Albanian morphology

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.

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:

The endings for nouns in definite form are as follows:

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.

For examples of noun declension patterns, see Albanian language (Grammar).

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.

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.

An Albanian noun phrase typically has the form "N Lnk Adv* A" 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:

Definite linking clitic:

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.

One group of adjectives uses the same form for all except the feminine plural, which uses the ending -a. The other does not differ by number, but has an -e on the feminine and none on the masculine.

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.

Each row is a different declension class. Each cell labeled "?" indicates varied/irregular endings.

Imperative: Singular -o, Plural -oni

Participle: -uar

Imperative: Singular -, Plural -ni

Participle: -ur

Imperative: Singular -, Plural -ni

Participle: -tur

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 (aorist), I had (simple perfect), I (wish to) have, (imperative) have!, had (participle).

jam ‘be’ (auxiliary)

jam, është, isha, qeshë, qofsha, ji!, qenë.

shoh, to see

shoh, sheh, shihja, pashë, pafsha, shih!, parë.

ha, to eat.

ha, ha, haja, hëngra, ngrënça, ha!, ngrënë.

rri, to stay

rrí, rri, rrija, ndenja, ndenjsha, rrì!, ndenjur.

vij, to come

vij, vjen, vija, erdha, ardhsha, eja!, ardhur.

bie, to fall

bie, bie, bija, rashë, rënça, bjer!, rënë.

flas, to speak

flas, flet, flisja, fola, folsha, fol!, folur.

them, to say

them, thua, thosha, thashë, thënça, thuaj!, thënë.