Basic Albanian Unveiled: A Dialectal Journey(Unit 8)

📘 Colloquial Albanian for Beginners

🟨 UNIT 8: Familja dhe Miqtë (Family and Friends)

🗣️ Dialogue 1 – Introducing Family (Standard Albanian)

Basic Phrases:

• Kush është ky/ai? – Who is this/he?
• Ky është vëllai im. – This is my brother.
• A ke ndonjë mik këtu? – Do you have any friends here?
• Po vij me familjen time. – I’m coming with my family.
• Faleminderit që erdhe! – Thank you for coming!

Ema: Përshëndetje! Kush është ky?

Artan: Përshëndetje! Ky është vëllai im, Bledi.

Ema: A ke ndonjë mik këtu?

Artan: Po, po vij me familjen time dhe disa miq.

Ema: Mirë! Faleminderit që erdhe!

Artan: Me kënaqësi!

📝 Translation

Ema: Hello! Who is this?

Artan: Hello! This is my brother, Bledi.

Ema: Do you have any friends here?

Artan: Yes, I’m coming with my family and some friends.

Ema: Great! Thank you for coming!

Artan: My pleasure!

🗣️ Dialogue 2 – Meeting Friends in Tirana (Colloquial Albanian, Tirana Dialect)

Basic Phrases:

• Kush është ky, mo? – Who’s this, man?
• Ky është vlla, bro. – This is my bro, bro.
• Ke ndonjë shok këtu? – Got any buddies here?
• Po vij me familjen, mo. – I’m coming with the fam, man.
• Faleminderit që erdhe, shoku! – Thanks for coming, buddy!

Rita: Hej! Kush është ky, mo?

Eno: Hej! Ky është vlla, Bledi, mo.

Rita: Ke ndonjë shok këtu?

Eno: Po, po vij me familjen e disa shokë, mo.

Rita: Dakord! Faleminderit që erdhe, shoku!

Eno: Me qejf, mo!

📝 Translation

Rita: Hey! Who’s this, man?

Eno: Hey! This is my bro, Bledi, man.

Rita: Got any buddies here?

Eno: Yeah, I’m coming with the fam and some buddies, man.

Rita: Alright! Thanks for coming, buddy!

Eno: With pleasure, man!

🗣️ Dialogue 3 – Family Gathering in the North (Gheg Dialect)

Basic Phrases:

• Kush asht ky? – Who is this?
• Ky asht vllau im. – This is my brother.
• A ki ndonjë shok këtu? – Do you have any friends here?
• Po vij me familjen time. – I’m coming with my family.
• Faliminderit që erdhe! – Thanks for coming!

Luan: Tung! Kush asht ky?

Bujar: Tung! Ky asht vllau im, Bledi.

Luan: A ki ndonjë shok këtu?

Bujar: Po, po vij me familjen time e disa shokë.

Luan: Mirë! Faliminderit që erdhe!

Bujar: Me kënaqësi!

📝 Translation

Luan: Hello! Who is this?

Bujar: Hello! This is my brother, Bledi.

Luan: Do you have any friends here?

Bujar: Yes, I’m coming with my family and some friends.

Luan: Good! Thanks for coming!

Bujar: My pleasure!

🗣️ Dialogue 4 – Friends in the South (Tosk Dialect)

Basic Phrases:

• Kush është ky, more? – Who is this, dear?
• Ky është vëllai im, more. – This is my brother, dear.
• A ke ndonjë shok këtu, more? – Do you have any friends here, dear?
• Po vij me familjen time, more! – I’m coming with my family, dear!
• Faleminderit që erdhe, o shok! – Thank you for coming, friend!

Sara: Përshëndetje! Kush është ky, more?

Eno: Përshëndetje! Ky është vëllai im, Bledi.

Sara: A ke ndonjë shok këtu, more?

Eno: Po, po vij me familjen time e disa shokë, more.

Sara: Mirë! Faleminderit që erdhe, o shok!

Eno: Me kënaqësi, more!

📝 Translation

Sara: Hello! Who is this, dear?

Eno: Hello! This is my brother, Bledi.

Sara: Do you have any friends here, dear?

Eno: Yes, I’m coming with my family and some friends, dear.

Sara: Good! Thank you for coming, friend!

Eno: My pleasure, dear!

🧠 Vocabulary

Standard	Colloquial (Tirana)	Gheg	Tosk	Meaning
Familje	Familja	Familje	Familje	Family
Mik	Shok	Shok	Shok	Friend
Vëlla	Vlla	Vllau	Vëlla	Brother
Kush	Kush	Kush	Kush	Who
Është	Është	Asht	Është	Is
Ndodhet	Ke	Ki	Ke	Have (here)
Vij	Vij	Vij	Vij	Come
Me	Me	Me	Me	With
Erdhe	Erdhe	Erdhe	Erdhe	You came
Faleminderit	Faleminderit, shoku	Faliminderit	Faleminderit, o shok	Thank you

Note: Tirana slang uses "vlla" for "vëlla" and "shok" for "mik" to sound casual. Gheg shifts "është" to "asht" and "ke" to "ki." Tosk adds "more" for warmth.

📚 Grammar Focus: Present Tense of “Jam” (To Be) - Relationships Context

The verb "jam" (to be) is essential for introductions and describing relationships:

• Standard Albanian: Unë jam (I am).
• Colloquial (Tirana): Same as Standard, often casualized with tone.
• Gheg Albanian: Unë jam (I am, nasalized "jam" to "jom").
• Tosk Albanian: Unë jam (I am, softer pronunciation).

