ᲖმნებიC1
The Four Verb Classes
The four-class verb taxonomy (transitive, intransitive, medial, inversion) and what each class predicts.
Learning Goal
I can classify verbs into the four classes and predict their case behavior.
Exam Skills:NAEC Georgian C1: ReadingNAEC Georgian C1: Writing
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
მომღერალმა მთელი ღამე იმღერა - III კლასმა ერგატივი მოითხოვა.
The singer sang all night - class III demanded the ergative.
ფოთოლი ნელა ეცემა - II კლასი ერგატივს არასდროს იღებს.
The leaf falls slowly - class II never takes the ergative.
კლასი განსაზღვრავს ყველაფერს: ბრუნვებს, მწკრივებს, შეცდომებსაც.
The class determines everything: cases, screeves, even your mistakes.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The master classification
Every Georgian verb belongs to one of four classes: I transitive (წერს), II intransitive (ეცემა, passives), III medial - activity verbs that act intransitive but take the ERGATIVE in the aorist (მღერის → მომღერალმა იმღერა), IV inversion (უყვარს, dative subject). The class predicts case frames, screeve behavior, and where you'll make mistakes.
Apply this grammar in C1 course exercises
Practice Exercises
Nominative subjects with aorist medials (*momgherali imghera) - the class III ergative is the single most missed rule at C1.
Common Error Patterns
Treating medials as class II (no ergative) or inversion verbs as class I
Class-sorting drills, then case-frame prediction from the class.
მომღერალმა მთელი ღამე იმღერა - III კლასმა ერგატივი მოითხოვა.
The singer sang all night - class III demanded the ergative.
Medials look intransitive but take the ergative in the aorist: momgheralma imghera.
ფოთოლი ნელა ეცემა - II კლასი ერგატივს არასდროს იღებს.
The leaf falls slowly - class II never takes the ergative.
True intransitives (fall, be built, redden) stay nominative through all series.
კლასი განსაზღვრავს ყველაფერს: ბრუნვებს, მწკრივებს, შეცდომებსაც.
The class determines everything: cases, screeves, even your mistakes.
Identify the class first; every other rule reads off it.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in C1 course exercises