Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Albanian
Language/
Gjuha shqipe
for Invitees
Page 1 of 30
November 2005
Table of Contents
1.
p. 4
2.
p. 5
3.
Greetings
p. 10
4.
Useful phrases
p. 11
5.
p. 12
6.
Other phrases
p. 13
7.
p. 14
8.
Directions
p. 15
9.
Drinks
p. 16
10. Food
p. 17
11. Fruits
p. 18
p. 19
13. Clothing
p. 20
14. Colors
p. 21
15. Places
p. 22
p. 23
17. Numbers 1 - 20
p. 24
18. 10 million
p. 25
19. Months
p. 26
p. 26
p. 27
p. 27
p. 27
p. 27
p. 27
p.28
27. Exercises
p.29
Page 2 of 30
November 2005
AL_Albanian_Lesson_1.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_2.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_3.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_4.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_5.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_6.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_7.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_8.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_9.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_10.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_11.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_12.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_13.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_14.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_15.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_16.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_17.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_18.mp3
AL_Albanian_Lesson_19.mp3
Page 3 of 30
November 2005
Nouns can have either a feminine or masculine gender (the neutral gender isnt very
common)
Depending on their role in the sentence (such as subject or object, nouns change
their endings. The different roles they play are called cases. Albanian has five cases:
Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Dative (indirect object), Genitive
(possession) and Ablative (nouns following prepositions).
Nouns can be either definite or indefinite. This is marked by their ending rather than
an article like the English the. Even names of people and places can be definite. The
capital Tirana could then be literally translated as the Tiran.
Adjectives change depending on the gender, number, definiteness and case of the
noun they follow.
Instead of the pronouns (I work, you work, he she/it works, we work, you work, they
work), verbs use endings (punoj, punon, punon, punojm, punoni, punojn). The
pronouns exist (un, ti, ai/ajo, ne, ju, ata/ato) but are used only for emphasis.
Compared to the English 14, Albanian only has 8 tenses whose use is very similar to
their English equivalents.
Another prominent feature or Albanian is its clitics e/i and their forms which have
many different functions. One of the languages functions is the direct object
pronoun: Un e shoh. (I see it.) What may be confusing is that it is used even when
the full object is there: Un e shoh librin. (I see [it] the book.)
Page 4 of 30
November 2005
Sound
Similar English
sound
Example
Meaning:
Aa
father
anije
(ship)
Bb
boy
babai
(father)
Cc
ts
cats
cop
(piece)
charm
ant
(bag)
Dd
door
der
(door)
DH dh
they
dhom
(room)
Ee
estuary
era
(wind)
around
hna
(moon)
Ff
foot
flamur
(flag)
Gg
ground
goca
(girl)
GJ gj
--------
mngjes
(morning)
Hh
hotel
hotel
(hotel)
Ii
interest
interesi
(interest)
Jj
yesterday
jeta
(life)
Kk
come
kmba
(foot, leg)
Ll
little
lule
(flower)
LL ll
fall, call
llampa
(lamp)
Mm
morning
motr
(sister)
Nn
noon
nna
(mother)
NJ nj
new
nj
(one)
Oo
all, or
ora
(hour)
Pp
party
pun
(work)
-------
qeni
(dog)
Rr
remember
radio
(radio)
RR rr
--------
kurr
(never)
Ss
sister
seminari
(seminar)
SH sh
shall
shum
(many)
Tt
table
tavolina
(table)
Page 5 of 30
November 2005
TH th
thank you
thoni
(speak)
Uu
cook, foot
ura
(bridge)
Vv
very
vera
(wine)
Xx
dz
--------
xix
(spark)
XH xh
joke
xhaxha
(uncle)
Yy
-------
ylli
(star)
Zz
zoo, zero
zogu
(bird)
pleasure
zhurm
(noise)
ZH zh
rr
ll
kur (when)
kurr (never)
pula (hen)
pulla (stamp)
xh
gj
xhaxha (uncle)
gjell (soup)
qen (dog)
els (key)
Page 6 of 30
November 2005
(No Audio)
Vowels
Each of the vowels can be either short or long
Case
Name
Phonetic
symbol
Note
It is similar to the first vowel in English around when
short, and to the vowel of burn when long.
