idiot
masculine
The English phrase "idiot" can be translated into Albanian as idiot. Wiktionary also lists budalla and gomar.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Albanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| idiot | masculine | |
| budalla | /budaˈɫa/ | masculine |
| gomar | /ɡɔˈmaɾ/ | masculine |
The words used to describe a person of low general intelligence vary depending on whether you want to be direct, colloquial or metaphorical.
What does it mean word for word?
The term gomar literally means "donkey" and is used metaphorically to call someone an idiot or a slow-witted person.
Which one should you use?
While idiot is a direct loanword, budalla is a more common, colloquial way to call someone a fool or a silly person.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to females, the forms change: budalla becomes budalle for a female fool and gomar becomes gomare to refer to a female donkey or a foolish woman.
Did you know?
- The word budalla entered Albanian through Ottoman Turkish and originally comes from the Arabic word abdāl, which referred to a specific class of saints in Sufism.
- In Albanian culture, calling someone a gomar targets their stubbornness or lack of wit rather than just a lack of education.
- The concept of being a budalla can sometimes lean toward being 'naive' or 'silly' rather than being purely unintelligent.
Examples in context
- Faleminderit qe me keni shpjeguar me ne fund pse njerzit me marrin mua per nje idiot.Thanks for having explained to me at last why people take me for an idiot.This sentence shows how to use the word idiot in the context of being perceived by others.Tatoeba #1723475 by Ylberi, translation #1401 by chanchan
- Je një idiot. Mos u kthe.You're an idiot. Don't come back.This sentence demonstrates a direct use of idiot as an insult.Tatoeba #6981449 by aln, translation #6976534 by Eccles17
- Ai është një idiot i vërtetë.He is a real idiot.
Example conversation
Arjana and Ervin are arguing about a silly mistake.
- ArjanaPse e bëre këtë gjë, Ervin?Why did you do this thing, Ervin?
- ErvinNuk e di, thjesht ngjashëm.I don't know, just like that.
- ArjanaJe thjesht një idiot!You are simply an idiot!
- ErvinMos më thuaj ashtu.Don't call me that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries budalla, gomar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries budalla, gomar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
