# Arberesh phrasebook

The Arberesh language (Arbëresh, Arbërisht, or Arbërishte) is similar to the Albanian spoken in Albania and less similar to the Albanian of Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. Arberesh is derived from the medieval form of Albanian with the same name from which both Arberesh and Albanian are derived. It's mainly spoken by Albanian communities in Southern Italy and Sicily, who migrated there in medieval times.
Learning some basic Arberesh expressions could always come in handy; however, knowing either Italian or Sicilian should be enough for a tourist visiting the Arberesh communities, since all Arberesh people are trilingual.

## Pronunciation guide

For some Arberesh sounds, there is no easy transliteration.

### Vowels
#### a

    like 'a' in "apple"

#### i

    like 'ee' in "cheese"

#### u

    like 'oo' in "pool"

#### o

    like 'o' in "door"

#### e

    like 'e' in "bed"

#### ë

    like 'i' in "bird" or 'u' in "pull", at the end of a word it is silent

### Easy Consonants
#### b

    like 'b' in "bed"

#### c

    like 'ts' in "cats"

#### ç

    like 'ch' in "church"

#### t

    like 't' in "top"

#### h

    like 'ch' in Scottish "loch" (or German "nach")

#### d

    like 'd' in "mad"

#### dh

    like 'th' in 'then'

#### r

    like 'r' in Scottish "row"

#### z

    like 'z' in "haze"

#### s

    like 's' in "sing"

#### sh

    like 'sh' in "sheep"

#### f

    like 'f' in "fun"

#### k

    like 'k' in "kitten"

#### l

    like 'l' in "love"

#### m

    like 'm' in "mother"

#### n

    like 'n' in "nice"

#### j

    like 'y' in "yes"

#### xh

    like 'j' in "jam"

#### zh

    like 's' in "pleasure"
A double 'r' 'rr' is pronounced the same as a single 'r'.

### Difficult Consonants
#### ll

    like 'r' in French "rire"

#### g

    as 'll' in the above example

#### hj

    like 'ch' in Scottish "loch" followed rapidly by a 'y' in "yet"

#### gj

    like 'g' and 'y' in "dogyard"

#### q

    like 'k' and 'y' in "dockyard"

#### x

    like 'dz' in "adze"
When j comes at the end of a word, it is always pronounced in the same way as 'hj'. When b, d, dh, g, gj, ll, x, xh, z, and zh come at the end of a word or before another consonant, they always devoice, e.g.
b - p d - t dh - th g - k gj - q ll - h x - c xh - zh z - s zh - sh

## Phrase list

Some commonly understood Arberesh phrases, use either Italian or Sicilian words; these have been shown in quotes below to avoid confusion.

### Basics
#### Hello.

    Falem

#### Welcome!

    Mirë se na jerdhe (single); Mirë se na jerdhët (plural)

#### How are you?

    Si rri? (informal), si ë zotrote (strote)? (formal)

#### (I'm) fine.

    U rri mirë

#### Good

    Mirë

#### Very well

    Shumë mirë

#### And you?

    E ti? (informal), e zotrote (strote)? (formal)

#### What is your name?

    Si të thonë? (informal), Si i thonë? (formal)

#### My name is ______ .

    Mua më thonë ______ .

#### Nice to meet you.

    Gëzonem të të njoh (informal), Gëzonem të i njoh (formal), Pjaçir!

#### How old are you?

    Sa vjeç ke?

#### Please.

    Pi fauri

#### Thank you.

    Të haristis/Ghracji

#### You're welcome

    Mosgjë

#### Welcome (welcoming someone).

    Eja, eja rtu (come, come here)

#### Really?

    Më ftet?

#### Yes.

    O£, or Arà, or ëj

#### No.

    Jo

#### Maybe

    Ommce, Mëndjetë

#### Excuse me. (getting attention)

    Perdono

#### Excuse me. (begging pardon)

    Lip ndjesë

#### I'm sorry.

    Skuza

#### Goodbye

    Falem

#### Goodbye (informal)

    Çau!

