ჭამა
č̣ama[t͡ʃʼämä]
ჭამა (č̣ama) is the Georgian verb for "eat".
The verb is used to describe the act of consuming a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes depending on the subject and tense. The third person singular form, meaning "he/she/it eats", is ჭამს. For the third person plural, meaning "they eat", use ჭამენ. If you are giving a command, the imperative form is ჭამ. To describe an action that was ongoing or habitual in the past, such as "he/she/it was eating" or "used to eat", use the imperfect form ჭამდა.
How do you pronounce it?
č̣ama
Did you know?
- In Georgian culture, the act of eating is central to the supra, a traditional feast where a tamada or toastmaster leads the meal with a strict sequence of poetic toasts.
- The sound 'č̣' in ჭამა is an ejective consonant, meaning it is produced with a burst of air from the glottis, a feature not found in English.
- At a traditional Georgian table, it is common for guests to be encouraged to keep eating long after they feel full, as refusing food can be seen as a slight to the host's generosity.
Examples in context
- ბავშვებს მოსწონთ ნაყინის ჭამა.The children like to eat ice cream.This sentence shows how to use ჭამა when expressing what children like to eat.Tatoeba #13059510 by Noe_, translation #11180723 by carlosalberto
- ვაშლის ტორტს ჭამა მინდა.I want to eat apple pie.This sentence demonstrates the use of ჭამა to express a desire to eat something.Tatoeba #3239193 by biber, translation #252663 by adjusting
- სად ვაპირებთ ჭამას ამაღამ?Where are we going to eat tonight?This sentence illustrates the use of ჭამა when asking about plans for eating.Tatoeba #11877145 by enebi, translation #7248401 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elene and Levan are deciding what to do for dinner.
- ელენე Eleneგინდა ახლა ჭამა?ginda akhla chama?Do you want to eat now?
- ლევან Levanკი, ძალიან მშია.ki, dzalian mshia.Yes, I am very hungry.
- ელენე Eleneრისი ჭამა გირჩევნია?risi chama girchevnia?What would you prefer to eat?
- ლევან Levanმოდი, პიცა შევუკვეთოთ.modi, pitsa shevukvetot.Let's order pizza.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ჭამა, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
