| Case | Suffix | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -ი | Subject of intransitive verbs; object (some tenses) |
| Ergative | -მა, -მ | Subject of transitive verbs (aorist/present series) |
| Dative | -ს | Indirect object; subject of certain verb classes |
| Genitive | -ის | Possession |
| Instrumental | -ით | ”With / by means of”; predicative |
| Adverbial | -ად, -დ | Manner, transformation (“as / into”) |
| Vocative | -ო | Direct address |
Example — კაცი (k’atsi, “man”)
| Case | Form |
|---|---|
| Nominative | კაცი |
| Ergative | კაცმა |
| Dative | კაცს |
| Genitive | კაცის |
| Instrumental | კაცით |
| Adverbial | კაცად |
| Vocative | კაცო |
Notes
- Ergative split: transitive subject → ergative; intransitive subject → nominative
- Dative subjects: experiencer verbs (to want, to love) take their subject in the dative
- Plural: insert -ებ- before the case ending (e.g. კაცები, კაცებმა, კაცებს…)
- No grammatical gender