se / që

Conjunctions 'Se' and 'Që'

Level 1

In Albanian, both se and që translate to 'that', but they have different jobs. Se introduces facts or reported speech, while që describes nouns or shows purpose.

How It Works

Standard Albanian uses these two conjunctions to link clauses, but they have distinct functions:

1. Se (Declarative and Comparative):

  • Declarative: Used after verbs of communication and cognition to introduce a fact. Verbs like: them (say), di (know), besoj (believe). Example: Di se ai është këtu. (I know that he is here.)
  • Perception: Follows verbs like shoh (see) to emphasize a realized fact. Example: Shoh se ke harruar. (I see [the fact] that you have forgotten.)
  • Comparison: Used to mean 'than' in comparative structures. Example: Ai është më i madh se unë. (He is older than me.) Note: Sesa is often used instead of se in comparisons to avoid ambiguity.

2. Që (Relative, Purpose, and Perception):

  • Relative: Links a noun to a description. Example: Libri që lexova. (The book that I read.) Note: If the relative pronoun follows a preposition, you must use i cili instead (e.g., libri për të cilin flasim).
  • Perception: Used after verbs like shoh (see) or dëgjoj (hear) to describe an ongoing action. Example: Shoh që ti po punon. (I see that you are working.)
  • Purpose: Used with the subjunctive mood to mean 'so that'. Example: Erdha që të ndihmoj. (I came so that I [can] help.)

In careful Standard Albanian, se is not left out after verbs of saying, knowing and believing, and që is not left out in relative clauses.

Examples (5)

  1. Unë e di se ti ke të drejtë.

    I know that you are right.

    Word by Word: I it know that you have to right.

    Here 'se' is used because it introduces a fact after the verb 'di' (know).

  2. Ky është libri që bleva dje.

    This is the book that I bought yesterday.

    Word by Word: This is book-the that (I) bought yesterday.

    Here 'që' is a relative pronoun referring back to the noun 'libri' (the book).

  3. Më thirr që të vijmë bashkë.

    Call me so that we come together.

    Word by Word: Me call that to (we) come together.

    In this case, 'që' introduces a purpose clause followed by the subjunctive.

  4. Ai thotë se është i lodhur.

    He says that he is tired.

    Word by Word: He says that (he) is linking-article tired.

    We use 'se' because it reports the content of what someone said.

  5. Vajza që pashë është motra ime.

    The girl that I saw is my sister.

    Word by Word: Girl-the that (I) saw is sister-the my.

    'Që' is used here to describe which specific girl we are talking about.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'se' as a relative pronoun to describe a noun.

    Makina se bleva është e re.
    Makina që bleva është e re.

    'Se' cannot refer back to a noun like 'makina'. You must use 'që' or the relative pronoun i cili for relative clauses.

  • Omitting the conjunction in object or subject clauses.

    Besoj ai vjen.
    Besoj se ai vjen.

    Unlike English, where 'that' is often optional, Standard Albanian requires 'se' or 'që' to connect clauses. Omission is considered ungrammatical in formal writing.

  • Both are correct, but 'se' means 'because'.

    Different MeaningDo të vij se kam kohë.
    Do të vij nëse kam kohë.

    'Do të vij se kam kohë' means 'I will come because I have time'. To say 'if', use nëse: 'Do të vij nëse kam kohë'.

How It Connects

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se / qëLevel 1Conjunctions 'Se' and 'Që'

Learn This First

To understand the subordinating conjunctions 'se' and 'që', learners must be able to construct basic clauses. This requires knowledge of personal pronouns and verb conjugations. Furthermore, because 'që' is the primary marker for the subjunctive mood in many contexts, understanding how to conjugate verbs in the subjunctive is a critical prerequisite for using these conjunctions accurately.

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