Person	Standard	Colloquial (Tirana)	Gheg	Tosk
Unë	Jam	Jam	Jom	Jam
Ti	Je	Je	Je	Je
Ai/Ajo	Është	Është	Asht	Është
Ne	Jemi	Jemi	Jemi	Jemi
Ju	Jeni	Jeni	Jeni	Jeni
Ata/Ato	Janë	Janë	Janë	Janë

Examples:

Standard:

• "Ky është vëllai im." (This is my brother.)
• "Ne jemi miq." (We are friends.)
• "Ajo është këtu me familjen." (She is here with the family.)

Colloquial (Tirana):

• "Ky është vlla, mo!" (This is my bro, man!)
• "Ne jemi shokë, bro." (We’re buddies, bro.)
• "Ajo është këtu me familjen, mo." (She’s here with the fam, man.)

Gheg:

• "Ky asht vllau im." (This is my brother.)
• "Ne jemi shokë." (We are friends.)
• "Ajo asht këtu me familjen." (She is here with the family.)

Tosk:

• "Ky është vëllai im, more!" (This is my brother, dear!)
• "Ne jemi shokë, more." (We are friends, dear.)
• "Ajo është këtu me familjen, more." (She is here with the family, dear.)

✍️ Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate into Standard Albanian

• Who is this?
• This is my brother.
• Do you have any friends here?
• I’m coming with my family.
• Thank you for coming!

Answer Key (Standard):

• Kush është ky?
• Ky është vëllai im.
• A ke ndonjë mik këtu?
• Po vij me familjen time.
• Faleminderit që erdhe!

Exercise 2: Translate into Colloquial Albanian (Tirana Dialect)

• Who is this?
• This is my brother.
• Do you have any friends here?
• I’m coming with my family.
• Thank you for coming!

Answer Key (Colloquial, Tirana):

• Kush është ky, mo?
• Ky është vlla, bro.
• Ke ndonjë shok këtu?
• Po vij me familjen, mo.
• Faleminderit që erdhe, shoku!

Exercise 3: Translate into Gheg Albanian

• Who is this?
• This is my brother.
• Do you have any friends here?
• I’m coming with my family.
• Thank you for coming!

Answer Key (Gheg):

• Kush asht ky?
• Ky asht vllau im.
• A ki ndonjë shok këtu?
• Po vij me familjen time.
• Faliminderit që erdhe!

Exercise 4: Translate into Tosk Albanian

• Who is this?
• This is my brother.
• Do you have any friends here?
• I’m coming with my family.
• Thank you for coming!

Answer Key (Tosk):

• Kush është ky, more?
• Ky është vëllai im, more.
• A ke ndonjë shok këtu, more?
• Po vij me familjen time, more!
• Faleminderit që erdhe, o shok!

📖 Reading Passages

Passage 1: Një Mbledhje Familjare (Standard Albanian)

Ema pret miq dhe familje në shtëpi. Ajo pyet Artanin: “Kush është ky?” Artani përgjigjet: “Ky është vëllai im, Bledi.” Ema pyet: “A ke ndonjë mik këtu?” Artani thotë: “Po, po vij me familjen time dhe disa miq.” Pas mbërritjes, Ema thotë: “Faleminderit që erdhe!” dhe të gjithë ulen për të biseduar.

📝 Translation

Ema hosts friends and family at home. She asks Artan: “Who is this?” Artan replies: “This is my brother, Bledi.” Ema asks: “Do you have any friends here?” Artan says: “Yes, I’m coming with my family and some friends.” After arriving, Ema says: “Thank you for coming!” and everyone sits to chat.

📘 Glossary

Pret	Hosts
Shtëpi	Home
Mbërritjes	Arrival
Ulen	Sit
Biseduar	Chat

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çfarë pyet Ema fillimisht?
• Kush është Bledi?
• Çfarë pyet Ema për miqtë?
• Me kë vjen Artani?
• Çfarë thotë Ema në fund?

Answer Key

• “Kush është ky?”
• Vëllai i Artanit.
• “A ke ndonjë mik këtu?”
• Me familjen dhe disa miq.
• “Faleminderit që erdhe!”

Passage 2: Nji Tubim me Shokë (Colloquial Albanian, Tirana Dialect)

Rita hap shtëpinë p’ shokë e familje. Pyet Enon: “Kush është ky, mo?” Eno i thot: “Ky është vlla, Bledi, mo.” Rita pyet: “Ke ndonjë shok këtu?” Eno i thot: “Po, po vij me familjen e disa shokë, mo.” Kur vijnë, Rita i thot: “Faleminderit që erdhe, shoku!” dhe ulen p’me fol.

📝 Translation

Rita opens the house for buddies and family. She asks Eno: “Who’s this, man?” Eno says: “This is my bro, Bledi, man.” Rita asks: “Got any buddies here?” Eno says: “Yeah, I’m coming with the fam and some buddies, man.” When they arrive, Rita says: “Thanks for coming, buddy!” and they sit to talk.

📘 Glossary

Hap	Opens
Shtëpinë	House
Vijnë	Arrive
Ulen	Sit
Fol	Talk

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çka pyet Rita?
• Kush është Bledi?
• Çka pyet Rita për shokët?
• Me kë vjen Eno?
• Çka i thot Rita kur vijnë?

Answer Key

• “Kush është ky, mo?”
• Vlla i Enos.
• “Ke ndonjë shok këtu?”
• Me familjen e disa shokë.
• “Faleminderit që erdhe, shoku!”

🌍 Cultural Notes

1. Family Ties

Albanians value family deeply. Saying “Ky është vëllai im” during introductions reflects pride in kinship.

2. Social Gatherings

Gatherings are common, often with food and coffee. In Tirana, “Po vij me familjen, mo” is casual, while Tosk’s “more” adds warmth.

3. Hospitality

Welcoming with “Faleminderit që erdhe!” is a must. Guests are treated like family across dialects.

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