nuk shkohet / nuk thuhet

Impersonal Potential Non-active

Level 4

The Impersonal Potential uses the 3rd person singular of the non-active voice to describe what is possible, allowed, or 'done' in a general sense, without a specific subject.

How It Works

This pattern is a sophisticated feature of Standard Albanian that replaces the more literal mund të (can) when speaking about general conditions or personal inclinations.

1. Formation:
The verb is used in the non-active voice, typically in the 3rd person:

  • Present: Consonant stems take -et (e.g., hapet), while vowel stems take -het (e.g., punohet).
  • Imperfect: Consonant stems take -ej (e.g., hapej), while vowel stems take -hej (e.g., shkohej).
  • Aorist: Particle u + non-active aorist form (e.g., u shkua - one went/it was gone). Note: The Aorist denotes a completed factual action, not potentiality.

2. Usage Scenarios:

  • General Potentiality: Expressing if an action is possible due to external factors (weather, road conditions). In these subjectless cases, the verb is always 3rd person singular.
  • Social Propriety: Expressing how one should behave (e.g., 'Nuk flitet ashtu' - It isn't spoken like that).
  • Personal Inclination: Combined with a dative clitic, it expresses a feeling or craving. Unlike general potentiality, the verb must agree with the object of the craving (e.g., Më hahet një mollë [sg] vs. Më hahen disa mollë [pl]).

3. Intransitive Verbs:
Unlike the standard passive voice, this pattern is highly productive with intransitive verbs like shkoj (go) or rri (stay), which otherwise do not have passive forms.

Examples (5)

  1. Nuk kalohet nëpër këtë rrugë prej borës.

    One cannot pass through this road because of the snow.

    Word by Word: Not it-is-passed through this road from snow.

    Here, the non-active 'kalohet' expresses that the road is impassable for anyone, not just a specific person.

  2. Nuk thuhet ashtu në prani të fëmijëve.

    One doesn't say that in the presence of children.

    Word by Word: Not it-is-said so in presence of children.

    This uses the impersonal form to describe a social norm or rule of propriety.

  3. Sot punohet mirë sepse është freskët.

    One can work well today because it is cool.

    Word by Word: Today it-is-worked well because is cool.

    The environment (cool weather) makes the action of working feasible/pleasant for anyone.

  4. Nuk më rrihet më këtu.

    I don't feel like staying here anymore.

    Word by Word: Not to-me it-is-stayed more here.

    Adding the dative clitic 'më' (to me) shifts the general potential to a personal feeling or inclination.

  5. Nuk shkohej në shkollë gjatë luftës.

    One couldn't go to school during the war.

    Word by Word: Not it-was-gone in school during war.

    This uses the imperfect non-active 'shkohej' to describe a general impossibility in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the active voice for general states of possibility.

    Nuk shkon me këtë shi.
    Nuk shkohet me këtë shi.

    In Albanian, 'nuk shkon' means 'it doesn't go' (literally). To say 'one cannot go' or 'it's not a going-day,' you must use the non-active 'shkohet'.

  • Failing to agree the verb with the logical subject in personal inclination constructions.

    Nuk më hahet këto mollë.
    Nuk më hahen këto mollë.

    When expressing personal inclination (feeling like doing something), the verb must agree in number with the thing being desired. If you feel like eating plural 'apples', the verb must be plural 'hahen'.

  • Trying to conjugate the verb in the 1st person for personal inclination.

    Nuk shkohem.
    Nuk më shkohet.

    To express 'I don't feel like going,' you must keep the verb in the non-active 3rd person and add a dative clitic. You cannot change the verb ending to the 1st person.

How It Connects

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

nuk shkohet / nuk thuhetLevel 4Impersonal Potential Non-active

Learn This First

To understand the Impersonal Potential Non-active, you must first be comfortable with non-active verb morphology and the concept of impersonal subjects. This pattern specifically uses the non-active voice to express that an action is generally possible or socially permissible, rather than describing a specific action performed by a specific agent.