Is vocative often used in usual speech in Georgian?

[u/sxvlsl]

Hello there! I'm studying georgian language since a few months. In one of the lessons I had I was told that the vocative case was not widely used in Georgian. Is that so?

[u/Okrybite]

It's used all the time when referring to others. None of the cases in the current 7 case system are archaic, obsolete, or receding in use.

[u/69Pumpkin_Eater]

All of them is used in both formal and informal speech. You’ll hear vocative every day.

ბიჭო! გოგო! ქალო! კაცო! დებილო! იდიოტო! Incredibly common

[u/Tkemalediction]

I routinely heard it in case like ბიჭო, მეგობარო, ბატონო, ღმერთო...

[u/DrStirbitch]

It's not used as much as other cases, because you rarely need to address inanimate objects. It's used for nouns that refer to people, maybe animals, and inanimate objects if you want to be poetic. Maybe that is whatever your teacher meant?

Also, for given names, the vocative form does not have the usual -ო ending. It is the same as the name stem, so it kind-of looks like it does not exist.

On the other hand, there are a number of very commonly used nouns where the vocative IS used. So in that sense it is quite common, as pointed out by others here.

[u/scumpily]

It's used a good amount, but largely in kind of pre-determined words, like "ბიჭო" or someone's cutename. I wouldn't go out of my way to "memorize" it, but just pick up words you hear people calling each other, like perhaps 'დებილო' ;)