Qartuli: the same word as kartuli — typed the Georgian way.

Qartuli is ქართული — “Georgian”. Georgians search and chat with it every day: qartuli filmebi (Georgian films), qartuli simgerebi (Georgian songs), qartuli chati (Georgian chat).

The same word in the standard romanization is kartuli — one word, two Latin spellings. Learners usually meet “kartuli” first; Georgians themselves usually type “qartuli”.

Georgian has two k-sounds: ქ (aspirated, with a puff of air) and კ (ejective, tight and dry). Latin has only one k. On the informal chat alphabet Georgians use in SMS and messengers, q was free — so q became ქ, and k stayed კ.

Other chat-alphabet letters follow the Georgian keyboard: x is ხ (kh), w is წ, and capital T, S, C, J, W, R mark their own letters. Our translit translator page shows the full table and decodes real messages.

• Exactly like kartuli: KAR-tu-li — the spelling changes, the word doesn’t.
• ქ is the aspirated “k” of “kit”, with a puff of air.
• The “u” is the vowel of “rule”, and the “r” is a light single tap.

• გამარჯობა (gamarjoba) — “hello”
• როგორ ხარ? (rogor khar?) — “how are you?” — often typed “rogor xar”
• მადლობა (madloba) — “thank you”

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