Albanian is the national language of Albania. It is an official language of Kosovo and spoken by the majority of the population as a native tongue. Albanian also enjoys regional status in the Republic of Macedonia.
Albanian is an easy language to know and learn since most of their letters does not change sounds as other languages do so you'll get the same sounds all the time.
Pronunciation guide
Albanian is written as it's pronunced. The Albanian alphabet consists of 36 letters of the Latin script. The alphabet was standardized in 1909. Albanian is a branch of Indo-European and considered to be the only language derived from the extinct Illyrian language. Albanian also is spoken in Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, South Serbia, and Turkey.
Stress
For the vast majority of words, the main stress falls on the last word of a phrase, on the last stem of a compound word and on the last syllable of a word.
Vowels
Аа
'a' as in "far"
Ee
'e' as in "elephant"
Ii
'ee' as in "feet"
Oo
'o' as in "obey"
Uu
'oo' as in "moon"
Ëë
'u' as in "up" or 'a' in "above" (it is silent at times at the end of a word)
Yy
'y' as the French 'u' or the German 'ü'. To pronounce the sound, place your mouth in the position you would when you say 'oo' as in "moon", but say 'ee' as in "feet" instead. The closest sound in English as is 'ue' in "blue" or 'ew' as in "flew".
Consonants
Bb
'b' as in "banana"
Cc
'ts' as in "wits"
Çç
'ch' as in "chair"
Dd
'd' as in "dentist"
Dhdh
'th' as in "that"
Ff
'f' as in "film"
Gg
'g' as in "great" (sometimes giving off a throaty sound)
A përfshihet mëngjesi/darka? (ah pahrf-shee-HEHT mehn-JEH-see/dahr-KAH?)
What time is breakfast/supper?
Në çfarë ore jepet mëngjesi/darka? (nah chfahr oh-REH yeh-PEHT mehn-JEH-see/dahr-KAH?)
Please clean my room.
Ju lutem, ma pastroni dhomën. (yoo loo-TEHM, mah pahs-troh-NEE thohm)
Can you wake me at _____?
A mund të më zgjoni në _____? (ah moond tah mah zgoy-oh-NEE nah...?)
I want to check out.
Dua të bëj pagesën. (dwoh tah bay pah-geh-SEHN) or Dua të liroj dhomën. (dwoh tah lee-ROY thoh-MAHN)
Money
The Albanian currency is Lëkk [luhkk]. And Albanians count money according to the old money count, i.e. 1 new Lëkk equals 10 old Lëkk. In supermarkets they will show the prices in new Lëkk, but in openmarkets or orally people will say or ask 10 times more than the neccesary price. If you are asked to pay 1000 (one thousand) Lëkk, you need to pay only 100 Lëkk. This is only if they ask you in Albanian, and it is better to clarify do they mean new or old Lëkk.
Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
A ju të pranoni Amerikan/Australiane/dollarë kanadez? (ah yoo tah prah-noh-NEE ah-meh-ree-KAHN/ows-trah-lyah-NEH/dohl-LAHR kah-nah-DEHZ?)
Do you accept British pounds?
A ju të pranoni paund britanik? (ah yoo tah prah-noh-NEE pownd bree-tah-NEEK?)
Do you accept credit cards?
Mos ju pranoni kartat e kreditit? (mohs yoo prah-noh-NEE kahr-TAHT eh kreh-dee-TEET?)
Can you change money for me?
A mund të ndryshojnë para për mua? (ah moond tuh ndrew-shoy-NAH pah-RAH pehr mwah?)
Where can I get money changed?
Ku mund të merrni para ndryshuar? (koo moond tuh mehrr-NEE pah-RAH ndrew-SHWAHR?)
Can you change a traveler's check for me?
Mund të ndryshojë kontrolloni një udhëtimi për mua? (moond tuh ndrew-shoy-UH kohn-trohl-LOH-nee nyah oo-theh-tee-MEE pehr mwah?)
Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
Ku mund të gjej kontrolloni një udhëtimi ndryshuar? (koo moond tuh kohn-trohl-LOH-nee nyah oo-theh-tee-MEE ndrew-SHWAHR?)
What is the exchange rate?
Cili është kursi i këmbimit valutor? (tsee-LEE ahsh-TAH koor-SEE ee kahm-bee-MEET vah-loo-TOHR?)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
Ku është një makinë automatike e parave? (koo ahsh-TAH nyah mah-kee-NAH ow-toh-mah-tee-KEH eh pah-rah-VEH?)
Eating
A table for one person/two people, please.
Një tavolinë për një person/dy njerëz, ju lutem. (nyah tah-voh-lee-NAH pehr nyah pehr-SOHN/dew nyeh-RAHZ, yoo loo-TEHM)
Can I look at the menu, please?
A mund ta shikojmë në menu, ju lutem? (ah moond tah shee-koy-MAH nuh meh-NOO, yoo loo-TEHM?)
Can I look in the kitchen?
Mund të shikoni në kuzhinë? (moond tah shee-koh-NEE nah koo-zhee-NAH?)
Is there a house specialty?
A ka ndonjë specialitet shtëpi? (ah kah ndoh-NYAH speh-tsyah-lee-TEHT shtah-PEE?)
Is there a local specialty?
A ka ndonjë specialitet lokale? (ah kah ndoh-NYAH speh-tsyah-lee-TEHT loh-kah-LEH?)
I'm a vegetarian.
Unë jam vegjetarian. (oo-NAH yahm veh-jeh-tah-RYAHN)
I don't eat pork.
