The Ultimate Georgian Phrasebook for First-Time Visitors

Flights into Tbilisi and Kutaisi are more plentiful in 2026 than they were in 2024, so more first-timers are landing in Georgia with no idea what the curly letters on the signs say. That moment of staring at a bus number or a menu is a real pain point, and it is easy to fix. Twenty or so phrases, learned before you fly, will get you through most daily situations and win you a lot of goodwill.

Georgian in a Nutshell

Georgian (kartuli) belongs to the Kartvelian language family. It is not related to Russian, Turkish, or any Indo-European language, so do not expect to recognise any words. It uses its own alphabet, Mkhedruli, which has 33 letters and no capital letters. Each letter has one sound, so once you learn the letters, you can read any word aloud.

The good news is that in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, many hotel staff, drivers, and younger people speak some English. Many older Georgians speak Russian, but you should not assume it as a shared language. Outside the cities, English gets rarer, and your phrases matter more.

The Five Phrases That Do the Most Work

If you learn only five things, learn these:

• Gamarjoba (gah-mar-JOH-bah), გამარჯობა: hello. It literally means “victory,” and it works any time of day.
• Gmadlobt (g-mad-LOBT), გმადლობთ: thank you, polite form. Friends and casual situations use madloba (mad-LOH-bah).
• Ki (kee): yes.
• Ara (AH-rah): no.
• Bodishi (boh-DEE-shee): sorry, or excuse me. Use it on crowded metro platforms and in narrow Old Town lanes.

Add gtkhovt (g-TKHOVT), meaning “please,” and you can already be polite in every shop.

Greetings and Goodbyes

Georgians love a proper greeting, and walking into a shop or guesthouse without one feels abrupt. Start with gamarjoba, then add a few more words:

• Rogor khar? (ROH-gor khar): How are you?
• Kargad var (KAR-gahd var): I’m fine.
• Dila mshvidobisa (DEE-lah msh-vee-doh-BEE-sah): good morning.
• Ghame mshvidobisa (GHAH-meh msh-vee-doh-BEE-sah): good night.
• Nakhvamdis (nakh-VAHM-dees): goodbye.

If someone replies with gagimarjos (gah-gee-MAR-jos), they are answering your hello with “may you also be victorious.” Smile and say it back, or simply say gamarjoba again.

Getting Around: Taxis, Marshrutkas, and Directions

The marshrutka, a shared minibus, is where phrases pay off. Inside, you will hear the hiss of the sliding door, smell diesel mixed with warm bread from someone’s shopping bag, and need to tell the driver where to stop. Try these:

• Sad aris…? (sahd AH-ris): Where is…?
• Aq gaacheret, gtkhovt (ahk gah-ah-CHEH-ret, g-TKHOVT): Stop here, please.
• Marjvniv (mar-JVNEEV): to the right.
• Martskhniv (mar-TSKHNEEV): to the left.
• Pirdapir (PEER-dah-peer): straight ahead.

Say aq gaacheret clearly a little before your stop, not at the last second. Drivers do not always wait.

At the Table: Supra Phrases and Ordering

Georgian meals are social events, and a few phrases make you a better guest. At a supra, the traditional feast, a toastmaster called the tamada leads a series of toasts. Glasses clink, the dark, fruity smell of Saperavi rises from the cups, and everyone answers with the same word.

• Gaumarjos (gow-MAR-jos): cheers. Say it after each toast.
• Gemrielia (gem-ree-eh-LEE-ah): it’s delicious. Hosts love hearing this.
• Minda… (MIN-dah): I want… Point at the item and say khinkali or khachapuri.
• Sakmarisia (sahk-MAH-ree-see-ah): that’s enough, no more, thank you.
• Angarishi, gtkhovt (an-gah-REE-shee, g-TKHOVT): the bill, please.
• Ts’q’ali (TSKAH-lee, with a sharp throat click on the “k”): water.

Hosts often keep refilling plates. Sakmarisia with a hand on your heart is the polite way to stop.

