Honorific Verb Pairs: miirtmevs, brdzanebs, moakhsenebs
The suppletive honorific verb pairs for eating, saying, informing, and giving - miirtmevs, brdzanebs, moakhsenebs, moartmevs.
I can host and communicate in offices with the full honorific verb set.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
მიირთვით, გემრიელად მიირთვით - ეს ჩვენი ეზოს ატამია!
Please help yourselves, enjoy - these are peaches from our own courtyard!
რას ბრძანებთ, ბატონო პროფესორო?
What do you say, professor?
დირექტორს მოვახსენებ, რომ მობრძანდით.
I will (respectfully) inform the director that you have arrived.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The respectful lexicon
Beyond brdzandeba, a whole verb set swaps for respect: ჭამს/სვამს → მიირთმევს (partakes), ამბობს → ბრძანებს (deigns to say), ეუბნება → მოახსენებს (respectfully informs), აძლევს → მოართმევს (presents). You'll hear them at every supra, reception desk, and phone call to an office - and using them marks you as someone raised right.
ch'ame! to an honored guest (miirtvit! is the hosting form) and honorifics about your own actions.
Common Error Patterns
Neutral verbs in hosting/office contexts where honorific pairs are expected
Pair-swap drills: neutral sentence to honorific sentence and back.
მიირთვით, გემრიელად მიირთვით - ეს ჩვენი ეზოს ატამია!
Please help yourselves, enjoy - these are peaches from our own courtyard!
miirtvit - the honorific eat/drink: the only verb a Georgian host needs.
რას ბრძანებთ, ბატონო პროფესორო?
What do you say, professor?
brdzanebs replaces ambobs for respected speakers - and ras brdzanebt doubles as 'pardon?'.
დირექტორს მოვახსენებ, რომ მობრძანდით.
I will (respectfully) inform the director that you have arrived.
moakhsenebs: humble reporting UP the hierarchy - the receptionist's core verb.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in C1 course exercises