The basics
Albanian Greetings and Common Phrases
Greetings are the fastest win in any language - a handful of phrases lets you start conversations, and Albanian speakers are genuinely delighted when a foreigner tries. Here are the essentials, from "hello" to "nice to meet you".
Hello, goodbye, and the times of day
Përshëndetje is the safe, all-purpose "hello". The time-of-day greetings are just as common and make you sound natural.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Përshëndetje | Hello (general, safe anytime) |
| Mirëmëngjes | Good morning |
| Mirëdita | Good afternoon / good day |
| Mirëmbrëma | Good evening |
| Natën e mirë | Good night |
| Mirupafshim | Goodbye |
| Ç'kemi? | What's up? (informal) |
| Tungjatjeta | Hello (traditional, "long life to you") |
Tungjatjeta comes from the old blessing "u tungjatë jeta" - "may your life be long". In everyday speech people clip it right down to Tung, which works as a casual "hi" and even "bye", much like the Italian ciao. When in doubt, Përshëndetje is never wrong.
How are you? and the polite words
Albanian distinguishes informal (ti) from formal/plural (ju). Use the ju forms with strangers and elders until invited to be casual.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Si je? | How are you? (informal) |
| Si jeni? | How are you? (formal / plural) |
| Mirë, faleminderit | Fine, thank you |
| Faleminderit | Thank you |
| Të lutem / Ju lutem | Please (informal / formal) |
| S'ka përse | You're welcome |
| Më fal / Më falni | Excuse me / sorry (informal / formal) |
| Po / Jo | Yes / No |
Introducing yourself
Put a few of these together and you can already have a first exchange: greet, ask a name, give yours, and say it was nice to meet.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Si e ke emrin? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Unë quhem… | My name is… ("I am called…") |
| Emri im është… | My name is… |
| Gëzohem që të njoh | Nice to meet you |
| Nga je? | Where are you from? |
| Unë jam nga… | I am from… |
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