Guidance for Georgian

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Last update: Jan 2, 2026

Here you will find the guidance for Georgian, but you should also consider the guidance for all languages.

Capitalization

In Georgian, capitalization is not used at all. Unlike some other languages, Georgian does not capitalize the first letter of sentences, proper nouns, days of the week, months, or titles. This absence of capitalization simplifies written Georgian text, as all letters are typically presented in lowercase.

Gender

The Georgian language does not have grammatical gender in the way many Indo-European languages do. Verbs, adjectives, and pronouns do not change based on gender, which makes Georgian naturally gender-neutral and inclusive.

Abbreviations

When writing, word or phrase abbreviations are often used. For such cases, there are rules to consider, which are presented below with specific examples.

A verbal shortening is referred to by the term abbreviation, and the result of this process is called an abbreviated form (abbreviation). The word abbreviation itself is of Latin origin.

In printed media, it is often necessary to shorten various terms. In Georgian writing, verbal abbreviations have been characteristic since ancient times — the predecessors of abbreviations can be considered contractions (ligatures), which were used to save space on writing material. In old manuscripts, the most frequently repeated words or phrases, conjunctions, and similar elements were shortened using contractions. For example:

წ-ა meant holy, ყ-დ – most holy, გ-ი – Giorgi, etc.

For obvious reasons, such contracted writing is mostly found in religious literature and frescoes.

The use of abbreviations is desirable only when their meaning is clear.

Words may be abbreviated in all parts and sections of a bibliographic record: subtitles, annotations, abstracts, etc.

According to the grammatical rules of the Georgian language, a word may be abbreviated only at a consonant (this consonant must be followed by a vowel in the full word), in such a way that the word does not lose its meaning. At the same time, the abbreviation must not consist of fewer than two letters, except for some commonly used abbreviations where only one letter remains and a period is added.

Examples include:
ტომი (volume) – ტ.
წელი (year) – წ.

Use of a period with abbreviations

A period is used when preserving the initial part of a standalone word.

A period is placed after one or two initial consonants without a vowel, or after the first or second syllable ending in a consonant.

Examples:

წ. = year
გვ. = page
იხ. = see

Abbreviations without punctuation

Names of time and units of measurement are written without punctuation when expressed with one or two letters:

მ (meter), ლ (liter), სთ (hour), წთ (minute), წმ (second), კმ (kilometer).

It should be noted that in many cases such units are written with a period, but since international practice uses these forms without a period, Georgian writing should follow the same approach.

Abbreviation of more than one word using initial letters

As for abbreviations of word combinations, pronominal-adverbial phrases are most often shortened. A period must be placed after each abbreviated word.

Examples:
ესე იგი – ე.ი. (that is)
ეგრეთ წოდებული – ე.წ. (so-called)
ასე შემდეგ – ა.შ. (and so on)

Abbreviation of personal names used with surnames

When a personal name is used together with a surname, it is preferable to represent the name with a single initial.

Examples:
კ. გამსახურდია, ვ. ჰიუგო, ა. აბაშელი, ი. ჯავახიშვილი
(When reading, we do not say “K. Gamsakhurdia”; we read it as “Gamsakhurdia” or “Konstantine Gamsakhurdia”.)

Pseudonyms and titles expressed as names must not be abbreviated!
Incorrect forms include: ქ. წამებული, დ. თავდადებული, etc.

Some text-related abbreviations
• თხზ. – work
• სქ. – footnote
• იხ. – see
• ნაწ. – part
• გვ. – page
• მაგ. – for example
• ავტ. – author

Abbreviations indicating titles and positions

• აკად. – academician
• დოც. – associate professor
• ლაბ. – laboratory assistant
• პროფ. – professor
• მასწ. – teacher
• აკად. წ/კ – corresponding member of the academy

Abbreviation of conjunctions and adverbs
• ე.ი. – that is
• ა.შ. – and so on
• მისთ. – such as
• სხვ. – other
• ე.წ. – so-called

Abbreviation of terms composed of multiple word forms

Letter-based representations of the proper names of organizations and institutions form independent words (nouns) that decline according to the grammatical case system of the language. Through such abbreviation, we obtain abbreviations (acronyms), also known as initialisms.

