Basic Albanian Unveiled: A Dialectal Journey(Unit 5)

📘 Colloquial Albanian for Beginners

🟨 UNIT 5: Blerja dhe Shitja (Buying and Selling)

🗣️ Dialogue 1 – Shopping at the Market (Standard Albanian)

Basic Phrases:

• Sa kushton kjo? – How much is this?
• A mund të bëni zbritje? – Can you give a discount?
• Dua të blej... – I want to buy...
• Kam nevojë për një qese. – I need a bag.
• Faleminderit për blerjen! – Thank you for shopping!

Ema: Përshëndetje! Sa kushton kjo bluzë?

Artan: Përshëndetje! Kushton 2000 lekë.

Ema: A mund të bëni zbritje?

Artan: Po, mund ta bëj 1800 lekë.

Ema: Mirë, dua të blej. Kam nevojë për një qese.

Artan: Natyrisht! Faleminderit për blerjen!

📝 Translation

Ema: Hello! How much is this shirt?

Artan: Hello! It costs 2000 lek.

Ema: Can you give a discount?

Artan: Yes, I can make it 1800 lek.

Ema: Good, I want to buy it. I need a bag.

Artan: Of course! Thank you for shopping!

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

Basic Phrases:

• Sa e ka kjo, mo? – How much is this, man?
• Bën nji zbritje, bro? – Can you cut the price, bro?
• Du me ble... – Wanna buy...
• Më jep nji qese, ok? – Give me a bag, okay?
• Faleminderit, shoku! – Thanks, buddy!

Rita: Hej, sa e ka kjo bluzë, mo?

Eno: Hej! Ka 2000 lekë, mo.

Rita: Bën nji zbritje, bro?

Eno: Ok, ta baj 1800 lekë.

Rita: Dakord, du me ble. Më jep nji qese, ok?

Eno: Po, mo! Faleminderit, shoku!

📝 Translation

Rita: Hey, how much is this shirt, man?

Eno: Hey! It’s 2000 lek, man.

Rita: Can you cut the price, bro?

Eno: Okay, I’ll make it 1800 lek.

Rita: Alright, wanna buy it. Give me a bag, okay?

Eno: Yeah, man! Thanks, buddy!

🗣️ Dialogue 3 – Buying at a Northern Market (Gheg Dialect)

Basic Phrases:

• Sa kushton kjo? – How much is this?
• A muj me ba zbritje? – Can you give a discount?
• Due me ble... – I want to buy...
• Më jep nji qese. – Give me a bag.
• Faliminderit p’ blerjen! – Thanks for shopping!

Luan: Tung! Sa kushton kjo këmishë?

Bujar: Tung! Kushton 2000 lekë.

Luan: A muj me ba zbritje?

Bujar: Po, e baj 1800 lekë.

Luan: Mirë, due me ble. Më jep nji qese.

Bujar: Natyrisht! Faliminderit p’ blerjen!

📝 Translation

Luan: Hello! How much is this shirt?

Bujar: Hello! It costs 2000 lek.

Luan: Can you give a discount?

Bujar: Yes, I’ll make it 1800 lek.

Luan: Good, I want to buy it. Give me a bag.

Bujar: Of course! Thanks for shopping!

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

Basic Phrases:

• Sa kushton kjo? – How much is this?
• Mund të bësh zbritje, more? – Can you give a discount, dear?
• Dua me ble... – I want to buy...
• Më jep nji qese, more! – Give me a bag, dear!
• Faleminderit, o shok! – Thank you, friend!

Sara: Përshëndetje! Sa kushton kjo bluzë, more?

Eno: Përshëndetje! Kushton 2000 lekë.

Sara: Mund të bësh zbritje, more?

Eno: Po, e baj 1800 lekë.

Sara: Mirë, dua me ble. Më jep nji qese, more!

Eno: Sigurisht! Faleminderit, o shok!

📝 Translation

Sara: Hello! How much is this shirt, dear?

Eno: Hello! It costs 2000 lek.

Sara: Can you give a discount, dear?

Eno: Yes, I’ll make it 1800 lek.

Sara: Good, I want to buy it. Give me a bag, dear!

Eno: Sure! Thank you, friend!

🧠 Vocabulary

Standard	Colloquial (Tirana)	Gheg	Tosk	Meaning
Blerje	Blerje	Blerje	Blerje	Shopping
Shitje	Shitje	Shitje	Shitje	Selling
Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton	Costs
Zbritje	Zbritje	Zbritje	Zbritje	Discount
Dua	Du	Due	Dua	I want
Blej	Ble	Ble	Ble	Buy
Qese	Qese	Qese	Qese	Bag
Faleminderit	Faleminderit, shoku	Faliminderit	Faleminderit, o shok	Thank you
Bluzë	Bluzë	Këmishë	Bluzë	Shirt
Mirë	Dakord	Mirë	Mirë	Good / Okay

Note: Tirana’s colloquial speech simplifies "kushton" to "e ka" and uses "shoku" or "bro" for familiarity. Gheg uses nasalized "due" and "këmishë" for shirt. Tosk adds "more" for warmth.

📚 Grammar Focus: Present Tense of “Kushtoj” (To Cost) - Shopping Context

The verb "kushtoj" (to cost) is key for shopping scenarios, conjugated regularly across dialects with slight variations in colloquial use:

• Standard Albanian: Formal conjugation (Dialogue 1).
• Colloquial Albanian (Tirana): Often replaced with "e ka" (has it), e.g., "Sa e ka?" (Dialogue 2).
• Gheg Albanian: Matches Standard but with nasalized vowels (Dialogue 3).
• Tosk Albanian: Identical to Standard, softer pronunciation (Dialogue 4).

Person	Standard	Colloquial (Tirana)	Gheg	Tosk
Unë (It costs me)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton
Ti (It costs you)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton
Ai/Ajo (It costs him/her)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton
Ne (It costs us)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton
Ju (It costs you pl.)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton
Ata/Ato (It costs them)	Kushton	E ka	Kushton	Kushton

Examples:

Standard:

• "Kjo bluzë kushton 2000 lekë." (This shirt costs 2000 lek.)
• "Sa kushton qesja?" (How much does the bag cost?)
• "Kushton shumë!" (It costs a lot!)

Colloquial (Tirana):

• "Kjo bluzë e ka 2000 lekë, mo!" (This shirt’s 2000 lek, man!)
• "Sa e ka qesja?" (How much is the bag?)
• "E ka plot, bro!" (It’s pricey, bro!)

Gheg:

• "Kjo këmishë kushton 2000 lekë." (This shirt costs 2000 lek.)
• "Sa kushton qesja?" (How much does the bag cost?)
• "Kushton shum!" (It costs a lot!)

Tosk:

• "Kjo bluzë kushton 2000 lekë, more!" (This shirt costs 2000 lek, dear!)
• "Sa kushton qesja, more?" (How much does the bag cost, dear?)
• "Kushton shumë!" (It costs a lot!)

✍️ Exercises

Exercise 1: Translate into Standard Albanian

• How much is this?
• I want to buy a shirt.
• Can you give a discount?
• It costs too much.
• Thank you for shopping!

Answer Key (Standard):

• Sa kushton kjo?
• Dua të blej një bluzë.
• A mund të bëni zbritje?
• Kushton shumë.
• Faleminderit për blerjen!

Exercise 2: Translate into Colloquial Albanian (Tirana Dialect)

• How much is this?
• I want to buy a shirt.
• Can you give a discount?
• It costs too much.
• Thank you for shopping!

Answer Key (Colloquial, Tirana):

• Sa e ka kjo, mo?
• Du me ble nji bluzë.
• Bën nji zbritje, bro?
• E ka plot, mo!
• Faleminderit, shoku!

Exercise 3: Translate into Gheg Albanian

• How much is this?
• I want to buy a shirt.
• Can you give a discount?
• It costs too much.
• Thank you for shopping!

Answer Key (Gheg):

• Sa kushton kjo?
• Due me ble nji këmishë.
• A muj me ba zbritje?
• Kushton shum!
• Faliminderit p’ blerjen!

Exercise 4: Translate into Tosk Albanian

• How much is this?
• I want to buy a shirt.
• Can you give a discount?
• It costs too much.
• Thank you for shopping!

Answer Key (Tosk):

• Sa kushton kjo, more?
• Dua me ble nji bluzë.
• Mund të bësh zbritje, more?
• Kushton shumë!
• Faleminderit, o shok!

📖 Reading Passages

Passage 1: Një Ditë në Treg (Standard Albanian)

Ema shkon në treg për të blerë një bluzë. Ajo pyet shitësin: “Sa kushton kjo?” Shitësi i thotë: “Kushton 2000 lekë.” Ema kërkon zbritje dhe shitësi e ul çmimin në 1800 lekë. Ema është e lumtur dhe thotë: “Dua të blej dhe kam nevojë për një qese.” Shitësi i jep qesen dhe thotë: “Faleminderit për blerjen!”

📝 Translation

Ema goes to the market to buy a shirt. She asks the seller: “How much is this?” The seller says: “It costs 2000 lek.” Ema asks for a discount, and the seller lowers the price to 1800 lek. Ema is happy and says: “I want to buy it and I need a bag.” The seller gives her the bag and says: “Thank you for shopping!”

📘 Glossary

Treg	Market
Shitësi	Seller
Çmimi	Price
E lumtur	Happy
Nevojë	Need

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çfarë pyet Ema?
• Sa kushton bluza fillimisht?
• Sa bëhet çmimi pas zbritjes?
• Çfarë kërkon Ema përveç bluzës?
• Çfarë thotë shitësi në fund?

Answer Key

• “Sa kushton kjo?”
• 2000 lekë.
• 1800 lekë.
• Një qese.
• “Faleminderit për blerjen!”

