The Albanian language is rich when it comes to words that describe personality traits, whether they are about yourself or other people. With that in mind, I came up with a comprehensive guide to personality vocabulary in Albanian.
We’ll explore essential words such as beautiful, intelligent, nice, and much more. Let’s get started so you can bring your conversations to life!
Table Of Contents
Positive Albanian Adjectives To Describe Personality
Albanian people are fond of describing character, especially when it comes to behaviors or qualities they admire. That’s why they are never short of descriptive words during their daily conversations. Here’s a selection of positive personality descriptive trait terms.
Noble – Fisnik
Acting with dignity and respect toward others is very important in Albanian culture. It implies that you have personal values, self-control, and a good family background. When you describe someone as noble – fisnik/e, it means that the person has integrity and is trustworthy.
Honest And Loyal – I/e Besës
Besa is a deeply rooted Albanian cultural concept that represents a pledge of honor and an unbreakable promise, even at great personal cost. There is no literal translation, but the closest meaning is the “given word”. Once a besa is given, you cannot break it without bringing complete dishonor to yourself and your family. It’s also believed that the breaking of besa can put a curse on future generations. Safe to say that Albanians take their “besa” very seriously.
Considering that, if someone is described as being “i besës,” that’s the ultimate compliment. The phrase embodies layers of meaning tied to loyalty, integrity, and strong character. If your loved one is truly “I besës,” that is your ride or die, no matter what.
Hospitable – Mikpritës
Throughout Albanian history, hospitality has been more than just a tradition. It has been a law passed down from one generation to another. The saying goes: “The house of an Albanian belongs to God and their guest.” So being mikpritës/e is not just about being a good host; it’s about your upbringing and good character.
Generous – Bujar
Hospitability and generosity are tied together, so these traits go hand in hand. The word for it in Albanian is bujar, but it goes beyond being generous and willing to share with others. It also implies that one is kind, noble, caring, forgiving, etc. When describing someone as having a generous soul- shpirt bujar, that person is someone very special.
Brave – Trim
Bravery has always been held in high regard among Albanian people. While its traditional meaning was closely tied to warfare, today it also refers to acts of courage in personal life or speaking up for others. This is why you’ll often hear the word brave – trim/e in conversations. Another word with the same meaning is i guximshëm.
Manly – Burrnor
This has historical significance because, in Albanian culture, all personality traits mentioned above are attributed to the ideal character of a man. When someone has all of these, only then is he considered a true man.
What is unique in Albanian culture is that women have been held in the same regard if they embody these virtues. The word for women is burrnesha, which has no proper translation to English or any other language. It comes from the word burrë, which means “man,” but has a feminine end to imply that we are talking about a woman. This is all about personality and has nothing to do with appearance.
Other Positive Personality Traits
Here’s a list of other adjectives that help describe personality traits. And if you’re serious about learning Albanian, take a look at the full guide on Albanian adjectives.
Negative Adjectives
One thing is for certain: Albanians won’t hesitate to point out negative traits when they become overbearing. There are certain qualities Albanians particularly dislike when it comes to personality and character. Once they notice one of these traits, they will quickly cut that person from their lives.
Disloyal – Pabesi
Because Besa is so engraved in Albanian culture, showing any lack of honesty and loyalty immediately damages your reputation. Being called i pabesë is a serious accusation and is used as an offense. The Gen Z Albanian slang is besëprerë, which means “the one who broke the Besa” (who betrayed friends and didn’t keep his/her word). Besa has been a cornerstone throughout Albanian history, and it’s still important even for the youngest generation.
Disrespectful – I pasjellshëm
The lack of good manners, especially towards the elderly, women, or people in the service industry, is highly frowned upon. No amount of money, influence, or success can make up for this, and you’ll be seen as having a bad personality, no morals, and a poor upbringing. There’s an Albanian saying, “Your behavior makes you human” – “Sjellja të bën njeri”, meaning that being disrespectful calls your entire character into question.
Lazy – Përtac
The saying goes, “Work makes a man; laziness brings shame.” (Puna e bën burrin, përtaci e bën turpin.) Laziness is frowned upon because, according to Albanian culture, it doesn’t matter how many good virtues you have; if you are lazy, then you’re unavoidably going down a bad path.
Gossiper – Thashethemexhi
Gossiping is all fun and games until you have a reputation for talking about others too much, and no one takes you seriously anymore. Even being a big talker in Albania is considered bad behavior, especially if you’re a man.
Other Negative Personality Traits
You didn’t think Albanians would stop at just those negative terms, did you? In fact, the negative personality vocabulary in Albanian is quite rich. Here are some more words you might want to learn.
How Do You Say “Personality Traits” In Albanian?
“Personality traits” is translated to Albanian as cilësi të personalitetit. Cilësi is pronounced as TSEE-luh-SEE; të as Tuh and personalitetit as Pehr-soh-nah-lee-TAY-teet.
FAQs Related To Personality Vocabulary In Albanian
1. What Are Some Common Albanian Adjectives Used To Describe Positive Personality Traits?
In the Albanian language, adjectives like noble – fisnik/e, hospitable – mikpritës/e, and generous – bujar/e are widely used to highlight positive personality traits. These terms reflect the proud and unique culture of the Albanian people, emphasizing traits such as loyalty, honesty, and kindness.
2. How Do Albanians Typically Describe Someone Who Is Generous Or Kind?
Albanians often use the term bujar to describe a generous and kind person. This term goes beyond material generosity; it reflects qualities such as nobility, big-heartedness, and emotional expression that evoke strong reactions in Albanian society.
3. What Are Some Negative Personality Traits That Are Frowned Upon In Albanian Society?
Albanians strongly disapprove of traits like disloyalty, disrespect, laziness, and gossiping, as these are seen as contradictory to the motivations and values embedded in the cultural history of Albania.
4. Are There Unique Albanian Words For Personality Traits That Don’t Have Direct Translations To English?
Yes, the Albanian language includes terms with meanings deeply tied to its cultural heritage. For example, i/e besës embodies the concept of Besa, which is linked to trust, honor, and keeping promises. Similarly, burrnesha describes women who demonstrate traits like strength, honor, and courage.
Last Note: Personality Vocabulary In Albanian
Learning Albanian involves both discovering new words and enjoying the culture. As we saw, Albanian people deeply value family, honor, and a strong character, which shows in their vocabulary.
In this post, we went through personality vocabulary in Albanian to describe positive traits such as hospitable (mikpritës) and brave (trim). All these words are not just adjectives; they embody virtues that have been passed down for centuries and have a rich history behind their meaning. We also learned to describe not-so-positive attributes with words like lazy (përtac) and disloyal (pabesi), which you wouldn’t want Albanian people to call you!
If you’re planning a trip to Albania, make sure to remember all these virtues and flaws so you can be respectful of their customs and values!