International abbreviations may originate from European languages or be formed within the native language. When writing the initial letters of such terms, periods are not required.

Example:
UN (United Nations)

Connecting initial and final parts with a hyphen

Some words are shortened in a specific way — by connecting the initial and final parts with a hyphen.

Examples include:

საზ-ბა (society), ლიტ-რა (literature), etc.

Abbreviated writing of legal forms
• შპს – Limited Liability Company
• სსიპ – Legal Entity of Public Law
• აიპ – Non-entrepreneurial (non-profit) legal entity
• სს – Joint-stock company
• რკ – Registered cooperative

Georgian Abbreviations — Usage Examples

English	We avoid	We prefer
year	წელი	წ.
page	გვერდი	გვ.
see	იხილეთ	იხ.
for example	მაგალითად	მაგ.
volume	ტომი	ტ.
part	ნაწილი	ნაწ.
that is	ესე იგი	ე.ი.
so-called	ეგრეთ წოდებული	ე.წ.
and so on	ასე შემდეგ	ა.შ.
meter	მეტრი	მ
kilometer	კილომეტრი	კმ
hour	საათი	სთ
minute	წუთი	წთ
second	წამი	წმ

Personal Names with Surnames

English	We avoid	We prefer
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia	კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია	კ. გამსახურდია
Victor Hugo	ვიქტორ ჰიუგო	ვ. ჰიუგო
Ilia Chavchavadze	ილია ჭავჭავაძე	ი. ჭავჭავაძე

Titles and Positions

English	We avoid	We prefer
professor	პროფესორი	პროფ.
associate professor	დოცენტი	დოც.
academician	აკადემიკოსი	აკად.
teacher	მასწავლებელი	მასწ.
laboratory assistant	ლაბორანტი	ლაბ.

Recommendation

If there is uncertainty or lack of knowledge regarding abbreviation and compounding rules, it is best to write the words in full.

Acronyms

An acronym is usually written as:
• A common noun, for example:

ლაზერი — „სინათლის გაძლიერება იძულებითი გამოსხივების გზით“
(laser — “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”),

შიდსი — „შეძენილი იმუნური დეფიციტის სინდრომი“
(aids — “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”),

• Capitalized like a proper noun, for example:

ნასა — „აერონავტიკისა და კოსმოსის კვლევის ეროვნული ადმინისტრაცია“
(NASA — “National Aeronautics and Space Administration”),

ნატო — „ჩრდილოატლანტიკური ხელშეკრულების ორგანიზაცია“
(NATO — “North Atlantic Treaty Organization”),

იუნესკო — „გაეროს განათლების, მეცნიერებისა და კულტურის ორგანიზაცია“
(UNESCO — “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization”).

There is no single universal rule governing the capitalization of acronyms; therefore, both forms described above are acceptable.

In most cases, acronyms do not have a plural form, except when they function as common nouns, for example:
ლაზერები, რადარები, etc.

Pronouns

Personal pronouns are pronouns that refer to people from the speaker’s point of view and according to their relationship with the speaker. This relationship shows whether a given person is the speaker, the addressee, or the person being spoken about.

In this system, the point of reference is the speaker (first person, I); the person directly addressed is the second person (II); and anyone outside these two is considered the third person (III).

The first person is expressed by მე (I) and ჩვენ (we);
the second person by შენ (you, singular) and თქვენ (you, plural / polite);
the third person by ეს, ეგ, ის (იგი) and ესენი, ეგენი, ისინი.

Examples:
• მე ვლაპარაკობ. — I am speaking.
• ჩვენ ვმუშაობთ. — We are working.
• შენ მელაპარაკები. — You are talking to me.
• თქვენ სწორად მოიქეცით. — You acted correctly.
• ის ჩემი მეგობარია. — He / She is my friend.
• ეს ჩემი სახლია. — This is my house.
• ისინი წავიდნენ. — They left.

Difference between persons

First- and second-person pronouns differ fundamentally from third-person pronouns. Third-person pronouns are essentially demonstrative pronouns, whose meaning is broader, since they refer not only to objects but also to people.

This difference is also visible grammatically:
• Third-person pronouns are inflected and have both case and number.
• First- and second-person pronouns do not have morphological categories of case or number.

