Ways to say it
| Albanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| çfarë | /ˈt͡ʃfaɾə/ |
| ç' | /t͡ʃ/ |
| si | [si] (narrow) |
The standard word for asking about things or objects is çfarë. You may also encounter si, which is used to mean "in what way" or "how". Note that if you are specifically referring to masculine nouns, the word cili is used.
Which one should you use?
çfarë is the standard pronoun for asking about objects. The form ç' is a shortened version of çfarë used specifically before words starting with a vowel or during rapid speech. While çfarë asks about "what", si is used to ask "in what way". Additionally, ç'ka is a shortened version of the phrase çfarë ka.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gheg dialect, the word qysh is used instead of the standard si when asking "how" or "in what way".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ç' is a contraction of çfarë used before words starting with a vowel or in rapid speech.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃfaɾə/
Did you know?
- The word farë inside çfarë is also a standalone word that can mean 'seed' or 'origin'.
- The Albanian word si is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'why', sharing roots with the Old English 'hwȳ'.
- The common greeting ç'ka is not a single word for 'what', but a contraction of the phrase çfarë ka, which literally translates to 'what has'.
Examples in context
- Si e thirrin ata?What do they call it?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of si to ask what something is called.Tatoeba #4963644 by drilon90, translation #4963056 by Chackoony
- Si e thirrin atë?What do they call her?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of si to ask what a female person is called.Tatoeba #4963648 by drilon90, translation #4963055 by Chackoony
- Çfarë thanë ata për këtë?What do they say for this?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of çfarë to ask what was said.Tatoeba #4963643 by drilon90, translation #4963057 by Chackoony
- Çfarë dëshironi?What do you wish for?
- Cili është libri i preferuar i juaji?What is your favorite book?
- Çfarë je duke bërë?What are you doing?
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elira and Alban are talking about a gift.
- EliraÇfarë bleve për ditëlindjen?What did you buy for the birthday?
- AlbanBleva një libër të ri.I bought a new book.
- EliraÇfarë libri është?What kind of book is it?
- AlbanËshtë një libër për historinë.It is a book about history.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries çfarë, ç', si, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries si, ç', çfarë, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