Numbers and Money

Georgian numbers up to ten are enough for most markets and taxis:

1. erti (EHR-tee)
2. ori (OH-ree)
3. sami (SAH-mee)
4. otkhi (OHT-khee)
5. khuti (KHOO-tee)
6. ekvsi (EK-vsee)
7. shvidi (SHVEE-dee)
8. rva (rvah)
9. tskhra (TSKHRAH)
10. ati (AH-tee)

The currency is the lari (LAH-ree), divided into 100 tetri. To ask a price, say Ramdeni ghirs? (RAHM-deh-nee ghirs), “How much does it cost?” Prices in GEL are often written on a tag or a phone screen, so you may only need to understand the answer.

Reading Signs and Using Your Phone in 2026

Tbilisi’s metro and main tourist areas now carry English alongside Georgian, and metro announcements include English. Smaller towns still rely on Georgian-only signs. These few words are worth memorising by sight:

• შესასვლელი (shesasvleli): entrance
• გასასვლელი (gasasvleli): exit
• ღიაა (ghiaa): open
• დახურულია (dakhurulia): closed

Since 2024, phone tools have improved. Google Translate’s camera mode now reads Georgian script reasonably well, and you can download the Georgian pack for offline use. Use it for menus and notices, and keep your spoken sentences short.

2026 Budget Reality: What Language Help Costs

You can learn enough Georgian for free, but paid options exist if you want more.

• Budget (0–25 GEL): free apps and videos, a printed phrasebook (about 15–25 GEL), and Google Translate offline.
• Mid-range (25–80 GEL): a group or one-off lesson in Tbilisi (about 30–50 GEL per session) plus a tourist eSIM for translation on the go (about 15–35 GEL for a week or so).
• Comfortable (80–400 GEL): a private tutor (about 60–100 GEL per hour) or an English-speaking driver-guide for a day (about 250–400 GEL).

For practice, everyday prices are good test cases. A metro ride costs about 1 GEL, a coffee 6–10 GEL, bottled water 1.5–3 GEL, and a single khinkali dumpling about 1.5–2.5 GEL. Try asking ramdeni ghirs? and then repeating the answer in Georgian numbers.

Pronunciation Traps to Avoid

Georgian has sounds English lacks. The main ones are ejective consonants, written in Latin script with an apostrophe, such as k’, t’, p’, ts’, and q’. Say them with a short, sharp burst of air from the throat. Also, kh is like the “ch” in Scottish “loch,” and gh is a soft gargle, like a French “r.”

Georgian also tends to stress the first or second syllable evenly, with no heavy emphasis. Do not worry about perfection. Georgians are famously generous with foreigners who try, and a mangled gmadlobt said with a smile will always be better received than perfect English said without effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to speak Georgian to travel in Georgia?

No. In Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, most hotel staff, tour operators, and younger people speak some English. In villages, you will meet fewer English speakers. A dozen Georgian phrases help everywhere, and locals respond warmly to even a clumsy gamarjoba. Learning the basics also shows respect.

Is Georgian similar to Russian?

No. Georgian belongs to the Kartvelian family, which is separate from Russian and from all Indo-European languages. It uses its own Mkhedruli alphabet of 33 letters. Some older Georgians speak Russian, but many younger people prefer English, and starting a conversation in Russian with strangers can feel awkward.

How do you say thank you in Georgian?

Say “madloba” (mad-LOH-bah) in casual moments, or “gmadlobt” (g-mad-LOBT) when you want to sound polite, especially with elders or in shops. For extra warmth, add “didi” to make “didi madloba”, which means thank you very much. Both are understood across the country.

What is the Georgian word for cheers?

Gaumarjos (gow-MAR-jos) means “to your victory” and works as “cheers.” You say it during toasts at a supra, the Georgian feast, which a tamada leads. Raise your glass, make eye contact, and wait until the toast ends before you drink. Sipping early is a common first-timer mistake.

What is the best app for translating Georgian?

Google Translate handles Georgian text and camera translation, and you can download the Georgian language pack for offline use. It works well for signs and menus but can sound clumsy in long sentences. Keep your sentences short and simple, and show the screen to the person instead of reading aloud.

📷 Featured image by Egor Myznik on Unsplash.