Examples:
• ის → მისი → მათ — he/she → his/her → them
• მე / შენ / ჩვენ / თქვენ — I / you / we / you (unchanging)

Figurative use

First- and second-person pronouns always refer to humans; however, in figurative usage, შენ (you) may also be used to address non-human entities.

Examples:
• ვაი შენ, ჩემო თერგო! — Woe to you, my Tergi!
• შენ, ჩემო ძმობილო! — You, my dear brother!
(Ilia Chavchavadze)

Use of pronouns in Georgian sentences

Due to verbal polypersonality and organic word formation, Georgian does not use personal pronouns in sentences as frequently as some other languages do. Their use is necessary when:
• logical emphasis falls on the pronoun,
• there is contrast between persons,
• or the intended person cannot be identified by the verb alone.

Examples:
• ვწერ წერილს. — I am writing a letter.
• მე დავწერე, არა მან. — I wrote it, not him.
Sometimes, frequent use of personal pronouns is motivated by stylistic factors.

Declension of first- and second-person pronouns
The general pattern is as follows:
• Nominative: მე / შენ / ჩვენ / თქვენ — I / you / we / you
• Ergative: მე / შენ / ჩვენ / თქვენ — I / you / we / you
• Dative: მე / შენ / ჩვენ / თქვენ — I / you / we / you
• Genitive (stem): ჩემ- / შენ- / ჩვენ- / თქვენ- — my- / your- / our- / your-

These pronouns are invariable and indeclinable. The pronoun მე (I) uses the stem ჩემ- (my-) in possessive constructions.

Examples:
• ჩემთვის მნიშვნელოვანია. — It is important to me.
• შენგან მივიღე წერილი. — I received a letter from you.

Instrumental and adverbial forms
Personal pronouns generally lack instrumental and adverbial cases, but in some situations this gap may be filled by possessive pronouns.

Examples:
• ჩემით გააკეთა. — He did it with me / by me.
• შენად ჩათვალა. — He considered it yours.

Number

Unlike common nouns, personal pronouns do not have a morphological category of number. Although მე / ჩვენ and შენ / თქვენ appear to form singular–plural pairs, number is expressed lexically, using different words rather than affixes.

The first-person pronoun მე (I) cannot truly have a plural form, since it refers to a single speaker. The pronoun ჩვენ (we) does not mean multiple “I”s; it means I + others.

Examples:
• მე ვარ მასწავლებელი. — I am a teacher.
• ჩვენ ვართ მასწავლებლები. — We are teachers.

Polite usage

In polite or formal speech, თქვენ (you, plural) may also be used to address a single person.

Example:
• თქვენ როგორ ხართ? — How are you? (formal, singular)

Gerunds

Georgian does not have a direct grammatical equivalent of English gerunds (-ing noun forms). Verbs in Georgian do not turn into nouns in the same systematic way.
Instead, Georgian expresses the same meanings using other structures.

How Georgian replaces gerunds

Verbal nouns (derived nouns)

Georgian often uses nouns derived from verbs.
• Reading is useful.
კითხვა სასარგებლოა.
• Swimming is healthy.

ცურვა ჯანმრთელობისთვის კარგია.

კითხვა, ცურვა are nouns, not verb forms.

Infinitive-like constructions

Georgian may use a verb form plus context instead of a gerund.

• I like reading.
მომწონს კითხვა.

• He avoided answering.
თავი აარიდა პასუხის გაცემას.

Masdar-like / nominalized forms

Some forms behave functionally like gerunds, but grammatically they are nominalizations, not gerunds.

• Writing letters takes time.
წერილების წერა დროს მოითხოვს.

Punctuation

General principles

• Georgian is less redundant than English; repeated nouns are often avoided.
• Reduce redundancy by using pronouns only where reference is clear.
• Pronoun use must never introduce ambiguity.
• Avoid possessive pronouns unless possession is semantically necessary.
• Omit subject pronouns (მე, შენ, ჩვენ, თქვენ) when verb morphology already indicates the subject.

