Arberesh phrasebook
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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
; How are you? : si rri? (informal), si ë zotrote (strote)? (formal)
; (I'm) fine. : 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)
; 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)
; If God wills (or used as 'hopefully') :na do Madhinzot
; Really? : më ftet?
; Yes. : o, or ara, or ëj
; No. : jo
; Maybe : omse, mëndjetë
; Excuse me. (getting attention) :perdono
; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : lip ndjesë
; I'm sorry. :skusa
; Goodbye : falem
; Goodbye (informal) :Çau!
; I don't speak Arberesh . : ngë flas t'arbërisht
; Do you speak English? :E flet ngliz?
; Is there someone here who speaks English? :Isht njeri këtu 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 the numbers between 20 and 100, the Arberesh people use the Sicilian or Italian words.
; 100 : qind
Most numbers after 100 are only expressed in Italian or Sicilian.
; number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : numri _____ (tren, autobus)
; half : gjimpsë
; less : manku
; more : më
Time
; now : naní
; later : mëtardu
; before : përpara
; morning : menatë
; afternoon : ditë
; evening : mbrëma
; night/nights : natë/netë
Clock time
; What time is it? : Çë herë bën?
; one o'clock AM : ora isht një
; two o'clock AM : di menatnet
; noon : mjesdita
; one o'clock PM : një ditën
; two o'clock PM : di ditën
; midnight : mjesnata
Days
; 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
; January : jinar
; February : shkurte
; March : mars
; April : prill
; May : maj
; June : kërshor
; July : korrik
; August : gusht
; September : setembri
; October : otobri
; November : novembri
; December : diçembri
Colors
; black : i zi (masculine) e zeza (feminine); white : i barth (masculine) e bardhe (feminine)
; red : i kuqe (masculine) e kuqe (feminine)
; blue : axurru
; yellow : xhall
; green : virdhi
; orange : portokal
; brown : kafe
Transportation (Safar)
Bus and train
; How much is a ticket to _____? : Sa vete 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'albergu?
; Can you show me on the map? : Mënd më shohësh te hartën?
; street :strata
; Turn left. : jec tek e shtrëmbra
; Turn right. : jec tek e drejta
; straight ahead/in front : dreq
; towards the _____ :njera _______?
; past the _____ : pranë _____
; before the _____ : përpara _____
; up: alarta
; down: aposhta
Money
; Do you accept Credit Cards? : Mirrni karta krediti?; Can I pay in cash? : Mënd paguanj me granitë?
; That's cheap! :ë frëng!
; Expensive! : shtrejtë!
Eating
; A table for one person/two people, please. : Një triesë pë' një/di vete.; 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?