#1 Essential Guide To Albanian Nouns For You

Mastering nouns in Albanian can only mean one thing; that you are on the right path of learning the essential foundation of the language, to achieve fluency.  Congratulations to you, that’s by itself pretty impressive. 

Albanian nouns have a unique structure; they have gender, and cases, change from singular to plural, and can completely shift depending on their role in the sentence. To help you out, I came up with a full, easy-to-follow guide regarding this topic. Keep scrolling! 

What is a noun? 

By definition, the noun in the Albanian language is a variable part of the sentence that names a person, or an object. It answers the question “who” (kush?) or “what” (çfarë). 

Within the sentence, a noun can be named as follows:

• People (mother – nënë, brother – vëlla, Ana, David) 
• Animals ( eagle- shqiponjë, bear- ari, dog – qen)
• Plants ( rose – trëndafil, flower – lule, tree – pemë)
• Objects (pen – laps, chair – karrike, book – libër)
• Process (production – prodhim, movements – lëvizje) 
• Natural phenomena (snow – bora, rain – shi, lightning – vetëtime)
• Places or countries (countryside – fshat, mountain – mal, Spain – Spanja) 
• Addresses – (Mother Teresa boulevard – Bulevardi Nënë Tereza, Skanderbeg Street – Rruga Skënderbeu)
• Institutions (Ibrahim Rugova School – Shkolla Ibrahim Rugova, presidency – presidenca)

Types Of Nouns 

In Albanian vocabulary, there are a few types of nouns depending on what they name a sentence. I know that might be a bit overwhelming at first, but these subcategories make it easier to distinguish the nouns and are pretty simple if you understand the logic. Let’s dive in. 

Common Nouns (emra të përgjithshëm) – represent beings or objects in a general way: boy (djalë), girl (vajzë), mountain (mal), student (nxënës), etc.

Proper Nouns (emra të përvetshëm) – These nouns refer to specific beings or objects, distinguishing them from others, and are written with a capital letter regardless of where they stand on a sentence: Lea, Mark, Ministry of Education (Ministria e Arsimit), The Republic of Albania (The Republic of Albania), etc.

Animate Nouns (emra frymorë) – Nouns that refer to living beings: girl (vajzë), rabbit (lepur), lion (luan), etc.

Inanimate Nouns (emra jofrymorë) – Nouns that refer to non-living objects: pencil (laps), book (libër), desk (bankë), etc.

Concrete Nouns (emra konkretë) – These are nouns that refer to beings or objects that can be perceived through sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste: flower (lule), boy (djalë), noise (zhurmë), perfume (parfum), sourness (thartirë), etc.

Abstract Nouns (emra abstraktë) – These are nouns that represent ideas or thoughts that cannot be perceived through the senses: faith (besim), love (dashuri), noise (zhurmë), etc.

Grammatical Categories Of Albanian Nouns

The Albanian nouns shift and change in a sentence during speech. These changes are distinguished by a morphologic analysis, and fall into five major grammatical categories; 

1. Number (Numri) 
2. Gender (Gjinia)
3. Case (Rasa) 
4. Form(Trajta) 

Singular & Plural Nouns (Numri I Emrit) 

Nouns can be singular (njëjës) or plural (shumës). The noun in a singular form shows only one person, entity, or object.

The noun in plural form (shumës) shows two or more people, entities, or objects. When shifting from singular to plural, the end of the noun changes. Usually, it takes an -ë, -a, -et, and -t.

English Singular Nouns	Albanian	English Plural Nouns	Albanian
Book	Libri	Books	Librat
Woman	Vajzë	Women	Vajzat
Mountain	Mal	Mountains	Male
Ocean	Oqeanit	Oceans	Oqeanet

However, there are many irregular forms and exceptions, regarding the number of nouns, when shifting from singular to plural.  The only, and best way to learn is through a lot of practice.

English Singular	Albanian Singular	English Plural	Albanian Plural
One city	Nje qytet	Some cities	Disa qytete
One pupil	Nje nxënës	Some pupils	Disa nxënës
One cat	Nje mace	Some cats	Disa mace
One boy	Nje djalë	Some boys	Disa djem
One river	Nje lum	Some rivers	Disa lumenj

Nouns’ Gender (Gjinia E Emrit) 

In Albanian nouns have three genders; masculine, feminine, and neutral.  The rules are quite simple. 

Masculine Nouns

All nouns that end with -i or -u are in masculine form. For example:

• Father – Babai
• Boy – Djali
• Sun – Dielli
• Bird – Zogu

Feminine Nouns 

All nouns that end with -a or -e are in feminine form. For example:

• Woman – Gruaja
• Door – Dera
• Flower – Lule
• Container – Ena

The gender of a person’s name is always determined by the gender of the person itself. There are many names that define the rules. For example, the name Leka ends with an -a, but it’s a traditional male name that derives from the name of Great Alexander. For example “The crown prince of Albania is Prince Leka”, the noun Leka is masculine. 