Personal vs Possessive Pronouns

Do NOT use -ს (-s)

Personal pronouns + postpositions

Correct:
• ჩემკენ
• შენგან
• ჩემ შესახებ
• ჩვენ გამო

Incorrect:
• ჩემსკენ
• შენსგან
• ჩემს შესახებ
• ჩვენს გამო

Rule:

Personal pronoun + postposition → no -ს (-s)

Use -ს (-s)

Possessive pronouns used as modifiers

Correct:
• ჩემს მეგობარს
• ჩემს სახლს
• ჩვენს ქვეყანას
• თქვენს ვებსაიტს

Rule:

Possessive pronoun modifying a noun → -ს (-s) required

Third-person pronouns

• ის / ისინი may function as personal or demonstrative pronouns, depending on context.
• Ensure reference is always clear from the sentence context.

Order of pronouns

Rule:

If მე (I) is used with another personal pronoun, it comes first.

Correct:
• მე და შენ შორის
• მე და მას შორის

If first person is second, use ჩემ:

Correct:
• შენ და ჩემ შორის

Incorrect:
• ჩემ და შენ შორის
• შენ და მეს შორის

“One of us / you / them” forms

Correct:

• ჩვენგანი
• თქვენგანი
• მათგანი

Incorrect:

• ჩვენთაგანი
• თქვენთაგანი
• მათთაგანი

Rule:

-თა (-tha) is always redundant and incorrect

Period

It is written at the end of a declarative sentence and is not written at the end of a title or at the end of a quotation when it is followed by information given in parentheses, such as the name of the author or the source.

Georgian — Use of the Full Stop (.)

English	We avoid	We prefer
Declarative sentence	მთა და ბარი გადათეთრდა	მთა და ბარი გადათეთრდა.
Simple statement	დღეს თოვს	დღეს თოვს.
General fact	დედამიწა მრგვალია	დედამიწა მრგვალია.
Title (no full stop)	ჩემი ბავშვობა.	ჩემი ბავშვობა
Quotation followed by author (no full stop inside quotes)	„ხელოვნებაა თავად უკვდავება.“ (კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია)	„ხელოვნებაა თავად უკვდავება“ (კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია).
Quotation with source	„ცოდნა ძალაა.“ (ფრენსის ბეკონი)	„ცოდნა ძალაა“ (ფრენსის ბეკონი).
Heading	შესავალი.	შესავალი
Title of an article	ენა და კულტურა.	ენა და კულტურა

Exclamation mark

The exclamation mark is used at the end of an exclamatory sentence, at the end of an imperative sentence, with a form of address when it stands alone or appears at the beginning or end of a sentence, and also with interjections.

With a form of address or an interjection placed at the beginning of a sentence, a comma may also be used.

Georgian — Exclamation Mark Usage

English	We avoid	We prefer
Importing contacts complete!	კონტაქტების იმპორტი დასრულდა.	კონტაქტების იმპორტი დასრულდა!
Oh, spring is coming!	ვიშ, გაზაფხული მოდის.	ვიშ, გაზაფხული მოდის!
Friends!	მეგობრები.	მეგობრებო!
Forward, move forward!	წინ, წინ გასწით.	წინ, წინ გასწით!
Oops! That’s just what we needed!	უი. ესღა გვაკლდა.	უი! ესღა გვაკლდა!
Attention!	ყურადღება.	ყურადღება!
Stop!	გაჩერდი.	გაჩერდი!

Parentheses

Parentheses are used when a word or a group of words explains the meaning of a preceding word, or when inserted words and sentences provide additional information, clarification, or a remark related to the main idea expressed in the sentence.

Georgian — Use of Parentheses ( )

English	We avoid	We prefer
We support different image formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP).	ჩვენ მხარს ვუჭერთ სხვადასხვა გამოსახულების ფორმატებს. JPEG, PNG, BMP.	ჩვენ მხარს ვუჭერთ სხვადასხვა გამოსახულების ფორმატებს (JPEG, PNG, BMP).
Cudrania (also called strawberry tree) bears fruit from the third year.	კუდრანია იგივე ხემარწყვა ნაყოფს მესამე წლიდან იძლევა.	კუდრანია (იგივე ხემარწყვა) ნაყოფს მესამე წლიდან იძლევა.
The file size (up to 10 MB) is allowed.	ფაილის ზომა 10 მბ-მდე დასაშვებია.	ფაილის ზომა (10 მბ-მდე) დასაშვებია.
The meeting will take place on Monday (online).	შეხვედრა ორშაბათს გაიმართება. ონლაინ.	შეხვედრა ორშაბათს გაიმართება (ონლაინ).

