Subject pronouns — and the polite ju
Full pronouns are optional in Albanian because the verb already shows the person. They appear for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.
| Albanian | English |
|---|---|
| unë | I |
| ti | you (sg.) |
| ai | he; it (m.) |
| ajo | she; it (f.) |
| ne | we |
| ju | you (pl.); you (formal) |
| ata / ato | they — masculine ata / feminine ato |
Si jeni?
How are you? (formal / plural)
Si je?
How are you? (informal)
Sa jeni?
How many of you are there?
Jemi katër.
There are four of us.
The clitics: më, të, e, i, u, na, ju
Object pronouns shrink to one-syllable clitics. In the ordinary statements taught here they stand just before the finite verb; affirmative imperatives can attach them to the verb itself. Direct objects ('me, it, them') and indirect objects ('to me, to him/her') use different forms — this table is a simplified beginner set:
| Clitic | Role | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| më | me — direct/indirect 1sg | Më quajnë … |
| të | you (sg) — direct/indirect 2sg | Të dua. |
| e | it/her — direct object singular | Unë e dua familjen time. |
| i | them — direct object plural | I dua shumë prindërit e mi. |
| i | to him/her — indirect object singular | same clitic, different job |
| u | to them — indirect object plural | beginner set — full system later |
| na | us — Mirë se na erdhët 'welcome' | Mirë se na erdhët. |
| ju | to you — indirect (same word, lighter job) | Ju faleminderit për darkën. |
Më dhemb koka.
My head hurts.
më dhemb = it aches me — the body part does the aching
E kuptoj.
I understand.
Nuk e kuptoj.
I don't understand.
nuk e kuptoj — clitic stays with the verb after nuk
Më pëlqen djathi.
I like cheese.
Unë e dua familjen time.
I love my family.
e dua = I love it/her — the object clitic
Where the clitic sits
In the ordinary statements taught here, object clitics usually stand before the finite verb: Më quajnë … is literally 'me they-call'. Affirmative imperatives can attach clitics to the verb itself — you'll meet those forms later. With nuk 'not', the clitic still hugs the verb: Nuk e kuptoj. — nuk … e kuptoj. In do të + verb futures, the clitic sits inside the phrase as part of the verb cluster.
'My, your, his, her' — possessives agree too
Possessives come after the noun and agree with it. In the nominative singular: im/ime 'my', yt/jote 'your (sg)', i tij/e tij 'his', i saj/e saj 'her'.
| Form | After the noun | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| my — m. noun | libri im | Emri im është … |
| my — f. noun | shtëpia ime | Kjo është shtëpia ime. |
| your (sg) — m. | libri yt | same pattern as im/ime |
| your (sg) — f. | shtëpia jote | same pattern as im/ime |
| his — m. noun (sg.) | libri i tij | text-only authored singular example — no audio |
| his — f. noun (sg.) | shtëpia e tij | same pattern as i tij/e tij |
| her — m. noun (sg.) | libri i saj | Parfumi i saj është i mirë. |
| her — f. noun (sg.) | shtëpia e saj | same pattern as i saj/e saj |
| our — m. sg.: ynë / f. sg.: jonë | after the noun | Çadra jonë është e vogël. |
| our — m. pl.: tanë / f. pl.: tona | plural possessed nouns | beginner scope: nominative |
| your (pl/polite) — juaj | libri juaj / shtëpia juaj | Cila është masa juaj? |
Babai im punon në spital.
My father works at the hospital.
Nëna ime është mësuese.
My mother is a teacher.
Motra ime më e vogël.
My younger sister.
Familja ime është e madhe.
My family is big.
Fëmija ynë ka lindur.
Our child has been born.
Çanta ime është e rëndë.
My bag is heavy.
Kjo është valixhja ime.
This is my suitcase.
Djali im është pesë vjeç.
My son is five years old.
What's next
- Full pronouns: unë, ti, ai/ajo, ne, ju, ata/ato — optional, for emphasis.
- Beginner clitic set më/të/e/i/u/na/ju — in ordinary statements they precede the finite verb; affirmative imperatives can attach them to it.
- ju is both 'you-plural' and the polite 'you'.
- Possessives agree with the owned noun: emri im, shtëpia ime, fëmijët e tij.
Next: the two engines of every sentence — jam 'to be' and kam 'to have' — in the present tense.
Mini practice
Q1. What does “ti” mean?
- you (pl.); you (formal)
- I
- we
- you (sg.)
Answer: you (sg.)
Q2. How do you say “They call me … (with the verb quaj)” in Albanian?
- Emri im është …
- Më quajnë …
- Gëzohem që ju njoh.
- Jam nga …
Answer: Më quajnë …
Q3. Someone says: “Të dua.” — what do they mean?
- I like you.
- I love myself.
- I love you.
- We love each other.
Answer: I love you.
Q4. In Albanian, object clitics like më 'me' normally stand …
- immediately before the verb
- after the verb
- at the very start of the sentence
- after the object
Answer: immediately before the verb
Q5. Si jeni? versus Si je? — jeni is used …
- only in writing
- only for children
- for more than one person, or politely to one person
- only to men
Answer: for more than one person, or politely to one person
