Mama Mia Qartulad Now

— Vai, deda! (Oh, mother!)”

Tiko smiled. “You know,” she said, “in Georgian, we don’t say Mama mia . But we have something very similar.”

When Tiko Learned to Say “Mama Mia!” in Georgian mama mia qartulad

And that’s how a little phrase helped Enzo feel less like a tourist and more like a local — one surprised shout at a time.

“Exactly,” Tiko said. “But there’s one more. The most famous one.” — Vai, deda

— Mama, mia!

— Deda chemoo!

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.

— Deda ginat!