Comma

It is used after homogeneous (coordinate) sentence elements in a compound sentence when they are not connected by the conjunctions “and” or “or.”

By using a comma, homogeneous elements are separated from one another.

Example:
მზე, მთვარე და ვარსკვლავები შენთვის მომიძღვნია.
I have dedicated the sun, the moon, and the stars to you.

Colon and semicolon

A colon ( : ) is used:
• when introducing direct speech after the author’s words (as well as when introducing a quotation);
• after a generalizing word or phrase when it is followed by a list of items;
• after a sentence whose meaning is expanded or explained in detail by the following sentence(s).

Examples

მან თქვა: „ხვალ წავალ“.

He said: “I will leave tomorrow.”

ავტორი წერს: „ენა ცოცხალი ორგანიზმია“.

The author writes: “Language is a living organism.”

A semicolon ( ; ) is used:

• to separate two sentences that are syntactically independent but closely connected in meaning;
• to separate items in a list when those items express related ideas or are conceptually complex.

Examples

Closely related independent sentences
• დღე ცივი იყო; ქარი ძლიერად ქროდა.
The day was cold; the wind was blowing strongly.
• ის მუშაობდა დიდხანს; შედეგი ბოლოს გამოჩნდა.
He worked for a long time; the result appeared in the end.

Em dash (—), en dash (–), hyphen (-)

• En dash (-) En dashes (\–) are correctly used according to standard punctuation rules: they indicate ranges of values (e.g., years, times, or numerical ranges, like 2000– 2022, 9:00 –5:00, pages 10–20), denote connections or relationships between words (e.g., Tbilisi–Batumi route, Georgian–Russian border), and connect compound adjectives, especially when one element consists of two words or follows a proper noun (e.g., the Tbilisi–Kutaisi highway, the English–Georgian translation).

• Em dash (—) In Georgian, the use of em dashes (—) is not as common as in some other languages. Instead, Georgian typically relies on other punctuation marks, such as commas and parentheses, to convey similar functions, such as setting off parenthetical phrases, indicating interrupted speech or thought, or introducing appositive phrases. Therefore, while em dashes may occasionally appear in Georgian writing, they are not as prevalent as in some other linguistic traditions.

• In Georgian, the hyphen (ტირე) is used mainly for compound forms, prefixes, clitics, and certain grammatical constructions. Its use is more limited than in English and follows specific rules.
Hyphens are used in limited, specific cases:
• Reduplicated or expressive forms
o ნელ-ნელა — slowly, little by little
o ცალ-ცალკე — separately
• Some fixed lexical compounds
o ჩრდილო-აღმოსავლეთი — north-east
o სოციალურ-ეკონომიკური — socio-economic

Quotation marks

Quotation marks are used when quoting someone’s words, citing a quotation, or naming various everyday, commercial, and cultural objects (such as cinemas, theatres, hotels, ships), as well as titles of newspapers, magazines, almanacs, and literary, musical, or other artistic works.

Examples:
• მან თქვა: „ხვალ წავალ“.
He said: “I will leave tomorrow.”
• ავტორი წერს: „ენა ცოცხალი ორგანიზმია“.
The author writes: “Language is a living organism.”
• „აქ დაიბადა «სულიკო»“.
“‘Suliko’ was born here.”
• „მზისკენ გაფრინდა «მერანი»“.
“‘Merani’ flew toward the sun.”

Highlighting a word or part of a word in a text

Quotation marks are used to single out a word or part of a word for emphasis.

Examples:
• „დიდი სიტყვა „მამულიც“ გავანამცეცეთ“.
“We even shattered the great word ‘homeland’.”

Representing foreign words phonetically using Georgian letters

Quotation marks are used when foreign words are written according to Georgian phonetics, sometimes in a deliberately altered form.

Examples:
• „ამ შემთხვევაში მუშაობს „კლიაუზნიკობა“.
“In this case, ‘klauznikoba’ is at work.”
• „ჩვენ „კლიაუზნი“ ხალხი ვართ“.
“We are ‘klauzni’ people.”

