Indirect-subject modals: minda (want), shemidzlia (can), unda (must) with masdar or da-clause.
I can say what I want, can, and must do.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
á¥áá áá£áá áŠááááá¡ ááá¡ááá¯áá ááááá.
I want to taste Georgian wine.
ášáááá«ááá á¥áá áá£ááá ááááá ááá?
Can you speak Georgian?
á®ááá ááá á á£ááá ááááá.
Tomorrow I must get up early.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
These verbs mark their subject with object-style prefixes: ááááá (I want), ááááá (you want), á£ááá (he/she wants); ášáááá«ááá / ášáááá«ááá / ášáá£á«ááá (I/you/he can).
They combine with a verbal noun: áªá£á áá ááááá (I want to swim), or with a clause: ááááá, á áá á¬ááááá. Note: á£ááá also means 'must': á£ááá ááá¡á¬áááá (I must study).
Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises
Practice ExercisesConjugating these like regular verbs (*áááááá does not exist - the m- IS the subject marker) and confusing á£ááá 'wants' with á£ááá 'must' (context decides: ááá¡ á£ááá á¬áááá = he wants a book; á£ááá á¬ááááá = I must go).
Treating indirect-subject modals as regular v- verbs
Paradigm drills on ááááá/ááááá/á£ááá and ášáááá«ááá/ášáááá«ááá/ášáá£á«ááá with person-swap exercises.
á¥áá áá£áá áŠááááá¡ ááá¡ááá¯áá ááááá.
I want to taste Georgian wine.
ááááá + verbal noun ááá¡ááá¯áá.
ášáááá«ááá á¥áá áá£ááá ááááá ááá?
Can you speak Georgian?
2nd person ášáááá«ááá (the á- marks 'you').
á®ááá ááá á á£ááá ááááá.
Tomorrow I must get up early.
á£ááá 'must' + subjunctive ááááá.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises