Albanian has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Nouns are morphologically altered for number (singular/plural), definiteness (indefinite/definite), and case. The cases are nominative, accusative, dative, ablative and vocative. Many texts include a genitive case, but this is produced using a linking clitic (see below) and is morphologically identical to the dative. The vocative is distinguished from the nominative in the case of only a few nouns. The dative and the ablative are identical, except for the indefinite plural. The indefinite accusative is always the same as the indefinite nominative.
Plural formation
Albanian plural formation is highly irregular. Suffixes include -ra, -a, -e, -onj, -ë, but modification of the stem by final consonant palatalization and/or internal vowel mutation is common.
Some nouns, such as ujë "water", change gender in the plural.
Regular noun endings
The indefinite form of the noun is identical in the nominative and accusative cases, being the uninflected form of the noun in the singular, and the form noted above in the plural. The following are the endings for the dative and ablative cases when the noun is in indefinite form:
DAT
ABL
singular, masculine/neuter nouns
i
i
singular, feminine nouns
e
e
plural
ve
sh
The endings for nouns in definite form are as follows:
NOM
ACC
DAT/ABL
singular, masculine nouns of "u" type
u
un/në
ut
singular, masculine nouns of "i" type
i
in/në
it
singular, neuter nouns
t(ë)
t(ë)
it
singular, feminine nouns
a
n(ë)
s(ë)
plural
it/t(ë)
it/t(ë)
ve(t)
The masculine nouns of "u" type are those whose uninflected form ends in a stressed front vowel or in -h, -k or -g. Others are of "i" type.
The personal pronouns decline for case, as do nouns; they have additional clitic (weak) forms in the accusative and dative. Older forms of the personal pronouns for the 3rd person in the ablative case are occasionally found.
NOM
ACC
DAT
ABL
ACC (clitic)
DAT (clitic)
1st pers. singular
unë
mua
mua
meje
më
më
2nd pers. singular
ti
ty
ty
teje
të
të
3rd pers. singular, masculine
ai
atë
atij
atij (si)
e
i
3rd pers. singular, feminine
ajo
atë
asaj
asaj (soje)
e
i
1st pers. plural
ne
ne
neve
nesh
na
na
2nd pers. plural
ju
ju
juve
jush
ju
ju
3rd pers. plural, masculine
ata
ata
atyre
atyre (sish)
i
u
3rd pers. plural, feminine
ato
ato
atyre
atyre (sosh)
i
u
Demonstrative pronoun
The declension of the demonstrative pronouns is very similar to that of the 3rd person personal pronouns. Older forms of demonstrative pronouns in the ablative are occasionally found.
NOM
ACC
DAT/ABL
(old)ABL
masc. sing.
ky
këtë
këtij
kësi
fem. sing.
kjo
këtë
kësaj
këso
masc. plural
këta
këtyre
këtyre
kësi(sh)
fem. plural
këto
këtyre
këtyre
këso(sh)
Adjectives (declension)
The linking clitic
An Albanian noun phrase typically has the form "N Lnk (Adv*) Adj" where Lnk is the declinable particle described below. (If adverbs appear between the adjective and the linking particle, then the latter must take its indefinite form.) The linking particle agrees with the noun in gender, case and number.
Indefinite linking clitic:
NOM
ACC/DAT/ABL
SG.M
i
të
SG.F
e
të
PL
të
të
Definite linking clitic:
NOM
ACC
DAT/ABL
SG.M
i
e
të
SG.F
e
e
së
PL
e
e
të
The adjectives themselves are also declined to agree with the noun in gender and number. Paradigms differ depending on whether the adjective is or is not used with the linking particle.
Adjectives with the linking clitic
One group of adjectives uses the same form for all except the feminine plural, which uses the ending -a. Many of these adjectives end in -ë, such as mirë "good", thellë "deep" and bardhë "white".
The other does not differ by number, but has an -e on the feminine and none on the masculine. Many of these end in -m. Examples of these include zorshëm "hard, difficult", feminine zorshme.
Adjectives without the linking clitic
Some adjectives are used without the linking particle. These take different endings from those that use the linking particle, and come in seven different types.
M.SG
M.PL
F.SG
F.PL
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
a
-
-
e
e
-
ë
e
e
-
?
e
e
-
?
?
?
Each row is a different declension class. Each cell labeled "?" indicates varied/irregular endings.
Verbs (conjugation)
In the active voice, Albanian morphologically alters the indicative present, imperfect and aorist, the optative present, and the admirative present and imperfect (with 6 person/number inflections for each), as well as the imperative (2nd person singular and plural) and a participle (indeclinable). (The admirative endings are regular across conjugational classes and are similar to forms of the auxiliary kam.) All other mood/tense/aspect combinations are produced periphrastically using the auxiliary kam (have) and indeclinable particles. The Albanian passive voice continues the Indo-Europeanmedio-passive, and has separate declension paradigms for the indicative present and imperfect, as well as the imperative. The other forms are produced from these and from the active forms periphrastically.
Regular paradigms (active voice)
Class 1
-
IND.Present
IND.Imperfect
IND.Aorist
Optative
1
oj
oja
ova
ofsha
2
on
oje
ove
ofsh
3
on
onte
oi
oftë
1
ojmë
onim
uam
ofshim
2
oni
onit
uat
ofshi
3
ojnë
onin
uan
ofshin
Imperative: Singular -o, Plural -oni
Participle: -uar
Class 2
-
IND.Present
IND.Imperfect
IND.Aorist
Optative
1
-
ja
a
sha
2
-
je
e
sh
3
-
te
i
të
1
im
nim
ëm
shim
2
ni
nit
ët
shit
3
in
nin
ën
shin
Imperative: Singular -, Plural -ni
Participle: -ur
Class 3
-
IND.Present
IND.Imperfect
IND.Aorist
Optative
1
-
ja
ta
ça
2
-
je
te
ç
3
-
nte
ti
ttë
1
më
nim
tëm
tshim
2
ni
nit
tët
tshit
3
në
nin
tën
tshin
Imperative: Singular -, Plural -ni
Participle: -tur
Irregular verbs
Most proper Albanian verbs are irregular since they change their only vowel of the stem, often rearranging consonant order or by changing the stem completely. Verbs of foreign origin like studioj, kandidoj, refuzoj, provoj, etc. are regular. Verbs derived from nouns, like ndryshoj (from ndryshe, different), vlerësoj (from vlerë, value), are normally regular. Here are some examples of irregular verbs:
kam ‘have’ (auxiliary)
kam, ke, kisha, pata, paça, ki, pasur. (I have, you have, I had (imperfect), I had (aorist), I (wish to) have, (imperative) have!, had (participle).