#### I don't speak Arberesh [well].

    Ngë flas [mirë] t'arbërisht

#### Do you speak English?

    E flet ngliz?

#### Is there someone here who speaks English?

    Isht njeri rtu çë e flet ngliz?

#### Help me!

    Më ndih!

#### Okay

    Mirë

#### Look out!

    Shih!

#### For sure/Of course!

    Çertu!

#### Good morning.

    Mirë menatë

#### Good evening.

    Mirë mbrëma

#### Good night.

    Natën e mirë

#### I don't know.

    Ngë di

#### Where is the toilet (bathroom)?

    Te ku ë rritreu?

#### Where is the restroom (in a restaurant)?

    Te ku janë rritrenjët?

#### I

    U

#### You

    Ti (informal), Zotrote (pronounced "strote") (informal)

#### I understand

    Drëngonj (or) Kapir

#### I do not understand

    Ngë drëngonj (or) Ngë kapir

#### Sweetheart

    Zëmbra

#### You're the prettiest of them all

    Je më e bukura se të gjithëve!

#### Where are you from?

    Ka vjen?

### Problems
#### Leave me alone

    Bëjëm të rri me paqë

#### Stop it

    Basta!

#### Don't speak to me!

    Mos më flit!

#### I'll call the police.

    Ka thërres te poliçia

#### Stop!

    Sose!

#### Can you help me?

    Mënd më ndihësh?

#### I got lost/I'm lost

    U zborëm

#### I lost my bag.

    Kam zbier thesin

#### I'm sick

    Jam sëmurë

#### I want a doctor.

    Dua një dutur

#### Can I use your phone?

    Mënd lluzar telefoninin tot?

### Numbers
#### 1

    një

#### 2

    di

#### 3

    tre

#### 4

    kartë

#### 5

    pesë

#### 6

    gjashtë

#### 7

    shtatë

#### 8

    tetë

#### 9

    nëntë

#### 10

    dhjetë

#### 11

    njëmbëdhjetë

#### 12

    dimbëdhetë

#### 13

    trimbëdhjetë

#### 14

    kartëmbëdhjetë

#### 15

    pesëmbëdhjetë

#### 16

    gjashtëmbëdhjetë

#### 17

    shtatëmbëdhjetë

#### 18

    tetëmbëdhjetë

#### 19

    nëntëmbëdhjetë

#### 20

    njëzet
For numbers between 20 and 100, Arberesh people use Sicilian numbers according to Arberesh phonology.

#### 21

    Vintunu

#### 32

    Trintadui

#### 43

    Kuarantatri

#### 54

    Çinkuantakuatru

#### 65

    Sesantaçinku

#### 76

    Setantasei

#### 87

    Otantaseti

#### 98

    Novantotu

#### 100

    Qind

#### number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

    numbri _____ (tren, autobus)

#### half

    gjimpsë

#### less

    manku

#### more

    më

### Time/Qiròi
#### now

    naní

#### later

    mëtardu

#### before

    përpara

#### morning

    menatë

#### afternoon

    ditë

#### evening

    mbrëma

#### night/nights

    natë/netë

#### Clock time/Hera
##### What time is it?

    Çë herë bën?

##### one o'clock

    jan l'unu
    one fifteen: jan l'unu e një kuart

##### two o'clock AM

    jan i dui dhi menatnet

##### two thirty

    jan i dui e mencu

##### noon

    mjesdita

##### one o'clock PM

    një ditën

##### two forty five

    jan i tri manku një kuart

##### two o'clock PM

    jan i dui dhi ditën

##### midnight

    mjesnata

#### Days/Ditët
##### today

    sot

##### yesterday

    dje

##### tomorrow

    nestrë

##### this week

    këtë javë

##### last week

    java çë shkoi

##### next week

    java çë vjen

##### Sunday

    dieli

##### Monday

    e hënia

##### Tuesday

    e martë

##### Wednesday

    e mërkurë

##### Thursday

    e injtja

##### Friday

    e prëmptja

##### Saturday

    shtunë

#### Months/Muajtë
##### January

    jinar

##### February

    shkurte

##### March

    mars

##### April

    prill

##### May

    maj

##### June

    kërshor

##### July

    korrik

##### August

    gusht

##### September

    setembri

##### October

    otubri

##### November

    novembri

##### December

    diçembri

### Colors/Kullurët
#### black

    i zi (masculine) e zeza (feminine)

