Learning Georgian vocabulary is one of the biggest hurdles for new students.

Because Georgian is in its own unique language family, you won’t find many words that look or sound like English.

Using Anki is the most effective way to lock these unfamiliar words into your long-term memory.

It uses a system called spaced repetition to show you flashcards right before you’re about to forget them.

Why Anki works so well for Georgian

Georgian words are notoriously difficult to memorize at first because they have no roots in Latin or Germanic languages.

You also have to read a completely new alphabet called Mkhedruli.

And on top of that, Georgian has complex consonant clusters and ejective sounds that take time to get used to.

Traditional paper flashcards fail here because you end up reviewing easy words too often and hard words not enough.

Anki solves this by tracking how well you know each specific Georgian word.

When you mark a word as “hard”, Anki shows it to you again in a few minutes.

When you mark a word as “easy”, it waits days, weeks, or even months before testing you again.

This saves you hours of study time every week.

How to set up your Georgian flashcards

First, download the free Anki program on your computer from the official Anki website.

There are also mobile apps so you can study on the train or while waiting in line.

Next, you need to install the Georgian keyboard on your computer and phone.

You must use the real Georgian alphabet on your cards right from day one.

Never use English transliteration on the front of your flashcards.

Relying on English letters will ruin your pronunciation and slow down your reading skills later.

If you still struggle with the script, make a quick 33-card deck just for the alphabet first.

What to put on your cards

A bad flashcard just has one Georgian word on the front and one English word on the back.

Georgian grammar changes words constantly depending on how they’re used in a sentence.

Because of this, you should always include a short example sentence to give the word context.

For example, instead of just making a card for the word “water” (წყალი - ts’q’ali), put it in a simple phrase you’ll actually use.

You should also include audio on your cards whenever possible.

Hearing a native speaker pronounce ejective consonants like წ (ts’) and ყ (q’) is crucial for your listening skills.

You can download free audio clips of single words from Forvo and drag them right into your Anki cards.

Adding a simple picture from Google Images to the back of the card will also help your brain connect the Georgian word to a real concept instead of just an English translation.

How to handle Georgian verbs

Georgian verbs are tricky because they don’t have a basic “to do” infinitive form like English does.

If you look up a verb in a dictionary, it’s usually listed as a verbal noun (called a masdar), like “doing” or “eating”.

Don’t just put the verbal noun on your flashcard, because it won’t help you actually speak.

Instead, use the first-person (“I do”) or third-person (“he/she does”) present tense form on your card.

Here’s how a good verb sentence card looks in practice:

Dealing with Georgian regional dialects in Anki

Standard Georgian (mostly based on the Kartlian and Kakhetian dialects spoken around Tbilisi) is what you’ll learn first.

However, as you travel around Georgia or talk to locals, you’ll hear massive regional variations in everyday vocabulary.

People in Western Georgia (like Imereti or Adjara) often use different words for basic things compared to people in Tbilisi.

If you’re living in or traveling to a specific region, you should add a “Region” tag to your Anki cards.

This keeps you from getting confused when a local uses a word that isn’t in your textbook.

Here’s an example of how regional words can differ for simple items:

If you’re in Kutaisi (Imereti), you might hear a sentence like this:

Putting that whole sentence into Anki with an #imereti tag ensures you understand locals without mixing up your standard Georgian in formal settings.

Pre-made decks vs making your own

You can find free, pre-made Georgian decks on the AnkiWeb Shared Decks page.

Downloading a beginner deck is a great way to learn your first 200 to 300 basic words quickly.

It saves you a lot of typing when you’re still slow with the Georgian keyboard.

However, once you reach an intermediate level, you should stop using other people’s decks and make your own cards.

The process of typing the Georgian word, finding an image, and choosing an example sentence is half of the learning process.

Your brain remembers cards you made yourself much better than random words someone else picked.

Whenever you hear a new word in conversation or read it in an article, add it to your personal deck that same day.

Best habits for daily Anki reviews

Anki only works if you open the app and do your reviews every single day.

If you skip three days, hundreds of cards will pile up and you’ll feel completely overwhelmed.

To prevent burnout, limit your “New Cards” setting to just 5 to 10 cards per day.

Learning 10 words a day doesn’t sound like much, but that equals 3,650 words in a year.

That’s more than enough vocabulary to have fluent, everyday conversations in Georgian.

Always say the Georgian words out loud when you flip the card over.

This builds the muscle memory in your mouth and throat needed for tricky Georgian pronunciation.

Keep your review sessions under 15 minutes a day so you still have plenty of time left for real listening and speaking practice.