teze
The Albanian word for aunt can be expressed as teze, emtë or hallë.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Albanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| teze | |
| emtë | /ɛmtə/ (Tosk) /ɛːmt/ (Gheg) |
| hallë | /häɫə/ (Tosk) /häːɫ/ (Gheg) |
In Albanian, you must distinguish between maternal and paternal aunts using different words.
Which one should you use?
The word teze specifically refers to a mother's sister, while hallë specifically refers to a father's sister.
Did you know?
- The word hallë is a linguistic 'reversal' of its ancestor. While the original Arabic word meant 'maternal aunt', the Albanian version ended up specifically meaning 'paternal aunt'.
Examples in context
- Gëzuar ditëlindjen, teze!Happy birthday, aunt!
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a family gathering.
- KlodianA do të vijë teza jote?Is your aunt coming?
- EliraPo, teza do të jetë këtu.Yes, my aunt will be here.
- KlodianMë së shumti e dua tezen tënde.I love your aunt very much.
- EliraEdhe unë e dua shumë.I love her a lot too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries teze, emtë, hallë, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries emtë, hallë, teze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
