უკაცრავად
uḳacravad[ukʼät͡sʰɾävätʰ]
The Georgian phrase for "excuse me" is უკაცრავად (uḳacravad). Wiktionary also lists ბოდიში (bodiši).
Meaning: sorry, as apology (noun)
Ways to say it
| Georgian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| უკაცრავად | uḳacravad | [ukʼät͡sʰɾävätʰ] (narrow) |
| ბოდიში | bodiši | [b̥o̞diʃi] (narrow) |
უკაცრავად is the appropriate term to use when you need to pass someone in a crowded space or interrupt a conversation politely.
What does it mean word for word?
The word უკაცრავად is an adverb derived from the root meaning 'respect', functioning literally as 'without disrespect' to soften a request or interruption.
Which one should you use?
ბოდიში is used for a more casual apology or when asking for forgiveness, whereas უკაცრავად is more formal and used to get someone's attention.
How do you pronounce it?
uḳacravad
Did you know?
- The word ბოდიში shares a potential distant linguistic link to the Persian word پوزش, which also relates to the concept of an apology.
- In Georgia it is common to use უკაცრავად not just to apologize but as a verbal signal to enter a room where others are already gathered.
- Using the casual ბოდიში in a formal setting, such as with an elder or a stranger, might be perceived as being overly blunt or even slightly disrespectful.
Examples in context
- უკაცრავად, თქვენ საუბრობთ იტალიურად?Excuse me, do you speak Italian?This sentence shows how to use უკაცრავად to ask if someone speaks a language.Tatoeba #8450672 by Natalie_71, translation #8450430 by deniko
- უკაცრავად. თქვენ ის პიროვნება ხართ?Excuse me. Are you that person?This sentence shows how to use უკაცრავად to identify someone.Tatoeba #486621 by Hertz, translation #6080932 by Sokario
- უკაცრავად, შეგიძლიათ დამეხმაროთ?ukatsravad, shegidzliat damexmarot?Excuse me, can you help me?
Example conversation
Elene accidentally bumps into Levan in a hallway.
- ელენე Eleneუკაცრავად, ლევან, ვერ დავინახე.ukatsravad, levan, ver davinakhe.Excuse me, Levan, I didn't see you.
- ლევან Levanარა, ყველაფერი რიგზეა.ara, qvelaperi rigzea.No, everything is fine.
- ელენე Eleneმართლა ბოდიშს გიხდი.martla bodishs gikhdi.I really apologize.
- ლევან Levanარ ინერვიულო, ელენე.ar inerviulo, elene.Don't worry, Elene.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excuse me” translations and entries უკაცრავად, ბოდიში, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ბოდიში, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