Neuter Form Nouns

Neuter nouns are very rare and seldom used. They usually derive from adjectives, like të kuq (the red ones) – te kuqtë, te bardhë (the white ones) – te bardhët, as well as from verbal nouns like të folurit (speaking), të menduarit (thinking), ecurit (walking), etc

Noun Form (Trajta E Emrit) 

In the Albanian language, the noun has two forms:

•  The definite form (trajta e shquar) – It is similar to “the” in English, it refers to an identifiable person, object, or entity. For example, vajza (the girl), libri (the book), qeni (the dog), rruga (the street).
•  The indefinite form (trajta e pashquar) – It is is similar to “a” and “an” in English, it refers to unspecified nouns.

English	Albanian Definite Form	English	Albanian Indefinite Form
The girl	Vajza	A girl	Vajzë
The book	Libri	A book	Libër
The dog	Qeni	A dog	Qen
The street	Rruga	A street	Rrugë
The mother	Nëna	A mother	Nënë
The city	Qyteti	A city	Qytet
The school	Shkolla	A school	Shkollë
The tree	Pema	A tree	Pemë

Here’s a very useful trick on how to define the form of the noun and change it from indefinite to definite form. Define the noun number first. If the noun is in, then add a suffix at the end, depending on the gender: -i and -u for masculine, and -a for feminine.

If the noun is in plural, then the suffix at the end is -t or -it for masculine and -t or -et for feminine. 

 Singular Form

English	Albanian Indefinite Form	English	Albanian Definite Form
A student	(një) student	The student	Studenti
A mother	(një) nënë	The mother	Nëna
A father	(një) baba	The father	Babai
A book	(një) libër	The book	Libri
A desk	(një) tavolinë	The desk	Tavolina

Plural Form 

English	Albanian Indefinite Form	English	Albanian Definite Form
Some students	(disa) studentë	The students	Studentët
Some mothers	(disa) nëna	The mothers	Nënat
Some fathers	(disa) baballarë	The fathers	Baballarët
Some books	(disa) libra	The books	Librat
Some desks	(disa) tavolina	The desks	Tavolinat

Noun Cases 

In the Albanian language, nouns change in five cases: nominative (emërore), genitive (gjinore), dative (dhanore), accusative (kallëzore), and ablative (rrjedhore). The best way to memorize the noun cases is by asking the corresponding question. Let me show you how as it’s surprisingly simple. 

Nominative Case  (rasa emërore) –  showcases who or what is performing the action, it is used as the subject of a sentence. It always answers the question Who? (kush?) or what (çfarë?)

Vajza shkon ne shkollë. ( The girl goes to school) 

Kush shkon ne shkollë? (Who goes to school?). The response is vajza (the girl), indicating that the noun is in the nominative case.

Genitive Case (Rasa gjinore) – It is used to show possession or associations, and it answers the questions of whose? (i, e cilit / cilës?) 

Ky liber eshte i vajzës. (This book belongs to the girl) 

I cilit eshte ky libër? (Whose this book belongs to?). The answer is “i vajzës”, (to the girl). 

Dative case ( Rasa Dhanore) – the noun is the recipient, and showcases the indirect object of a sentence. It always answers the question of to whom? (kujt?) 

Une ja dhashë librin vajzës. ( I gave the book to the girl)

Kujt ia dhashë librin? Kujt ia dhashë librin? To whom did I give the book? The answer is vajzës; the noun is in dative. 

Accusative Case ( Rasa Kallzore) – showcases the noun that is directly receiving the action from the verb. It answers the question what (kë?) or whom (cilit, cilës?) 

Vajza po lexon librin. (The girl is reading the book)

Çfarë po lexon vajza? (What is the girl reading?) The answer is the book; the noun is receiving direct action from the subject and the verb, so it is in the accusative case. 

Ablative Case (Rasa rrjedhore)  – indicates belonging, origin, place, or what something is made of, always depending on the context. It answers the question “from who, or from where” (prej kujt? Prej cilit? Nga ku?) or “from what” (prej çfarë?) 

Vajza doli prej shkollës. (The girl left the school) 

Nga doli vajza? (From where did the girl leave?) The answer is “prej shkollës’, (from the school) showcasing a place, so the noun is in ablative case. 

