SOV as default, the pre-verb focus slot, topic fronting, and answering questions in the spotlight position.
I can use word order to highlight what matters and structure information naturally.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
ხინკალი დათომ მოამზადა - არა ნინომ!
It was Dato who made the khinkali - not Nino!
სად მუშაობ? - ბანკში ვმუშაობ.
Where do you work? - I work at a bank.
ღვინო კახეთიდან ჩამოვიტანე, ყველი კი - სვანეთიდან.
The wine I brought from Kakheti, and the cheese - from Svaneti.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Georgian's neutral order is SOV, but the real rule is simpler: the position right BEFORE the verb is the spotlight. Whatever answers the current question goes there - ხინკალი დათომ მოამზადა (it was DATO who made it). Old information drifts left, the verb anchors the end.
Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises
Practice ExercisesRigid SVO from English and burying the answer to a question far from the verb.
Focus stranded after the verb or rigid English SVO throughout
Question-answer drills: place the answer in the pre-verb slot.
ხინკალი დათომ მოამზადა - არა ნინომ!
It was Dato who made the khinkali - not Nino!
The pre-verb slot carries the focus: Datom right before moamzada answers 'who?'.
სად მუშაობ? - ბანკში ვმუშაობ.
Where do you work? - I work at a bank.
The answer to a question word sits in the same pre-verb slot the question word used.
ღვინო კახეთიდან ჩამოვიტანე, ყველი კი - სვანეთიდან.
The wine I brought from Kakheti, and the cheese - from Svaneti.
Topic fronting + k'i: known things first, the news before the verb.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises