ha
/ha/
The Albanian verb for "eat" is ha.
The verb is used to describe the act of eating a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ha is the first person singular present tense, meaning "I eat". Other forms include hanë for the third person plural present tense ("they eat") and hëngra for the first person singular simple past tense ("I ate").
How do you pronounce it?
/ha/
Did you know?
- The word ha is part of a linguistic rarity where Albanian has preserved an ancient 'laryngeal' sound from Proto-Indo-European that disappeared in most other European languages.
- In traditional Albanian hospitality, it is common to repeatedly urge a guest to ha more food, even if the guest has already declined, as a sign of generosity.
- When expressing that one is 'full' after eating, Albanians may use a phrase that implies they have 'closed' their stomach, rather than just saying they are satisfied.
Examples in context
- Kur do të ha Kivi?When will I eat Kiwi?This sentence is useful for asking about the timing of eating.Tatoeba #10002933 by QAzaqQA, translation #10006954 by QAzaqQA
- Shqiptarët hanë vetëm Mish Hallall.Albanians only eat halal meat.This sentence uses ha to describe what a specific group of people eats.Tatoeba #10003042 by QAzaqQA, translation #10006554 by QAzaqQA
- Laje mollën para se ta hash.Wash the apple before you eat it.This sentence uses the form of ha to give an instruction regarding an apple.Tatoeba #6983110 by aln, translation #6972125 by CK
- Të ushqehemi tek restoranti sot?Shall we eat at the restaurant today?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elira and Dritan are deciding what to do for lunch.
- EliraKur do të ha drekë sot?When will I eat lunch today?
- Dritanmund të hajmë bashkë tani.We can eat together now.
- EliraÇfarë do të ha Dritani?What will Dritan eat?
- DritanUnë do të ha një sallatë.I will eat a salad.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