[]
pr [pr] for
Aa
hn [h: n]
[a]
[]
vesh [v ] ear
Ii
[i]
[o]
bot[bo: t] world
[u]
mbush[mbush] fill
fush[fu: ] field
Consonants
1.The following consonants:
b[b],
n[n],
[t],
s[s],
f[f],
sh[],
g[g],
v[v],
j[j],
xh[d ],
m[m],
z[z],
zh [ ]
are like the initial English sounds in the following words: book, church, foot, goal, jet,
moon, note, sheep, vowel, judgement, zipe and pleasure:
buk
[bu:k]
bread
sa
[sa]
how ?
far
[t far]
what?
shikoj
[ ikoj]
to see
Page 7 of 30
November 2005
fik
[fik]
fig
vit
[vit]
year
gisht
[git]
finger
xhep
[d p]
jam
[jam]
to be
zi
[zi]
black
me
[m]
with
zhurm
[ u:rm]
noise
nesr
[nsr]
tomorrow
2.
p[p],
t[t],
d[d],
k[k]
are pronounced like their English counterparts but are not aspirated even when they are in
an initial position. They are similar to p, t, d and k in pen, top, door and skin.
pen
[pn]
pen
der
[dr]
door
tani
[tani]
now
kok
[ko:k]
head
3. nj[] is pronounced like the initial sounds in the English word new.
njeri
[ri]
person
[humb]
lose
5. th[]and dh[]are similar to English in think and they, but in Albanian these two sounds
tend to be more interdentally, that is, you put the tip of your tongue between teeth.
thumb
[umb]
sting
dhe
[]
and
6. c [ts] is pronounce by trying to produce at the same time the sound [t] and [s], whereas
x [dz] is pronounced by trying to produce at the same time the sound [d]and[z]
ca
[tsa]
some
xix
[dzi:dz]
spark
7. q [c] and gj [gj] are two consonants that do not exist in English.
qaj
[caj]
cry
gju
[gju]
knee
[ReguL]
order
8. r[r] is a single trill, whereas rr [R] involves more than one trill.
risk
[risk]
risk
rregull
9. l[l]is pronounced similarly to l in leaf or long, whereas ll[L]is more like the final sound in
bill, hall, etc.
loj
[lo:j]
game
lloj
[Loj]
kind
Page 8 of 30
November 2005
Page 9 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 3: Greetings
Prshendetje
Welcome!
Mir se vini!
Hello!
Prshndetje
Good morning!
Mirmngjes!
Good afternoon!
Mirdita!
Good evening !
Mirmbrma!
Good bye!
Mirupafshim!
Please!
Ju lutem!
Excuse me.
M falni
Faleminderit (shum)!
Yes
Po
No
Jo
Page 10 of 30
November 2005
Shprehje t prdorshme
I am American.
Un jam amerikan.
Ku banoni ju?
I live in ...
Un banoj n
Si jeni ju?
Fine, thanks!
Mir, faleminderit!
I am a volunteer.
Un jam vullnetar.
Sa sht ora?
I understand
Un kuptoj
I don't understand.
Un nuk kuptoj
Prsriteni, ju lutem.
Shkruajeni, ju lutem.
Page 11 of 30
November 2005
Shprehje mbiemrore
I am...
Un jam...
hungry
i/e uritur
full
i/e ngopur
thirsty
i/e etur
busy
i/e zn
free
i/e lir
tired
i/e lodhur
sick
i/e smur
thirsty
i/e etur
happy
i/e lumtur
sad
i/e trishtuar
glad
i/e gzuar,
angry
i/e zemruar
The prefix i is used when the speaker is a man and e is used for women.
Page 12 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 6:
Other phrases
Shprehje t tjera
I need help.
Look out!
Kujdes!
Listen!
Dgjoni!
Mund t m ndihmoni?
Mund t m tregoni?
I am looking for...
Po krkoj...
I want to go
Un dua t shkoj
I know
(Un) E di.
I don't know
I think so.
I believe, yes.
I dont believe.
Page 13 of 30
November 2005
I want a coffee
I want to eat.
I want to drink
I like it.
M plqen.
Nuk m plqen.
This is good.
Sa kushton kjo?
Page 14 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 8: Directions
Drejtime
Where is the?
Ku sht?
On the left
N t majt
On the right
N t djath
Straight-ahead
Drejt
Near by
Ktu afr
Above
Sipr
Posht fshatit
Behind
Prapa
Page 15 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 9: Drinks
Pije
water
uj
coffee
kafe
tea
aj
milk
qumsht
juice, lemonade
limonat
mineral water
uj mineral
wine
ver
beer
birr
raki
raki
Page 16 of 30
November 2005
Ushqim
sugar
sheqer
salt
krip
bread
buk
salad
sallat
meat
mish
cheese
djath
butter
gjalp
egg
vez
Page 17 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 11:
Fruits
Fruta
grape
rrush
fig
fik
watermelon
shalqi
melon
pjepr
peach
pjeshk
pear
dardh
Page 18 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 12:
Home items
Artikuj shtpiak
glass
got
cup
filxhan
spoon
lug
fork
pirun
knife
thik
plate
pjat
table
tavolin
chair
karrige
door
der
window
dritare
bed
krevat
bed sheet
araf
blanket
batanije
pillow
jastk
home
shtpi
hotel
hotel
floor
kat
room
dhom
bathroom
banj
toilet
banj
toilet paper
letr higjenike
soap
sapun
towel
peshqir
shampoo
shampo
kitchen
guzhin
bedroom
dhom gjumi
Page 19 of 30
November 2005
Veshje
pants
pantallona
blouse
bluz
shirt
kmish
dress
fustan
skirt
fund
shoes
kpuc
sandals
sandale
slippers
shapka
boots
izme
jacket
xhaket
coat
pallto
Page 20 of 30
November 2005
Lesson 14:
Colors
Ngjyra
red
i/e kuqe
white
i/e bardh
black
i/e zez
yellow
i/e verdh
green
i/e gjelbr
dark blue
blu
sky blue
i/e kaltr
grey
gri
brown
kafe
Page 21 of 30
November 2005
Vende
village
fshat
town
qytet
shop
dyqan
street
rrug
building
ndrtes
flat
pallat
library
biblotek
restaurant
restorant
school
shkoll
student
nxns
cultural palace
pallati i kulturs
municipality
bashki
commune
komun
office
zyr
Page 22 of 30
November 2005
Lidhjet familjare
mother
nn
father
baba
sister
motr
brother
vlla
daughter
e bija
son
i biri
grandmother
gjyshja
grandfather
gjyshi
niece
mbesa
nephew
nipi
mother-in-law
vjehrra
father-in-law
vjehrri
sister-in-law
kunata
brother-in-law
kunati
Page 23 of 30
November 2005
Numrat 1-20
zero
nj
dy
tre
katr
pes
gjasht
shtat
tet
nnt
10
dhjet
11
njmbdhjet
12
dymbdhjet
13
trembdhjet
14
katrmbdhjet
15
pesmbdhjet
16
gjashtmbdhjet
17
shtatmbdhjet
18
tetmbdhjet
19
nntmbdhjet
20
njzet
Page 24 of 30
November 2005
10 - million
10
dhjet
20
njzet
30
tridhjet
40
dyzet
50
pesdhjet
60
gjashtdhjet
70
shtatdhjet
80
tetdjet
90
nntdhjet
100
nj qind
1000
nj mij
1,000,000
milion
Learning how to count in thousands is especially important because most people still give
prices in the so called 'old Lek' by adding one extra zero.
Page 25 of 30
November 2005
Muajt
January
Janar
February
Shkurt
March
Mars
April
Prill
May
Maj
June
Qershor
July
Korrik
August
Gusht
September
Shtator
October
Tetor
November
Nntor
December
Dhjetor
(No Audio)
Days of the week
Ditt e javs
Monday
E hn
Tuesday
E mart
Wednesday
E mrkur
Thursday
E enjte
Friday
E premte
Saturday
E shtun
Sunday
E diel
Page 26 of 30
November 2005
Beni: Un quhem
Arben Marashi.
Po ju si quheni?
Page 27 of 30
November 2005
Gzuar!
T bft mir! Ju bft mir!
Page 28 of 30
November 2005
Exercises
Choose the correct answer.
1. When someone greets you saying Mir se vini what is the correct reply?
a. Faleminderit
b. Mir se ju gjeta
c. Mirupafshim
2. Un jam nga Amerika is the correct reply to:
a. Si jeni?
b. Nga jeni ju?
c. Doni nje kafe?
3. What would you like to drink?
a. Rrush
b. Got
c. Uj
4. Si jeni?
a. Jo shum mir
b. Mir
c. C'ka
5. What do you use to greet someone?
a. Mirmngjes
b. Mirdita
c. Mirmbrma
Fill in the blanks.
Phrases from the dialogue
1. Un ________ John Smith.
2. Doni _____ kafe?
3. Un_____ _____ Tirana.
4. ______, faleminderit!
5. Un ______ n Tiran.
6. ___________ q erdht.
7. T bft _____ !
8. ___________ t shihemi s shpejti.
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November 2005
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