Expressing irony or sarcasm

Quotation marks are used to convey ironic or sarcastic meaning. Often, such words are preceded by the phrase „ეგრეთ წოდებული“ (so-called).

Examples:
• „ჩვენი «უშიშარი გმირები» კისრისტეხით გარბოდნენ“.
“Our ‘fearless heroes’ were running away in panic.”

Apostrophes

The apostrophe is NOT used in modern standard Georgian orthography as a grammatical or punctuation mark.

Unlike English, Georgian does not use apostrophes for:
• possession
• contractions
• omitted letters

Ampersand (&)

Georgian does not normally use the ampersand in standard, formal writing.
In Georgian, the conjunction და is preferred in almost all cases.

Ampersand is acceptable only in limited contexts, mainly:
• names,
• brands,
• titles,
• technical or visual layouts.

Spacing and non-breaking spaces

Standard Spacing

Rule

Use one regular space between words and after sentence-ending punctuation.

Examples:
• ეს წინადადებაა სწორად დაწერილი.
This sentence is written correctly.
• ის ადრე ჩამოვიდა.
He arrived early.

No Space Before Punctuation

Rule

Do not place a space before commas, periods, colons, semicolons, question marks, or exclamation points.

Examples:
• ეს არასწორია , იმიტომ რომ სივრცეა.
This is wrong , because of the space.
• ეს სწორია, იმიტომ რომ სივრცე არ არის.
This is correct, because there is no space.

Space After Punctuation

Place one space after commas, colons, and semicolons (unless they end a line).

Examples:
• მან იყიდა ხილი, ბოსტნეული და პური.
He bought fruit, vegetables, and bread.
• Remember this: spacing matters.
Remember this: spacing matters.

Numbers

The standard formatting conventions for numbers in documents and communications are as follows:

Thousands Separator: A dot (.) is used to separate thousands.

Decimals: Decimals are also written with a dot (.).

Percentages: The percentage symbol (%) is placed directly after the number without any space.

Numbers Below Ten: Leading zeros are not required for numbers below ten.

The number symbol (#) is typically used in contexts such as social media, numbering in documents, or to indicate a numerical position or reference."

Ordinal numbers

In Georgian, ordinal numbers are usually formed by adding the suffix -ე to a cardinal number.
• ერთი → პირველი (first)
• ორი → მეორე (second)
• სამი → მესამე (third)

Common Ordinal Numbers

Georgian	English
პირველი	first
მეორე	second
მესამე	third
მეოთხე	fourth
მეხუთე	fifth
მეექვსე	sixth
მეშვიდე	seventh
მერვე	eighth
მეცხრე	ninth
მეათე	tenth

Use with Nouns

Ordinal numbers precede the noun and agree syntactically with it.

Examples:
• პირველი დღე — the first day
• მეორე თავი — the second chapter
• მესამე სართული — the third floor

Ordinals with Dates

Ordinal numbers are commonly used with dates.

Example:
• პირველი მაისი — the first of May
Georgian usually omits articles and does not use numeric suffixes like 1st, 2nd in words.

Numeric Ordinals (Digits)

When numbers are written with digits, Georgian typically uses a hyphen + -ე.

Format:
number + -ე

Examples:
• 1-ლი — first
• 2-ე — second
• 3-ე — third
• 10-ე — tenth
• 21-ე — twenty-first

This form is common in technical, legal, and UI text.

Declension
Ordinal numbers behave like adjectives and decline together with nouns.

Example:
• მესამე კლასში — in the third class
• მეორე გვერდზე — on the second page

What to Avoid
• Using English-style suffixes (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in Georgian text
• Placing the ordinal after the noun
• Omitting -ე in written Georgian

Use with nouns (word form)

English	We avoid	We prefer
the first day	დღე პირველი	პირველი დღე
the second chapter	თავი მეორე	მეორე თავი
the third floor	სართული მესამე	მესამე სართული

Ordinals with dates

English	We avoid	We prefer
the first of May	1 მაისი	პირველი მაისი

Currencies

The local currency, the Georgian Lari, is abbreviated as “GEL.” This abbreviation is
used for pricing, financial transactions, and economic reporting, both domestically
and internationally. For instance, prices might be listed as 100 GEL.

