i-bad-eb-i | დავიბადებოდი, da-v-i-bad-eb-od-i | დავიბადებოდე, da-v-i-bad-eb-od-e |
| 2s | დაიბადები, da-i-bad-eb-i | დაიბადებოდი, da-i-bad-eb-od-i | დაიბადებოდე, da-i-bad-eb-od-e |
| 3s | დაიბადება, da-i-bad-eb-a | დაიბადებოდა, da-i-bad-eb-od-a | დაიბადებოდეს, da-i-bad-eb-od-e-s |
| 1p | დავიბადებით, da-v-i-bad-eb-i-t | დავიბადებოდით, da-v-i-bad-eb-od-i-t | დავიბადებოდეთ, da-v-i-bad-eb-od-e-t |
| 2p | დაიბადებით, da-i-bad-eb-i-t | დაიბადებოდით, da-i-bad-eb-od-i-t | დაიბადებოდეთ, da-i-bad-eb-od-e-t |
| 3p | დაიბადებიან, da-i-bad-eb-i-an | დაიბადებოდნენ, da-i-bad-eb-od-nen | დაიბადებოდნენ, da-i-bad-eb-od-nen |
Aorist series
The preverb is present; the thematic suffix is lost:
| Aorist indicative | Optative | |
| 1s | დავიბადე, da-v-i-bad-e | დავიბადო, da-v-i-bad-o |
| 2s | დაიბადე, da-i-bad-e | დაიბადო, da-i-bad-o |
| 3s | დაიბადა, da-i-bad-a | დაიბადოს, da-i-bad-o-s |
| 1p | დავიბადეთ, da-v-i-bad-e-t | დავიბადოთ, da-v-i-bad-o-t |
| 2p | დაიბადეთ, da-i-bad-e-t | დაიბადოთ, da-i-bad-o-t |
| 3p | დაიბადნენ, da-i-bad-nen | დაიბადონ, da-i-bad-o-n |
Perfective series
Formation comprises the past participle, followed by a form of the copula:
| Perfect | Pluperfect | Perfect subjunctive | |
| 1s | დავბადებულვარ, da-v-bad-eb-ul-v-a-r | დავბადებულიყავი, da-v-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇av-i | დავბადებულიყო, da-v-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o |
| 2s | დაბადებულხარ, da-bad-eb-ul-x-a-r | დაბადებულიყავი, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇av-i | დაბადებულიყო, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o |
| 3s | დაბადებულა, da-bad-eb-ul-a | დაბადებულიყო, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o | დაბადებულიყოს, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o-s |
| 1p | დავბადებულვართ, da-v-bad-eb-ul-v-a-r-t | დავბადებულიყავით, da-v-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇av-i-t | დავბადებულიყოთ, da-v-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o-t |
| 2p | დაბადებულხართ, da-bad-eb-ul-x-a-r-t | დაბადებულიყავით, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇av-i-t | დაბადებულიყოთ, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o-t |
| 3p | დაბადებულან, da-bad-eb-ul-an | დაბადებულიყვნენ, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇v-nen | დაბადებულიყონ, da-bad-eb-ul-i-q̇-o-n |