Passage 2: Nji Ditë n’Treg (Colloquial Albanian, Tirana Dialect)

Rita shkon n’treg p’me ble nji bluzë. Pyet shokun: “Sa e ka kjo, mo?” Shoku i thot: “E ka 2000 lekë.” Rita i thot: “Bën nji zbritje, bro?” dhe shoku e ul te 1800 lekë. Rita është ok dhe thot: “Du me ble, më jep nji qese, ok?” Shoku i jep qesen dhe i thot: “Faleminderit, shoku!”

📝 Translation

Rita goes to the market to buy a shirt. She asks the guy: “How much is this, man?” The guy says: “It’s 2000 lek.” Rita says: “Can you cut the price, bro?” and he drops it to 1800 lek. Rita’s cool and says: “Wanna buy it, give me a bag, okay?” The guy gives her the bag and says: “Thanks, buddy!”

📘 Glossary

Treg	Market
Shoku	Guy / Buddy
E ul	Drops / Lowers
Ok	Cool
Qese	Bag

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çka pyet Rita?
• Sa e ka bluza fillimisht?
• Sa e ul shoku çmimin?
• Çka kërkon Rita tjetër?
• Çka i thot shoku n’fund?

Answer Key

• “Sa e ka kjo, mo?”
• 2000 lekë.
• 1800 lekë.
• Nji qese.
• “Faleminderit, shoku!”

Passage 3: Nji Ditë n’Treg (Gheg)

Luan shkon n’treg p’me ble nji këmishë. Pyet shitësin: “Sa kushton kjo?” Shitësi i thot: “Kushton 2000 lekë.” Luan kërkon zbritje: “A muj me ba zbritje?” Shitësi e ban 1800 lekë. Luan asht i gëzuem dhe thot: “Due me ble, më jep nji qese.” Shitësi i jep qesen dhe thot: “Faliminderit p’ blerjen!”

📝 Translation

Luan goes to the market to buy a shirt. He asks the seller: “How much is this?” The seller says: “It costs 2000 lek.” Luan asks for a discount: “Can you give a discount?” The seller makes it 1800 lek. Luan is happy and says: “I want to buy it, give me a bag.” The seller gives the bag and says: “Thanks for shopping!”

📘 Glossary

Treg	Market
Shitësi	Seller
I gëzuem	Happy
E ban	Makes
Qese	Bag

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çka pyet Luan?
• Sa kushton këmisha?
• Sa e ban shitësi çmimin?
• Çka kërkon Luan?
• Çka thotë shitësi n’fund?

Answer Key

• “Sa kushton kjo?”
• 2000 lekë.
• 1800 lekë.
• Nji qese.
• “Faliminderit p’ blerjen!”

Passage 4: Një Ditë në Treg (Tosk)

Sara shkon në treg p’me ble nji bluzë. Pyet shokun: “Sa kushton kjo, more?” Shoku i thot: “Kushton 2000 lekë.” Sara i thot: “Mund të bësh zbritje, more?” dhe shoku e ul te 1800 lekë. Sara është e gëzuar dhe thot: “Dua me ble, më jep nji qese, more!” Shoku i jep qesen dhe thot: “Faleminderit, o shok!”

📝 Translation

Sara goes to the market to buy a shirt. She asks her friend: “How much is this, dear?” The friend says: “It costs 2000 lek.” Sara says: “Can you give a discount, dear?” and he drops it to 1800 lek. Sara is happy and says: “I want to buy it, give me a bag, dear!” The friend gives her the bag and says: “Thank you, friend!”

📘 Glossary

Treg	Market
Shoku	Friend
E gëzuar	Happy
E ul	Drops
Qese	Bag

🧩 Comprehension Questions

• Çfarë pyet Sara?
• Sa kushton bluza?
• Sa e ul shoku çmimin?
• Çfarë kërkon Sara?
• Çfarë thotë shoku në fund?

Answer Key

• “Sa kushton kjo, more?”
• 2000 lekë.
• 1800 lekë.
• Nji qese.
• “Faleminderit, o shok!”

🌍 Cultural Notes

1. Bargaining in Albanian Markets

Bargaining is common in Albanian markets, especially in open-air tregje (markets). Asking “Sa kushton kjo?” (How much is this?) often starts a friendly negotiation. In Tirana, you might hear “Bën nji zbritje, bro?” reflecting urban informality. Sellers expect haggling and usually agree to a small zbritje (discount) to build goodwill.

2. Shopping and Social Bonds

Shopping in Albania is a social activity. In Gheg areas, saying “A muj me ba zbritje?” is direct but polite, often followed by a chat over coffee. Tosk speakers might say “Mund të bësh zbritje, more?” with warmth, treating the seller like a friend. In Tirana, “Faleminderit, shoku!” after a purchase shows how buying builds connections.

3. The Role of Lek

The Albanian currency, lek, is central to transactions. Prices are often rounded for simplicity, and cash is preferred in markets. In Tirana’s modern shops, card payments are growing, but saying “Sa e ka kjo, mo?” still feels natural. Across dialects, thanking with “Faleminderit” or “Faliminderit p’ blerjen” reinforces respect for the exchange.

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