Mama Mia Qartulad — Premium

They were standing near the clock tower of the Anchiskhati Basilica. Enzo had just dropped a whole bowl of churchkhela (Georgian candy) into a puddle. He threw his hands up and cried:

Enzo’s eyes lit up. “Really? What?” mama mia qartulad

Tiko was a young tour guide in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. She loved leading groups through the old town’s winding streets, past balconies with grapevines, and down to the sulfur baths. But one morning, an Italian tourist named Enzo asked her a question that stopped her in her tracks. They were standing near the clock tower of

“You got it,” Tiko said. | Expression | Language | Literal meaning | When to use | |------------|----------|----------------|--------------| | Mama mia | Italian | My mother | Surprise, frustration, awe | | დედა ჩემო (Deda chemoo) | Georgian | My mother | Same as above — very common | | ვაი, დედა (Vai, deda) | Georgian | Oh, mother | Shock, pain | | მამა, მია (Mama, mia) | Georgian | Father, there it is | Sudden surprise (jokey, emphatic) | “Really

Enzo tried it: “Deda chemoo!” Tiko nodded. “Good. But here’s the twist.”

An old Georgian woman nearby laughed and said, “Swartad, bichobo!” — “Exactly, young man!”