Unë nuk ha mish derri. (oo-NAH nook hah meesh deh-RREE)
I don't eat beef.
Unë nuk ha mish lope. (oo-NAH nook hash meesh loh-PEH)
I only eat kosher food.
Unë ha vetëm ushqime drejtë. (oo-NAH hah veh-TAHM oo-shchee-MEH dray-TAH)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
Mund të bëni atë "lite", ju lutem? (moond tah bah-NEE ah-TAH "lite", yoo loo-TEHM?)
fixed-price meal
fiks-vakt çmim (feeks-vahkt chmeem)
a la carte
a la carte (ah lah kahrt)
breakfast
mëngjesi (mahn-jeh-SEE)
lunch
drekë (dreh-KAH)
tea (meal)
çaj (chai)
supper/dinner
darkë (dahrk)
I want _____.
Dua _____. (dwah....)
spoon
lugë (loog)
fork
pirun (pee-ROON)
knife
thikë (theek)
plate
pjatë (pyaht)
glass (drinking)
gotë (goht)
cup
filxhan (feel-JAHN)
saucer
pjatëz (pyah-TAHZ)
bowl
tas (tahs)
napkin
pecetë (peh-TSEHT)
I want a dish containing _____.
Unë dua një pjatë që përmban _____. (oon dwah nyah pyaht chuh puhrm-BAHN...)
You need to remember that most of the road signs are in picture form and not by words like they do in America. Some such as the common 'STOP' sign shall be seen in major cities in Albania. But get a European road guide that would show which road signs you wish to know.
I want to rent a car.
Dua të marr me qira një makinë (dwah tah mahrr meh chee-RAH nyah mah-kee-NAH)
Can I get insurance?
Mund të merrni sigurim? (moond tah mehrr-NEE see-goo-REEM?)
stop (on a street sign)
STOP (stohp)
one way
një mënyrë (nyah mah-new-RAH)
yield
Hapni rrugën (hahp-NEE rroo-GAHN)
no parking
ka parkim (kah pahr-KEEM)
speed limit
limit shpejtësie (lee-MEET shpay-tah-SYEH)
gas (petrol) station
stacion benzine (stah-TSYOHN behn-zee-NEH)
petrol
benzinë (behn-zee-NAH)
diesel
dizel (dee-ZEHL)
Authority
I haven't done anything wrong.
S'kam bërë asgjë të keqe. (suh'kahm bah-RAH ahs-JAH tah keh-CHEH)
It was a misunderstanding.
Ishte keqkuptim. (eesh-TEH kehch-koop-TEEM)
Where are you taking me?
Ku po më çoni? (koo poh mah choh-NEE?)
Am I under arrest?
Jam nën arrest? (yahm nahn ah-RREHST?)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
Jam një shtetas(e) amerikan(e)/australian(e)/anglez(e)/kanadez(e). (yahm nyah shteh-TAHS(eh) ah-meh-ree-KAHN(eh)/ ows-trah-LYAHN(eh)/ ahn-GLEHZ(e)/ kah-nah-DEHZ(eh))
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
Dua të flas me ambasadën amerikane/australiane/angleze/kanadeze. (dwah tah flahs meh ahm-bah-sah-DAHN ah-meh-ree-kah-NEH/ows-trah-lyah-NEH/ahn-gleh-ZEH/kah-nah-deh-ZEH)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
Dua të flas me një avokat. (dwah tah flahs meh nyah ah-voh-KAHT)
Can I just pay a fine now?
A mundem thjesht të paguaj gjobën tani? (ah moon-DEHM thyehsht tah pah-GWAI joh-BAHN tah-NEE?)
Emergencies
Help!
Ndihmë! (ndeeh-MAH)
Look out!
Kujdes! (kui-DEHS)
Fire!
Zjarri! (zyah-RREE)
Go away!
Largohu! (lahr-goh-HOO)
Thief!
Hajdut! (hai-DOOT)
Stop thief!
Hajdut Stop! (hai-DOOT stohp)
Call the police!
Tërhiqni vëmendjen e policisë! (tahr-hee-chnee vah-mehn-DYEHN eh poh-lee-tsee-SAH)
Where is the police station?
Ku është stacioni i policisë? (koo ahsh-TAH stah-tsyoh-NEE ee poh-lee-TSEE-SAH?)
May you help me please?
Ju mund të ndihmoni ju lutem? (yoo moond tah ndeeh-moh-NEE yoo loo-TEHM?)
Could I use your telephone?
Mund të përdorni telefonin tuaj? (moond tah pahr-dohr-NEE teh-leh-foh-NEEN twai?)
There's been an accident!
Ka qenë një aksident! (kah cheh-NAH nyah ahk-see-DEHNT)
Call a...
Thërrisni një... (thah-rreesh-NEE nyah....)
...doctor!
doktor! (dohk-TOHR)
...an ambulance!
një ambulancë! (nyah ahm-boo-lahn-TSAH)
I need medical attention!
Unë kam nevojë për kujdes mjekësor! (oo-NAH kahm neh-VOY pehr kui-DEHS myeh-kah-SOHR)
I'm ill.
Unë jam i sëmurë. (oo-NAH yahm ee sah-moo-RAH)
I'm lost.
Unë jam i humbur. (oo-NAH yahm ee huhm-BOOR)
I've been raped!
Unë kam qenë përdhunuar! (oo-NAH kahm cheh-NAH pahr-thoo-NWAHR!)