The Subject Marker -i
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The suffix -i marks the subject of a sentence when the noun ends in a consonant.
- Add -i to nouns ending in a consonant: 'katsi' (man).
- Do not add -i to nouns ending in a vowel: 'deda' (mother).
- The marker -i is dropped when the noun is in the object position.
Nominative Case Formation
| Noun Stem | Ending | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
kats
|
consonant
|
katsi
|
katsi modis
|
|
tsign
|
consonant
|
tsigni
|
tsigni aq aris
|
|
gogo
|
vowel
|
gogo
|
gogo modis
|
|
mama
|
vowel
|
mama
|
mama modis
|
|
dzaghl
|
consonant
|
dzaghli
|
dzaghli qevs
|
|
student
|
consonant
|
studenti
|
studenti swavlobs
|
Meanings
The suffix -i is the nominative case marker in Georgian, used to identify the subject of intransitive verbs or the agent in specific tenses.
Subject Marker
Identifies the person or thing performing the action.
“gogo modis”
“katsi dgas”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun-i + Verb
|
katsi modis
|
|
Negative
|
Noun-i + ar + Verb
|
katsi ar modis
|
|
Question
|
Noun-i + Verb?
|
katsi modis?
|
|
Vowel Noun
|
Noun + Verb
|
mama modis
|
|
Plural
|
Noun-eb-i + Verb
|
katsnebi modian
|
|
Short Answer
|
Noun-i
|
katsi
|
Formalitätsspektrum
katsi aq aris. (General)
katsi aq aris. (General)
katsi aqaa. (General)
katsi aq aris. (General)
Nominative Case Logic
Ends in Consonant
- katsi man
Ends in Vowel
- gogo girl
Beispiele nach Niveau
katsi modis
The man is coming
tsigni aq aris
The book is here
dzaghli qevs
The dog is barking
studenti swavlobs
The student is studying
gogo kargia
The girl is good
katsi chams
The man is eating
dzaghli didia
The dog is big
tsigni dzvelia
The book is old
katsi saxlshi midis
The man is going home
gogo tsigns kitxulobs
The girl is reading a book
dzaghli kars ighebs
The dog is opening the door
studenti kargad swavlobs
The student is studying well
katsi, romelic aq aris, chemi megobaria
The man who is here is my friend
gogo, romelmac es tsigni moitana
The girl who brought this book
dzaghli, romelic gareta aris
The dog that is outside
studenti, romelic kargad swavlobs
The student who studies well
katsi, romelic am saxlshi cxovrobs
The man who lives in this house
gogo, romelic am tsigns kitxulobs
The girl who is reading this book
dzaghli, romelic am kars ighebs
The dog that is opening this door
studenti, romelic am temas swavlobs
The student who is studying this topic
katsi, romelic am saxlshi cxovrobs, chemi megobaria
The man who lives in this house is my friend
gogo, romelic am tsigns kitxulobs, chemi daa
The girl who is reading this book is my sister
dzaghli, romelic am kars ighebs, chemi dzaghlia
The dog that is opening this door is my dog
studenti, romelic am temas swavlobs, chemi megobaria
The student who is studying this topic is my friend
Leicht verwechselbar
Both mark the subject.
Both end in -i.
Both mark nouns.
Häufige Fehler
kats
katsi
dedai
deda
tsign
tsigni
gogoi
gogo
katsi-s
katsi
mama-i
mama
tsign-ma
tsigni
katsi-ma
katsi
gogo-ma
gogo
stidenti
studenti
kats-ad
katsi
dzaghl-is
dzaghli
tsign-shi
tsigni
Satzmuster
___ aris aq.
___ modis.
___ kargia.
___ swavlobs.
Real World Usage
katsi aq aris!
katsi modis.
studenti swavlobs.
katsi aq aris.
qava tshelia.
tsigni aq aris.
Check the last letter
Don't over-apply
Dictionary check
Informal speech
Smart Tips
Check the last letter.
Check for vowel endings.
Pause to check.
Identify the subject.
Aussprache
Suffix -i
The -i is pronounced clearly as a short 'ee' sound.
Declarative
katsi modis ↓
Statement of fact.
Interrogative
katsi modis ↑
Question.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of the 'i' as an 'indicator' that the person is the 'initiator' of the action.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a man (kats) standing on a giant letter 'I'.
Rhyme
If the word ends in a sound that is hard, add an 'i' to be the guard.
Story
A man (katsi) walks into a room. He is the subject. He carries a book (tsigni). Both end in consonants, so both get an 'i'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room and name 5 objects. Add -i if they end in a consonant!
Kulturelle Hinweise
The nominative -i is strictly used in formal and written contexts.
In very informal speech, the -i is sometimes elided.
Usage is consistent with standard Georgian.
The -i suffix is a remnant of the Proto-Kartvelian noun class system.
Gesprächseinstiege
vin aris katsi?
ra aris tsigni?
vin aris studenti?
ra aris dzaghli?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
kats ___ modis.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
gogoi modis.
katsi / modis
tsign
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Add -i to all nouns.
A: vin modis? B: ___ modis.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exerciseskats ___ modis.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
gogoi modis.
katsi / modis
tsign
kats
Add -i to all nouns.
A: vin modis? B: ___ modis.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It marks the subject.
No, only consonant-ending ones.
Do nothing.
Yes.
Adding -i to vowels.
Different tense.
Yes.
Use the mnemonic.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
None
Georgian uses suffixes; Spanish uses word order.
None
Georgian uses suffixes.
Nominative case
German uses articles; Georgian uses suffixes.
ga particle
Japanese particles are separate words.
Nominative case (damma)
Arabic uses vowel changes; Georgian uses suffixes.
None
Chinese has no case markers.