Masculine Form (Indefinite)

Type of Nouns	Albanian Singular Form (njëjës)	Albanian Plural Form (shumës)
Nominative (Emerore)	Një laps	Disa lapsa
Genitive (Gjinore)	i/e një lapsi	Te disa lapsave
Dative (Dhanore)	një lapsi	Disa lapsave
Accusative (Kallzore)	Një laps	Disa lapsa
Ablative (Rrjedhore)	Prej një lapsi	Prej disa lapsave

Masculine Form (Definite) 

Type of Nouns	Albanian Singular Form (njëjës)	Albanian Plural Form (shumës)
Nominative (Emerore)	Lapsi	lapsat
Genitive (Gjinore)	i/e lapsit	Të lapsave
Dative (Dhanore)	lapsit	lapsave
Accusative (Kallzore)	lapsi	lapsat
Ablative (Rrjedhore)	Prej lapsit	Prej lapsave

Declension Of Nouns (Lakimi I Emrit) 

The change that a noun undergoes when placed in different cases is called declension. There are four types of declension, based on gender

1. The first declension – for masculine nouns that end with -i. Djali (boy) babai (father), lapsi (pen), dimri (winter). 
2. The second declension -is for masculine nouns that end with -u. Ariu (bear), miku (friend), fiku (fig), floku (hair)
3. The third declension – is for feminine nouns that end with -a or -ja. Motra (sister), kalaja (castle), tezja (aunt), molla (apple). 
4. The third declension – is for neuter nouns that end with -it, -t, or te. Të folurit (speech), të ecurit (walking). 

Regardless of their declension, the nouns change case, form, or number. Here are some examples. 

First declension 

The noun muri (wall) 

Noun Case	Albanian Indefinite Singular	Albanian Indefinite Plural	Albanian Singular Definite	Albanian Plural Indefinite
Nominative	Një mur	Disa mure	Muri	Muret
Genitiv	I, e një muri	I, e disa mureve	I, e murit	I, e mureve
Dativ	Një muri	Disa mureve	Murit	Mureve
Accusative	Një mur	Disa mure	Muri	Muret
Ablative	Prej një muri	Prej disa mureve	Prej murit	Prej mureve

Second declension

The noun miku (friend) 

Noun Case	Albanian Indefinite Singular	Albanian Indefinite Plural	Albanian Singular Definite	Albanian Plural Indefinite
Nominative	Një mik	Disa miq	Miku	Miqtë
Genitiv	I, e një miku	I, e disa miqve	I, e mikut	I, e miqve
Dativ	Një miku	Disa miqve	Mikut	Miqve
Accusative	Një mik	Disa miq	Miku	Miqtë
Ablative	Prej një miku	Prej disa miqve	Prej mikut	Prej miqve

Third Declension

The noun fusha (field) 

Noun Case	Albanian Indefinite Singular	Albanian Indefinite Plural	Albanian Singular Definite	Albanian Plural Indefinite
Nominative	Nje fushë	Disa fusha	Fusha	Fushat
Genitiv	I, e nje fushe	I, e disa fushave	I, e fushës	I, e fushave
Dativ	Nje fushe	Disa fushave	Fushës	Fushave
Accusative	Nje fushë	Disa fusha	Fusha	Fushat
Ablative	Prej nje fushe	Prej disa fushave	Prej fushës	Prej fushave

Fourth Declension

The noun te folurit (speech) 

Noun Case	Albanian Indefinite Singular	Albanian Indefinite Plural	Albanian Singular Definite	Albanian Plural Indefinite
Nominative	Një të folur	Disa folura	Të folurit	Të folurat
Genitiv	I, e një të foluri	I, e disa të folurave	I, e të folurit	I, e të folurave
Dativ	Një të foluri	Disa folurave	Të folurit	Të folurave
Accusative	Një të folur	Disa folura	Të folurin	Të folurat
Ablative	Prej një të foluri	Prej disa të folurave	Prej të folurit	Prej të folurave

How Do You Say Noun In Albanian?

Albanian nouns are called emër. Similarly, Albanian pronouns are called përemëror.

FAQs About Albanian Nouns

What are the cases of Albanian nouns’ declension? 

There are five cases of noun in Albanian grammar, nominative (showcase the subject of the sentence), genative (showcases direct object of the sentence), dative (indicates possession or relationship), accusative (used for indirect object to showcase action), and ablative (indicates movements or cause correlation). 

How do definite and indefinite articles work with Albanian nouns?

The definite article of Albanian nouns is determined by the suffix at the end, while the indefinite is determined by the noun number – një (one) for singular nouns, and disa (some) for plural. For example: Nje libër (a book) and Libri (the book).

How is the plural form of Albanian nouns formed? 

The plural form in Albanian is formed by adding specific suffixes, but there are also many exceptions and irregular forms.

Explore Albanian With Ling 

Learning the types of Albanian nouns and, most importantly, the grammar categories of them is one of the most challenging parts of the Albanian language. It takes a lot of practice and patience, but once you get a hand on it, then you are halfway to full fluency. I tried to break it down into more digestible parts for both beginners and more advanced students alike, but the rest is up to you.

The Ling app is one of the best apps to learn Albanian. It is designed for a wide range of language learners to help them immensely in their learning journey if they are serious about learning Albanian. It provides a lot of grammar exercises and vocabulary and can even help you with speaking and pronunciation.