Le Temps

The most common Albanian greetings are mirëmëngjes ‘good morning’, mirëdita ‘good afternoon’, and mirëmbrëma ‘good evening’. In Shkodër (northwestern Albania) nadja e mirë is also used for ‘good morning’. In Gheg-speaking populations, mirëmëngjes is pronounced like mirmjes. In northern Albania and in Kosovo, mirëmbrëma is pronounced mirmrama, and in central Albania, it is pronounced mirmroma. The word natën alone is often used for natën e mirë.

Tungjatjeta (lit., May your life become longer!) used to be a common equivalent to English ‘hello’. Nowadays this form is used only sporadically. However, its short form, tung, has become common for ‘goodbye’, especially in Kosovo. In Albanian-speaking populations in Macedonia, tung is also used for ‘hello’.

Another common greeting that Albanians use when they greet one another informally is Ç’kemi (or in popular speech among young people, Ç’kena?), which is the equivalent of the English “What’s up?” (lit., What do we have?). In Kosovo, Ç’ka bone? is used instead. 

Çao, an adaptation of the Italian ciao, is an informal farewell greeting, and it is especially popular among young people. 

Another word that is used for ‘Mr.’ both in Standard Albanian and in Tosk is zotëri. In Gheg, zotni is used instead. Zonjushë is the equivalent for English ‘Miss’. In Gheg, this is often pronounced zojushë. 

Zonjë ‘Mrs.’ was used to refer to the marital status of a woman (married, single). Nowadays, however, it is used also to address a woman who does not look young or to show respect. Zonjë, especially in Gheg-speaking populations, is often pronounced zoj. 

During the Communist period zoti, zonjë, and zonjushë were not used. Instead, people addressed one another by using the word shok ‘comrade’ (masc.) and shoqe ‘comrade’ (fem.). Nowadays these words are used to mean ‘friend’. 

Faleminderit ‘thank you’ has two forms: falemnderit and faleminderit. 

Zoti qoftë me ty. (may God be with you)

“Bej syte kater” which means, “Make four eyes.” ( it means, be careful!/ kinda like eyes in the back of your head)

“Kali kuqe ka nje huqe” which means, “even the red horse has its flaw.” The meaning is that even beautiful people or things have at least one flaw.

Bukuria e vërtetë  gjendet brenda nesh. (Real beauty is inside of us.)

Çdo pyll ka derra. – “Every forest has pigs” (shit ppl are everywhere)

Lezetshëm! – “Cute / how cute!”

Dua for anxiety and sorrow #2

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ ، والْعَجْزِ ، والْكَسَلِ ، والْبُخْلِ ، والْجُبْنِ ، وضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ ، وغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Translation

O Allah, I seek refuge with You from anxiety, and sorrow, and weakness, and laziness, and miserliness, and cowardice, and the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.

Transliteration

allaa-humma innee a‛oodhu bika mi-nal-ham-mi wal-ḥazan, wal-‛ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa ḍa-la‛id-dai-ni, wa ghalaba-tir-rijaal