<!-- albanian phrasebook -->
Essential Albanian phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in albanian
Përshëndetje — pur-shun-DET-yeh — is how you say hello in Albanian. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Faleminderit (fah-leh-meen-DEH-reet) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals; ë is the "uh" in sofa — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia — around 7.5 million speakers of a language that forms its own branch of the Indo-European family. Also searched as Albania, Kosovo, Shqip.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Përshëndetjepur-shun-DET-yehTungjatjeta (toon-jaht-YEH-tah) is the traditional greeting, literally "long life to you". |
| Goodbye | Mirupafshimmee-roo-PAHF-sheem |
| Please | Ju lutemyoo LOO-tem |
| Thank you | Faleminderitfah-leh-meen-DEH-reet |
| Yes / No | Po / Jopoh / yohBoth are short. Jo is "yoh", not "joh". |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Më falnimur FAHL-nee |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | A flisni anglisht?ah FLEES-nee ahn-GLEESHT |
| I don't understand | Nuk kuptojnook koop-TOY |
| Could you repeat that? | A mund ta përsërisni?ah moond tah pur-sur-REES-nee |
| Please speak slowly | Ju lutem, flisni ngadalëFLEES-nee ngah-DAH-lur |
| My name is… | Unë quhem…OO-nur CHOO-hem |
| Nice to meet you | Gëzohem që u njohëmgur-ZOH-hem kyur oo NYOH-hurm |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | Ku është…?koo USH-tur |
| How do I get to…? | Si shkoj te…?see shkoy teh |
| Where is the toilet? | Ku është banjoja?koo USH-tur bah-NYOH-yah |
| Left / Right | Majtas / DjathtasMY-tahs / DYAHTH-tahs |
| Straight ahead | Drejt përparadreyt pur-PAH-rah |
| Is it far? | A është larg?ah USH-tur larg |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Një tavolinë për dy, ju lutemnyur tah-voh-LEE-nur pur dew |
| The menu, please | Menunë, ju lutemmeh-NOO-nur yoo LOO-tem |
| I would like… | Do të doja…doh tur DOH-yah |
| Water, please | Ujë, ju lutemOO-yur yoo LOO-tem |
| I am allergic to… | Kam alergji ndaj…kahm ah-lehr-GYEE ndye |
| The bill, please | Faturën, ju lutemfah-TOO-run yoo LOO-tem |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | Sa kushton?sah koosh-TOHN |
| That's too expensive | Është shumë shtrenjtëUSH-tur SHOO-mur SHTRENY-tur |
| Do you take cards? | A pranoni karta?ah prah-NOH-nee KAR-tahCash is still king outside the cities. Carry lek. |
| I am just looking | Vetëm po shikojVEH-turm poh shee-KOY |
| Do you have…? | A keni…?ah KEH-nee |
| A receipt, please | Kuponin, ju lutemkoo-POH-neen yoo LOO-tem |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Albanian |
|---|---|
| Help! | Ndihmë!NDEEH-mur |
| Call the police | Thirrni policinëTHEER-nee poh-lee-TSEE-nurEmergency number is 112. |
| Call an ambulance | Thirrni ambulancënTHEER-nee ahm-boo-LAHN-tsurn |
| I need a doctor | Kam nevojë për një mjekkahm neh-VOY-ur pur nyur myek |
| I am lost | Kam humbur rrugënkahm HOOM-boor ROO-gurn |
| Where is the hospital? | Ku është spitali?koo USH-tur spee-TAH-lee |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
ë is everywhere, and often nearly silent
It is the "uh" in "sofa". In the middle of a word you hear it clearly; at the end it often reduces to almost nothing, so Shqipëri comes out closer to "shchee-puh-REE".
c, ç and q are three different sounds
c is "ts", ç is "ch", and q is a softer "ch" made with the middle of the tongue. Getting q slightly wrong is fine; confusing c with ç is not, since they make different words.
rr is a rolled r, and it is a separate letter
Rrugë (street) is not the same word as rugë. The doubled r is trilled properly, the single one is a light tap.
Nothing will look familiar
Albanian has no close relatives, so unlike Romanian or Croatian there is no other language that gives you a head start. Loanwords from Turkish, Italian and Greek are the only footholds.
Spotted a mistake in the Albanian? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Albanian for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.