sa
Interrogative 'Sa'
Sa is the universal Albanian question word for quantity. It covers both 'how much' (uncountable) and 'how many' (countable) and remains unchanged regardless of the noun's gender or case.
How It Works
The interrogative sa is a versatile tool in Standard Albanian:
- Quantity: It precedes a noun to ask about amount. Use a singular noun for 'how much' (sa bukë - how much bread) and a plural noun for 'how many' (sa libra - how many books). The noun must be in the indefinite form.
- Price: It is the standard way to ask for a price: Sa kushton? (How much does it cost?).
- Age: In Albanian, you ask 'how many years are you?' using Sa vjeç jeni?.
- Degree: When modifying an adjective, it asks 'how [adjective]'. Note that you must still include the linking article (e.g., Sa i madh? - How big?).
- Time: To ask the time, Albanians say Sa është ora? (What time is it? lit. 'How much is the hour?').
Sa is invariable, meaning it never changes its form to match gender or number.
Examples (5)
- Sa kushton kjo këmishë?
How much does this shirt cost?
Word by Word: How much costs this shirt?
A standard way to ask for the price of an item.
- Sa vjeç jeni ju?
How old are you?
Word by Word: How many years are you?
Used to ask for someone's age in a formal or plural context.
- Sa njerëz ishin në festë?
How many people were at the party?
Word by Word: How many people were in party?
Here 'sa' is followed by a plural indefinite noun to mean 'how many'.
- Sa është ora?
What time is it?
Word by Word: How much is the hour?
The standard idiomatic expression for asking the time.
- Sa i gjatë është ai?
How tall is he?
Word by Word: How much [linking-article] tall is he?
When asking about degree with an adjective, the linking article 'i' is required.
Common Mistakes
Using the definite form of the noun after 'sa'.
Sa paratë keni?Sa para keni?Nouns following 'sa' must be in the indefinite form. 'Paratë' is definite; 'para' is indefinite.
Using 'si' (how) instead of 'sa' for prices.
Si kushton?Sa kushton?'Si' refers to the manner (how something is done), while 'sa' refers to the quantity or price.
Omitting the linking article when using 'sa' with an adjective.
Sa vjetër është shtëpia?Sa e vjetër është shtëpia?Adjectives in Albanian usually require a linking article (i, e, të, së). This must be kept when asking 'how [adjective]'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'sa' (how much/many) effectively, you need to understand the concept of quantity through cardinal numbers and be able to form plural nouns, as 'sa' often precedes plural objects in questions.
- Numbers 1-10
Understanding basic numbers is essential for answering questions about 'how much' or 'how many'.
Foundations - -ë / -a / -eMasculine Plural Endings
The word 'sa' is frequently used with plural nouns to ask 'how many'.
Foundations - -a / -eFeminine Plural Endings
The word 'sa' is frequently used with plural nouns to ask 'how many'.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- siQuestion Word: Si
'Si' asks about manner ('how'), whereas 'sa' asks about quantity ('how much/many').
Foundations - çfarëQuestion Word: Çfarë
'Çfarë' asks 'what', while 'sa' is specific to numerical or quantitative values.
Foundations - i / eAdjective Link Particles
Understanding linking articles is necessary when using 'sa' to ask about the degree of an adjective.
Foundations - The Nominative Case
'Sa' requires the noun to be in the indefinite nominative/accusative form.
Foundations - aq... saCorrelative Result 'Aq... Sa'
In advanced structures, 'sa' is used with 'aq' to create 'so... that...' comparisons.
Level 3
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Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice sa in Bubblegum
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