Units of measurement

Units of measure, predominantly expressed in the metric system, include Celsius for temperature, kilometers for distance, and kilograms for weight.

Category	Measurement unit (English)	Georgian translation	Abbreviation
LINEAR	Kilometer	კილომეტრი	კმ
	Meter	მეტრი	მ
	Centimeter	სანტიმეტრი	სმ
	Millimeter	მილიმეტრი	მმ
MASS / WEIGHT	Kilogram	კილოგრამი	კგ
	Gram	გრამი	გ
	Ton	ტონა	ტ
VOLUME	Liter	ლიტრი	ლ
	Milliliter	მილილიტრი	მლ
TIME	Hour	საათი	სთ
	Minute	წუთი	წთ
	Second	წამი	წმ

Usage examples (metric preference)

English	We avoid	We prefer
Distance	5 miles	5 კმ
Weight	70 pounds	32 კგ
Length	30 inches	76 სმ

Form of address

In Georgian, the form of address reflects politeness, social distance, respect, familiarity, and context. Unlike English, Georgian relies heavily on pronoun choice, verb forms, and vocatives to convey these distinctions.

Pronouns of Address

Informal address — შენ

Use შენ when addressing:
• friends
• family members
• children
• peers in informal situations

Georgian	English
შენ როგორ ხარ?	How are you? (informal)
შენ ამას აკეთებ?	Are you doing this?

Avoid using შენ with strangers or in formal contexts.

Polite / Formal address — თქვენ

Use თქვენ when addressing:
• strangers
• elders
• superiors
• in professional or formal contexts

Georgian	English
თქვენ როგორ ხართ?	How are you? (formal)
შეგიძლიათ დამეხმაროთ?	Can you help me?

Verb Agreement

Georgian verbs agree with the form of address, not just the subject.

Address	Georgian	English
Informal	შენ წახვედი	You went (informal)
Formal	თქვენ წახვედით	You went (formal)

Vocative Forms (Direct Address)

Georgian uses special vocative forms to directly address someone.

With names

• Giorgi → გიორგი!
• Nino → ნინო!

Georgian	English
გიორგი, მოდი აქ.	Giorgi, come here.
ნინო, დამელოდე.	Nino, wait for me.

With kinship terms

Column 1	Column 2
დედა!	Mom!
მამა!	Dad!
ძმაო!	Brother!
დაო!	Sister!

Honorific and Respectful Forms

Georgian often uses titles instead of pronouns for respect.

Georgian	English
ბატონო გიორგი	Mr. Giorgi
ქალბატონო ნინო	Ms. Nino
პროფესორო	Professor
ექიმო	Doctor

Examples:
• ბატონო გიორგი, გთხოვთ მობრძანდეთ.
Mr. Giorgi, please come in.

Avoiding Pronouns (Neutral Politeness)

Georgian frequently omits pronouns to sound polite and neutral.

Georgian	English
გთხოვთ დაელოდოთ.	Please wait.
შეიძლება დახმარება?	May I help you?

Preferred in customer service, UI text, and official communication.

Switching Forms of Address

Switching from თქვენ → შენ:
• signals familiarity
• often requires mutual agreement

Georgian	English
შეიძლება შენობით ვისაუბროთ?	May we speak informally?

Switching without consent may sound rude.

Figurative and Emotional Address

Second-person forms may be used figuratively (poetry, rhetoric).

Georgian	English
ვაი შენ, ჩემო თერგო!	Woe to you, my Tergo!
შენ, ჩემო სამშობლო!	You, my homeland!

Summary Rules
• Use შენ → informal, familiar
• Use თქვენ → formal, polite (even for one person)
• Match verb forms to the address
• Prefer titles in respectful speech
• Omit pronouns for neutral politeness
• Use vocatives for direct address

English / US Terms and Formulations

Georgian Language Guidelines

This section explains how common English/US formulations should be adapted for natural, correct Georgian, especially in UI, system messages, and product texts.

“Please”

Rule: In English, please is often used to introduce instructions. In Georgian, literal translation is usually avoided to keep the sentence short and natural.

“Now” (Buy now, Download now)

Rule: “Now” is not translated in Georgian UI language.

