Animals

1. qen

   Dog

   Usage

   "Më kafshoi një qen" — a dog bit me. Loose guard dogs and strays are common on Albanian village roads, so take care on foot

   Grammar Note

   Definite "qeni"; the plural is also "qen"

2. mace

   Cat

   Usage

   Community cats fill the cobbled lanes of Berat and Gjirokastër and the harbour at Sarandë

3. zog

   Bird

   Usage

   The general word, as in "Çfarë zogj mund të shoh këtu?" in the Nature & Outdoors category. The Divjakë-Karavasta lagoon is a famous pelican colony

   Grammar Note

   The plural is "zogj"

4. peshk

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word for the animal and the dish, covering the lake fish of Ohrid and Shkodra as well as the Ionian catch

5. kalë

   Horse

   Usage

   Still used to carry loads in the Alpine villages of Theth and Valbona, and available for riding tours

   Grammar Note

   Definite "kali", with the irregular plural "kuaj"

6. lopë

   Cow

   Usage

   Herds often block mountain roads, and free grazing is normal in the countryside

7. derr

   Pig

   Usage

   Pork as a food is "mish derri"; say "Pa mish derri" if you need to avoid it

8. dele

   Sheep

   Usage

   A common sight on mountain pasture; the meat is "mish deleje" and the cheese "djathë deleje"

9. dhi

   Goat

   Usage

   Herded on the limestone slopes; goat cheese is "djathë dhie"

10. pulë

    Chicken (hen)

    Usage

    Both the bird and the meat; menus write it as "mish pule"

11. rosë

    Duck

    Usage

    One word for the farmyard duck and the wild one alike; common on Lake Shkodra and the Narta lagoon

12. gomar

    Donkey

    Usage

    Still a working animal in the hill villages. Applied to a person it means "idiot", so keep it to the animal

13. ari

    Bear

    Usage

    Brown bears live in the Albanian Alps and the Šar range; numbers are low and encounters rare

14. ujk

    Wolf

    Usage

    Present in the mountains but rarely seen; it comes up in shepherds' talk and folk tales

    Grammar Note

    Definite "ujku"; the plural is "ujqër"

15. dhelpër

    Fox

    Usage

    Often seen at dusk on the edge of towns and on mountain roads; do not feed them

16. derr i egër

    Wild boar

    Usage

    Literally "wild pig", widespread in Albania's forests. Never approach one with young

17. dre

    Deer

    Usage

    Lives in the forests; watch for them crossing mountain roads at night

18. lepur

    Rabbit / Hare

    Usage

    One word for the wild hare and the pet rabbit; on a menu it is "mish lepuri", the meat

19. iriq

    Hedgehog

    Usage

    Turns up in gardens and campsites after dark; do not handle it. The sea urchin is "iriq deti", the sea hedgehog

20. ketër

    Squirrel

    Usage

    Seen in the pine woods of Dajti and around Rrogozhinë

21. mi

    Mouse

    Usage

    If you find one at your lodging, say "Ka një mi në dhomë" — there is a mouse in the room

    Grammar Note

    Definite "miu"; the plural is "minj"

22. lakuriq nate

    Bat

    Usage

    Literally "the naked one of the night"; it comes up on cave tours at Pëllumbas and in the Has district. Never touch one

23. gjarpër

    Snake

    Usage

    The venomous ones are vipers, found on dry rocky slopes in the south. If bitten, say "Më kafshoi një gjarpër" and call an ambulance

24. hardhucë

    Lizard

    Usage

    Everywhere on sunny walls and among the ruins of Butrint in summer, and harmless

25. breshkë

    Tortoise / Turtle

    Usage

    The land tortoise is protected — illegal to move or take. Loggerhead turtles also pass through the bay of Vlorë and the Patok lagoon

26. bretkosë

    Frog

    Usage

    Abundant in the wetlands and ponds; the same word covers toads

27. mushkonjë

    Mosquito

    Usage

    A serious summer nuisance around the coastal lagoons and rivers. Ask a pharmacy "Keni diçka kundër mushkonjave?"

28. këpushë

    Tick

    Usage

    The insect to watch for in grass, forest and grazing land. Do not pull it out yourself: say "Më kafshoi një këpushë" at a clinic

29. bletë

    Bee

    Usage

    If you are allergic, say "Jam alergjik ndaj thumbimit". The hives beside mountain roads are Albania's beekeeping, and the honey — "mjaltë" — is a standard souvenir

30. milingonë

    Ant

    Usage

    For a complaint about your room: "Ka milingona" — there are ants

31. merimangë

    Spider

    Usage

    Albania has virtually no dangerous spiders; you will meet them in huts and barns

32. mizë

    Fly

    Usage

    A nuisance on summer terraces; "Ka shumë miza" may get you a different table

33. flutur

    Butterfly

    Usage

    Abundant on the mountain meadows from spring into early summer; the related verb "fluturoj" means to fly

34. lejlek

    Stork

    Usage

    A Turkish loan. Nests on village utility poles are a sign of spring, and a nest on your house is thought to bring luck

35. pulëbardhë

    Seagull

    Usage

    Literally "white hen". In every harbour from Durrës to Vlorë and Sarandë, and quick to raid a plate on a terrace

36. delfin

    Dolphin

    Usage

    Sometimes seen on Ionian boat trips off the Karaburun peninsula and around Sarandë

37. iriq deti

    Sea urchin

    Usage

    Literally "sea hedgehog". They cover the rocks at Ksamil and Himarë and the spines go straight into a bare foot, so wear water shoes

38. meduzë

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Present in the Ionian and Adriatic in summer; it is worth asking "A ka meduza?" before you swim

Browse all TravelPhrases languages