një
[ɲə]
The Albanian word for one is një.
një is used to represent the cardinal number one. It also functions as the indefinite article, meaning 'a' or 'an' in English.
Meaning: cardinal number 1 (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Albanian, një serves a dual purpose: it is used as the number one and also acts as the indefinite article 'a' or 'an'.
Did you know?
- The Albanian word një is an unexpected relative of the English word 'same'. Both originate from the Proto-Indo-European root *sem-, which meant 'together' or 'one'.
- Because një serves as both a number and an article, the distinction between 'one' and 'a' depends entirely on the emphasis and stress placed on the word during speech.
- In Albanian, the word for 'one' një can change its sound based on the word following it, often blending into the next word in spoken conversation.
Examples in context
- Por kur gjithçka është thënë dhe bërë, ata kanë një gjë të përbashkët.But when all is said and done, they have one thing in common.This sentence shows how to use një when referring to a single thing.Tatoeba #1962754 by Ylberi, translation #1962752 by Ylberi
- Ai flet vetëm një gjuhë.He only speaks one language.This sentence demonstrates një used to indicate a single language.Tatoeba #6981525 by aln, translation #2344739 by LanguageExpert
- Vrasin dy zogj me një gur.They kill two birds with one stone.This sentence illustrates the use of një in the idiom 'with one stone'.Tatoeba #791835 by Eldad, translation #4731134 by hajenso
- Kam një libërI have one book
- një shtëpiOne house
- një makinëOne car
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elira and Ervin are ordering coffee at a cafe.
- EliraUnë dëshiroj një kafe, ju lutem.I would like one coffee, please.
- ErvinDhe për ty, Ervin?And for you, Ervin?
- ErvinEdhe një kafe për mua.One coffee for me too.
- EliraPra, janë dy kafe në total.So, it is two coffees in total.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “one” translations and entries një, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries një, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
