The main parts of the sentence
The order of the parts of the
simple
sentence
Agreement of the verbal
and
nominal
members in number
Complex sentences
The main parts of the
sentence
(Extended and unextended simple sentences)
Simple unextended sentences contain
only
main parts of sentences: a subject, a verb predicate, a direct
object
and an indirect object.
If a simple semtence includes any other word, it is a simple
extended
sentence.
E.g.: Ninom
Lelas
c'erili misc'era - Nino wrote a letter to Lela -
this is a
simple unextended sentence.
Nino sk'amze zis - Nino
is
sitting on the chair - this is a simple
extended sentence because the phrase on
the chair is not a main part of the sentence.
The order of the
parts
of
the simple sentence
Word order is relatively free in Georgian. Relations
between
members of the sentence are expressed not by the order of the
parts
of the sentence (as in Swedish or English: Dato hit
Vano
or
Vano
hit Dato mean different things) but by the case and person
marking
in Georgian. That is why word order changes are connected with a
logical
emphasis but not with the change of the grammatical functions of
the
members.
The most neutral word order in a simple sentence is the
following:
subject - indirect object - direct object -
verb-predicate:
| Subject | Indirect object | Direct object | Verb-predicate |
| ნინომ | მეგობარს | წერილი | მისწერა |
| Ninom |
megobars |
c'erili |
misc'era |
| Nino | to friend | letter | wrote |
Another order is also allowed:
| Subject | Direct object | Verb-predicate | Indirect object |
| ნინომ | წერილი | მისწერა | მეგობარს |
| Ninom |
c'erili |
misc'era |
megobars |
| Nino | letter | wrote | to friend |
| Indirect object | Direct object | Verb-predicate | Subject |
| მეგობარს | წერილი | მისწერა | ნინომ |
| megobars |
c'erili |
misc'era |
Ninom |
| to friend | letter | wrote | Nino |
Agreement of the
verbal
and
nominal members in number
When the number is expressed by a numeral, both
the
determined
word (ქალი kali) and the
verb-predicate
remain in the singular:
| ორი ქალი მიდის.
ori kali midis. two woman goes. Two women go. |
But:
| ქალები მიდიან.
kal-eb-i midian. woman-Plur-Nom go. Women go. |
When an inanimate subject is plural, the
verb-predicate
remains in the singular:
| სახლის წინ ხეები
დგას. saxl-is c'in xe-eb-i dgas. house-Gen. front tree-Plur-Nom. stands/is standing. There are trees in front of the house. |
But:
| სახლის წინ ბავშვები
დგანან. saxl-is c'in bavshv-eb-i dganan. house-Gen. front child-Plur-Nom. stand/are standing. The children are standing in front of the house. |
© Karina Vamling & Manana Kobaidze 2001