#### white

    i barth (masculine) e bardhe (feminine)

#### red

    i kuq (masculine) e kuqe (feminine)

#### blue

    axurru

#### yellow

    xhall

#### green

    virdhi

#### orange

    portokall

#### brown

    kafe

### Transportation (Safar)
#### Bus and train
##### How much is a ticket to _____?

    Sa kustar një biletë pë' ...

##### One ticket to _____, please.

    Një bilet pë' ...

##### Where does this bus go?

    Te ku vete këtë posta? ...

##### Does this bus stop in San Giuseppe?

    Kjo postë qëndron Murtilat?

##### When does the bus for leave?

    Kur ka vete posta?

##### When will this bus arrive in Belmonte?

    Kur arrëhet Mixanji?

##### Where are you going?

    Ku ka veç?

#### Directions
##### How do I get to _____ ?

    Si arrënj _____ ?

##### ...the airport?

    ...l'arjuportu?

##### ...Piana/Santa Cristina?

    ...Hora?/Sëndahstinë

##### ...the hotel?

    ...l'alberghu?

##### Can you show me on the map?

    Mënd e më shohësh te a mapa?

##### street

    strata

##### Turn left.

    jec tek e shtrëmbra

##### Turn right.

    jec tek e drejta

##### straight ahead/in front

    dreq

##### towards the _____

    fina _______?

##### past the _____

    pranë _____

##### before the _____

    përpara _____

##### up

    alarta

##### down

    aposhta

### Money/Ghranet
#### Do you accept Credit Cards?

    Mirrni karta krediti?

#### Can I pay in cash?

    Mënd paguanj me ghranet?

#### That's cheap!

    ë frëng!

#### Expensive!

    shtrejtë!

### Eating/Të Ngrënit
#### A table for one person/two people, please.

    Një triesë pë' një/di.

#### Can I look at the menu, please?

    Mënd shoh menu?

#### Can I look in the kitchen?

    Mënd shoh te kuçina?

#### Is there a house specialty?

    Isht një speçialità të shpisë?

#### I'm a vegetarian.

    Ngë ha mishtë

#### I don't eat pork.

    Ngë ha mishtë derri

#### Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter)

    Mënd i ziesh me pak vaj/gjalpë

#### breakfast

    kulacjuni

#### lunch

    pranxu

#### I want _____.

    Deja ______

#### chicken

    pule

#### meat

    mishë

#### fish

    pishq

#### ham

    mish derri

#### sausage

    likënkë

#### cheese

    udhos

#### eggs

    vezë

#### salad

    ncallatë

#### vegetables

    virdhurë

#### fruit

    frutë

#### bread

    bukë

#### toast

    tost

#### pasta

    brumit

#### beans

    fasolla

#### prosciuto

    hjiramer

#### May I have a glass of _____?

    Mënd më japësh një qerq ________?

#### coffee

    kafeu

#### tea

    te

#### juice

    lunk

#### water

    uja

#### beer

    birra

#### red/white wine

    vera kuqe/bardhe

#### salt

    kripë

#### black pepper

    mustur

#### butter

    gjalpë

#### I'm finished.

    kam sosur

### Bars
#### Do you serve alcohol?

    Jipni alkol?

#### Is there table service?

    Isht një shërbim te triesën?

#### A beer/two beers, please.

    Një/di birrë, pi fauri

#### A bottle, please.

    një butijë, pi fauri

#### One more, please.

    Një pameta

#### When is closing time?

    Kur mblluin?

### Authority
#### I haven't done anything.

    Ngë bëra gjë

#### I want to talk to a lawyer.

    Deja të flisja me një avukat

### Asking about language
#### How do you say _____ ?

    Si thuhet ...?

#### What is this/that called?

    Si thërritet?