-t / -at

Definite Plural Feminine

Level 1

In Albanian, 'the' is a suffix attached to the end of the noun. For feminine plural nouns, this suffix is usually -t (e.g., vajza 'girls' → vajzat 'the girls').

How It Works

Albanian uses post-positive articles, meaning the word for 'the' is attached to the end of the noun. For feminine nouns in the plural, the process follows these steps:

  • Step 1: Find the Plural Indefinite. You cannot form the definite plural from the singular noun. For example, makinë (car) becomes makina (cars).
  • Step 2: Add the Suffix. Most feminine plurals end in -a or -e. To these, simply add -t.
    Example: makina + -t = makinat (the cars).
    Example: shoqe (friends) + -t = shoqet (the friends).
  • Special Case: Stressed Vowels. If the plural form ends in a stressed vowel (like gra 'women' or shtëpi 'houses'), the suffix -të is used to make pronunciation easier.
    Example: gra + -të = gratë (the women).

This form is used for both the Nominative and Accusative cases.

Examples (5)

  1. Vajzat po luajnë në kopsht.

    The girls are playing in the garden.

    Word by Word: Girls-the are playing in garden.

    'Vajzat' is the definite plural of 'vajzë'. The plural indefinite is 'vajza', to which '-t' is added.

  2. I pashë makinat e reja.

    I saw the new cars.

    Word by Word: Them I-saw cars-the of new.

    'Makinat' is the definite plural of 'makinë'. Note that the definite article '-t' is attached directly to the plural stem 'makina'.

  3. Lulet janë shumë të bukura.

    The flowers are very beautiful.

    Word by Word: Flowers-the are very of beautiful.

    'Lulet' comes from the plural 'lule'. Adding '-t' makes it 'the flowers'.

  4. Dritaret e shtëpisë janë të hapura.

    The windows of the house are open.

    Word by Word: Windows-the of house-the are of open.

    'Dritaret' is the definite plural of 'dritare' (window).

  5. Gratë po bisedojnë.

    The women are talking.

    Word by Word: Women-the are talking.

    Because the plural 'gra' ends in a stressed vowel, it takes the suffix '-të' instead of just '-t'.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the suffix to the singular stem instead of the plural stem.

    vajzët
    vajzat

    You must turn 'vajzë' (girl) into the plural 'vajza' (girls) before adding the definite marker '-t'.

  • Adding '-at' to every feminine plural that ends in -a.

    gratat
    gratë

    Most feminine plurals in -a take '-t': vajza becomes vajzat. But 'gra' (women) takes '-të': gratë.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-t / -atLevel 1Definite Plural Feminine

Learn This First

To learn the definite plural for feminine nouns, learners must first be able to identify feminine nouns, form their indefinite plural stems, and understand how definite suffixes function in Albanian.

Words in This Pattern

-t