Georgian numbers operate on a base-20 structure known as the vigesimal system.

This means that you group numbers by twenties instead of tens.

Once you understand this mathematical pattern, counting in Georgian becomes incredibly logical.

I’ll break down the exact formulas you need to master Georgian numbers.

We’ll start with the basic building blocks from one to ten.

The basic numbers from one to ten

These first ten numbers form the foundation of the entire Georgian counting system.

You must memorize these words before moving on to larger numbers.

Notice how short and simple these root words are.

You’ll use these exact same roots to build almost every other number in the language.

Numbers from eleven to nineteen

Georgian forms the numbers from eleven to nineteen by using a specific prefix and suffix.

The Georgian word for ten is ati.

The word for “more” is met’i.

To say a number between eleven and nineteen, you place the root number between a shortened prefix of ten and the suffix for more.

The literal translation is essentially “one more than ten” or “two more than ten”.

The spelling changes slightly for some of these numbers to make the words easier to pronounce.

For example, the roots for ten and three and more combine and shorten to form tsamet’i (thirteen).

Understanding the vigesimal system (20 to 99)

Now we reach the core of the vigesimal system.

Instead of having entirely new root words for thirty, fifty, or seventy, Georgian simply counts how many twenties are in a number.

You then add the remainder to reach your final number.

For example, the number forty is ormotsi.

This literally translates to “two-twenties” (ori + m + otsi).

The number fifty is ormotsdaati.

This translates directly to “two-twenties and ten” (ormots + da + ati).

Here are the base multiples of ten up to ninety to show you this pattern in action.

To say any other number between twenty and ninety-nine, you take the base multiple of twenty, add the word da (which means “and”), and attach the remainder.

Let’s look at the number seventy-three as a practical example.

Seventy-three contains three twenties (sixty) and a remainder of thirteen.

Therefore, the word for seventy-three is samotsdatsamet’i (“three-twenties and thirteen”).

Here’s a dialogue example showing how you might hear this system used when asking about age.

Notice how thirty-five is literally constructed as “twenty and fifteen” (ots + da + tkhutmet’i).

Counting to one hundred and beyond

Once you reach one hundred, the vigesimal system temporarily resets.

The Georgian word for one hundred is asi.

To count hundreds, you simply attach the root number from one to nine to the front of asi.

You combine the hundreds with the vigesimal system to make larger numbers.

You just state the hundreds word followed by the tens word as separate words.

One hundred and fifty is simply as ormotsdaati (one-hundred two-twenties-and-ten).

Mastering this system requires some repetition, but the underlying mathematical logic is always perfectly consistent.