The masdar as the verb's noun form: declining, taking postpositions (ts'asvlamde, ch'amis shemdeg), replacing the missing infinitive.
I can compress before/after/for-clauses into masdar phrases.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
ცეკვა და სიმღერა ქართული სუფრის ნახევარია.
Dancing and singing are half of a Georgian supra.
წასვლამდე ბებიას დაურეკე.
Before leaving, call grandma.
ჭამის შემდეგ ცოტა გავისეირნოთ.
After eating, let's take a little walk.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The masdar (ცეკვა dancing, კითხვა reading, წასვლა leaving) is the verb's noun form - it declines and takes postpositions: წასვლამდე (before leaving), ჭამის შემდეგ (after eating), სწავლისთვის (for studying). Georgian has no infinitive; the masdar does all its jobs.
Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises
Practice ExercisesHunting for an infinitive that doesn't exist and unpacking masdar phrases into heavy rotsa-clauses.
Clausal paraphrases where masdar + postposition is idiomatic
Compression drills: turn rotsa-clauses into masdar phrases.
ცეკვა და სიმღერა ქართული სუფრის ნახევარია.
Dancing and singing are half of a Georgian supra.
Masdars as subjects: tsek'va, simghera - verbs wearing noun clothes.
წასვლამდე ბებიას დაურეკე.
Before leaving, call grandma.
masdar + -mde = 'before ...-ing': ts'asvlamde - a whole clause in one word.
ჭამის შემდეგ ცოტა გავისეირნოთ.
After eating, let's take a little walk.
ch'amis shemdeg: masdar in the genitive + shemdeg = 'after ...-ing'.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises