Ēezar Kurti

LEARN ALBANIAN

To my parents and my sister Bardha

 

 

MĖSIMI I PARĖ - LESSON 1

 

 

  1. THE LETTERS OF THE ALBANIAN ALPHABET AND THEIR PRONUNCIATION

The Albanian language uses the Latin alphabet. There are 36 letters that correspond to the 36 sounds (7 vowels and 29 consonants). Unlike many European languages, Albanian words have no silent letters and letters are only pronounced one way. The correct pronunciation of the letters, therefore, provides the right pronunciation of the words.

 

THE LETTERS OF THE ALBANIAN ALPHABET ARE:

a, b, c, ē, d, dh, e, ė, f, g, gj, h, i, j, k, l, ll, m, n, nj, o, p, q, r, rr, s, sh, t, th, u, v, x, xh, y, z, zh.

 

l. THE PRONUNCIATION OF VOWELS

The vowels a, e, ė, i, o, u, y are pronounced like their English equivalents in the following words:

a - babą (father) - like b in buy,

e - metąl (metal) - like e in metal,

ė - nėnė (mother) - like u in nurse,

i - mirė (good)- like i in image,

o - opera (opera)- like o in opera,

u - frut (fruit) - like oo in food,

y - i dytė (second) - like u in excuse.

 

2. THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE CONSONANTS

The consonants b, c, ē, d, dh, f, g, gj, h, j, k, l, ll, m, n, nj, p, q, r,

rr, s, sh, t, th, v, x, xh, z , zh in most cases are pronounced like their English equivalents in these words:

b - babą (father) - like b in ballad,

c - cigąre (cigarette) - like ts in tsar,

ē - ēaj (tea) - like ch in much,

d - dąjė (uncle) - like d in detail,

dh - dhņmė (room) - like th in their,

f - fabrģkė (factory) - like f in false,

g - gur (stone), - like g in game,

gj - gjłhė (language) - there is no sound like this in English, but you can pronounce it like gi in give.

h - hąrtė (map) - like h in hard,

j - jčtė (life) - like y in yacht,

k - karvąn (convoy) - like c in camera,

l - legjčndė (legend) - like l in liver,

ll - llotarģ (lottery) - like ll in hill,

m - mamą (mother) - like m in match,

n - normąl (normaly) - like n in nurse,

nj - njerģ (men) - like ni- or ny- in onion or canyon,

p - partģ (party) - like p in partner,

q - qąrtė (clearly) - there is no sound like this in English, but you can pronounce it like cky (kj) in stockyard or ch in chair.

r - reaksiņn (reaction) - like r in robot,

rr - rrņtė ( wheel) - like rr in "hurrah,"

s - sandąle (sandal) - like s in side,

sh - shkņllė (school) - like sh in shop,

t - titull (title) - like t in time,

th - thła (nail) - like th in thief,

v - včrė (summer) - like v in vague,

z - zčmėr (heart) - like z in zenith,

zh - zhłrmė (noise) - like s in vision,

x - nxėnės (pupil) - like z in zebra ,

xh - xhakčtė (jacket) - like j in jolly.

 

Usually the accent falls on the next-to-the-last syllable and remains unchangeable, for example: shkņllė (school), zčmėr (heart), jčtė (life), tģtull (title), včrė (summer).

 

B. PĖRSHĖNDETJET - THE GREETINGS

We will begin with useful Albanian greetings and their English equivalents. The most common greeting expression is Tungjatjeta — Hello (literally, long life to you).

 

Here are other greetings:

                        Mirėmėngjes - Good morning!

                        Mirėdita - Good afternoon!

                        Ditėn e mirė - Have a nice day!

                        Mirėmbrėma - Good evening!

                        Natėn e mirė - Good night!

                        Mirupafshim - Good bye!

                        Lamtumirė - Farewell!

                        Si jeni? - How are you? How do you do?

                        Shumė mirė - Very well!

                        Falemnderit - Thank you!

 

Exercise 1.

Repeat these greetings: Tungjatjeta, Mirėdita etc.

 

Exercise 2.

Try to read this dialogue:

In the morning:

            Zana Kodra - Mirėmėngjes, zoti Smith (Mr. Smith)

            Xhon Smithi - Mirėmėngjes, zonjusha Kodra (Miss Kodra).

During the day:

            Zana Kodra- Mirėdita, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Mirėdita, zonjusha Kodra.

            Zana Kodra- Si jeni?

            Xhon Smithi - Falemnderit, shumė mirė. Po ju si jeni?

            Zana Kodra - Shumė mirė. Ditėn e mirė, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Ditėn e mirė, zonjusha Kodra.

In the evening:

            Zana Kodra - Mirėmbrėma, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Mirėmbrėma, zonjusha Kodra.

            Zana Kodra - Si jeni, zoti Smith?

            Xhon Smithi - Shumė mirė, falemnderit. Po ju si jeni?

            Zana Kodra - Shumė mirė. Natėn e mirė, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Natėn e mirė, zonjusha Kodra.

You can use these greetings any time of the day:

            Zana Kodra - Tungjatjeta, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Tungjatjeta, zonjusha Kodra.

            Zana Kodra - Mirupafshim, zoti Smith.

            Xhon Smithi - Mirupafshim, zonjusha Kodra.

 

"Tungjatjeta" may be used instead of "Mirupafshim!" (See you again!).

 

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Ēezar Kurti — "Learn Albanian — Mėsoni shqip" — Legas, (P.O. Box 040328, Brooklyn, New York 11204), 1996-2006.

Copyright©1997 by Ēezar Kurti.