Learn Albanian
Shqip · 7.5+ million speakers
About Albanian
Albanian (shqip) is an Indo-European language that forms its own independent branch — no close living relatives. Its split into the northern Gheg and southern Tosk dialects gives the language a complex, layered identity, and its modern literary form was standardised on Tosk in 1972.
Where it's spoken
Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albanian communities in Italy and Greece
Interesting facts
- 1An entire branch of the Indo-European family tree — no close cousins survive
- 2Two main dialect groups: Gheg (north) and Tosk (south)
- 3Albanian has a rich set of admirative verb forms used to express surprise or hearsay
Why learn Albanian?
Three reasons to make Albanian your next language.
Rare and rewarding
Few outsiders speak Albanian — locals will be delighted to meet you halfway.
Travel the Balkans
Albania, Kosovo, and parts of North Macedonia open up in a way English travel never quite manages.
A unique literary tradition
Read Ismail Kadare and contemporary Albanian poets in the original — a small but exquisite canon.
Your learning path
Three courses move you from your first word to fluent conversation.
Beginner
Find your feet with the alphabet, the friendly greetings, and the simplest tenses.
- Greetings
- Numbers 1–10
- Colours
- Family
- Common verbs
Intermediate
Discuss food, family, and travel, and start handling the noun cases with confidence.
- Travel & directions
- Food & dining
- Past tense
- Shopping
- Daily routines
Advanced
Read newspapers and novels, master the admirative mood, and write fluently.
- Subjunctive mood
- Idioms
- Business vocab
- Literature
- Debate
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