English	Georgian (prefered)
Buy now	შეძენა
Download now	ჩამოტვირთვა

“Successfully”

Rule: Avoid literal translation, Georgian prefers neutral, result-focused statements.

“Failed”

Rule: Avoid literal translation where possible.

Column 1	Column 2
Message decryption failed	შეტყობინების გაშიფვრა ვერ მოხერხდა
Upload failed	ფაილის ატვირთვა ვერ განხორციელდა

Sentence formulation

Rule: Georgian prefers complete sentences (subject + verb) rather than short, label-style phrases.

English	Georgian
Participation status updated.	მონაწილეობას სტატუსი განახლდა.
Settings saved.	პარამეტრები შენახულია.

General Principles for Georgian

Avoid unnecessary politeness markers in simple instructions
Prefer short, neutral, verb-based sentences
Avoid overly literal translations from English
Prioritize clarity, natural flow, and Georgian stylistic norms

Foreign words

The decision to keep a foreign (English) word instead of using a Georgian equivalent depends on how widespread and commonly understood the foreign word is among Georgian users.

When to keep a foreign (English) word
• An English term may be kept if it is:

• widely used in Georgian everyday language,
• commonly used in technology, IT, or digital contexts,
• more recognizable than its Georgian equivalent.

Examples:
• VPN, Wi-Fi, Email, App, Login
(These are widely understood and may remain in English.)

Fictitious person names
• Localize fictitious names used for examples or explanatory purposes.
• Choose neutral, common Georgian names.
• Avoid stereotypical, exaggerated, or culturally marked names.

Example

English	Georgian
Please enter your name (e.g. Julia Smith)	გთხოვთ, შეიყვანოთ თქვენი სახელი (მაგ., ნინო გიორგაძე)

Recommended examples:
• ნინო გიორგაძე
• გიორგი ქავთარაძე
• თამარ ლომიძე

Real person names
• Do NOT localize real people’s names.
• Keep original spelling and form.

Example

English	Georgian
Bart Butler is a senior engineer at Proton Mail	Bart Butler არის Proton Mail-ის უფროსი ინჟინერი

Localizing Domains and Email Addresses (Georgian)

Fictitious domains and email addresses

Localize only fictitious domains and email addresses used for illustration.

Rules
• Translate the local-part (before @) into Georgian or a neutral Georgian equivalent.
• Translate the domain name into Georgian.
• Use the Georgian country domain: .ge.
• Keep the email format intact.

Example

English	Georgian
Proton Mail allows you to keep your business email address (you@yourcompany.com).	Proton Mail გაძლევთ საშუალებას შეინარჩუნოთ თქვენი საქმიანი ელფოსტის მისამართი (shen@shenikompania.ge).

Real domains and email addresses
• Do NOT localize real domain names or email addresses.
• Keep them exactly as in the source.

Example

English	Georgian
To reset your mailbox password, please use the web version of Proton Mail at proton.me	საფოსტო ყუთის პაროლის აღსადგენად გამოიყენეთ Proton Mail-ის ვებვერსია proton.me-ზე

Structured sentences

• Prefer full sentences (subject + verb).
• Use active voice where possible.
• Use correct punctuation.

Examples:
• Event update failed → ღონისძიების განახლებისას მოხდა შეცდომა.
• Contact saved → კონტაქტი შენახულია.
• Photo attachment failed → ფოტოს დამატება ვერ მოხერხდა.

Nominal phrases

• If the message is a short nominal phrase, do not use a full stop.

Clear negation

• Prefer explicit negation instead of adjectives.
• This improves clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Examples:
• Invalid email address → ელფოსტის მისამართი არ არის სწორი.
• Event not found → ღონისძიება ვერ მოიძებნა.
• No results found → შედეგები ვერ მოიძებნა.

CTA Buttons (Georgian)

Use infinitive for neutral actions
• ბმულის კოპირება
• ჩამოტვირთვა
• დამატებითი ინფორმაციის ნახვა
• ანგარიშის შექმნა

Use polite plural (II person) for engaging actions
• დაგვიკავშირდით
• გაგვიზიარეთ
• ეწვიეთ ჩვენს მაღაზიას
• გახდით პარტნიორი