How the converter works
Georgian is written in its own script, Mkhedruli, with 33 letters. Each letter stands for one sound, so converting between Georgian and Latin is mostly a letter-for-letter swap — with a few letters that need two Latin characters, such as შ (sh), ჩ (ch) or ხ (kh).
The converter works in both directions:
- Georgian → Latin uses the national romanization system of Georgia (2002). This is the spelling you see on road signs and maps: თბილისი becomes tbilisi, მცხეთა becomes mtskheta.
- Latin → Georgian understands two ways of typing. As it sounds reverses the national system, so sakartvelo gives საქართველო. Keyboard layout follows the standard Georgian keyboard, where every key is one letter and Shift gives a second set — handy if you are used to typing Georgian on a computer.
Apostrophes and the passport spelling
Georgian distinguishes sounds that English doesn't, for example თ (an ordinary t) and ტ (a sharper, "ejective" t). The national system keeps them apart with an apostrophe: თ = t, ტ = t'. The same goes for კ (k'), პ (p'), ყ (q'), წ (ts') and ჭ (ch').
For names in passports and many other documents the apostrophes are usually left out, so წყალი is written tsqali rather than ts'q'ali. Tick Without apostrophes to get that spelling. If you already have a passport, use the spelling printed in it — consistency matters more than the rule.
Typing Latin that becomes Georgian
In As it sounds mode, type the way a word is pronounced. Two-letter combinations are recognised automatically: sh → შ, ch → ჩ, kh → ხ, gh → ღ, zh → ჟ, ts → ც, dz → ძ. Add an apostrophe for the ejective sounds: k' → კ, ts' → წ. A few informal spellings common in chats also work, such as x for ხ.
Tips
- Use Swap to check a conversion: it turns the result back into the original script.
- The result updates as you type, and Copy puts it on your clipboard.
- Numbers, punctuation and letters from other alphabets are left unchanged.