Present tense of 'to be': var, khar, aris, vart, khart, arian - always expressed, often as a suffix.
I can introduce myself and others using the present forms of 'to be'.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
მე სტუდენტი ვარ.
I am a student.
შენ სად ხარ?
Where are you?
ბათუმი ლამაზი ქალაქია.
Batumi is a beautiful city.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Present tense: ვარ (I am), ხარ (you are), არის (is), ვართ (we are), ხართ (you pl. are), არიან (they are).
The verb usually comes at the end: მე სტუდენტი ვარ (I student am). In the 3rd person, არის very often shrinks to the suffix -ა: ის ექიმია = ის ექიმი არის (he/she is a doctor).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesDropping 'to be' like in Russian (*მე სტუდენტი) - the verb is obligatory. Putting the verb first (English order) - it normally goes last. Forgetting the -ა contraction in 3rd person.
Dropped or misplaced 'to be' forms
Drill the var/khar/aris paradigm; remember the verb-final order and the -a contraction.
მე სტუდენტი ვარ.
I am a student.
Word order: subject - noun - ვარ at the end.
შენ სად ხარ?
Where are you?
სად = where; ხარ = you are.
ბათუმი ლამაზი ქალაქია.
Batumi is a beautiful city.
ქალაქია = ქალაქი + -ა (is): the contracted 'to be'.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises