Common Albanian Phrases
A short list of go-to phrases takes you further than a big vocabulary you can't deploy under pressure. This page groups the most useful everyday Albanian by what you actually need it for - being polite, asking questions, getting help, and keeping small talk going. Learn a handful from each, then drill them until they're automatic in the Shqipify flashcards.
Everyday courtesy
These are the phrases you'll use dozens of times a day. Albanian marks politeness through the informal ti and formal/plural ju forms, so "please" comes in two flavours - use the ju form with strangers and elders. A warm faleminderit goes a long way.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Faleminderit | Thank you |
| Faleminderit shumë | Thank you very much |
| 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 |
| Në rregull | OK / all right |
| Gëzuar! | Cheers! |
Asking questions
Questions are where a language starts to feel usable - you can ask a price, find a place, or check the time. Notice that Albanian often opens a yes/no question with the little particle "a" (as in A ka…? "Is there…?").
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Sa kushton? | How much does it cost? |
| Ku është…? | Where is…? |
| Sa është ora? | What time is it? |
| Çfarë është kjo? | What is this? |
| A ka…? | Is there / do you have…? |
| Ku është tualeti? | Where is the toilet? |
| Kur? | When? |
| Pse? | Why? |
Getting help when you're stuck
You will not understand everything - nobody does at first, and that's fine. These phrases buy you time and get people to slow down or switch to English. Saying "Nuk kuptoj" honestly is far better than nodding along.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Nuk kuptoj | I don't understand |
| A flisni anglisht? | Do you speak English? |
| Flisni më ngadalë, ju lutem | Please speak more slowly |
| A mund të përsërisni? | Can you repeat that? |
| Nuk e di | I don't know |
| Si thuhet … në shqip? | How do you say … in Albanian? |
| Më ndihmoni, ju lutem | Help me, please |
| Dua… | I want… |
Small talk that keeps a conversation going
Once the courtesies are out of the way, a few small-talk phrases let a first exchange breathe. Match the formality of your "how are you?" to the person: Si je? for a friend, Si jeni? for anyone you'd address respectfully.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| Si je? / Si jeni? | How are you? (informal / formal) |
| Mirë, faleminderit | Fine, thank you |
| Nga je? | Where are you from? |
| Unë jam nga… | I am from… |
| Ç'bën? | What are you up to? / how's it going? |
| Shihemi më vonë | See you later |
| Mirupafshim | Goodbye |
Ready to start learning?
Practice with free spaced-repetition flashcards, find your CEFR level, or work 1:1 with a native Albanian speaker.