Middle Voice Nuances

Level 5

In Standard Albanian, the non-active voice (diateza joveprore) is not just for passives. It includes the middle voice, used when an action happens to the subject naturally, when the subject performs an action on themselves, or to describe the 'potential' of an object.

How It Works

In Standard Albanian, the non-active voice (forma joveprore) is a versatile category that encompasses both the standard passive voice and various middle-voice functions. While it is the primary way to express that an action is performed upon the subject, its middle-voice nuances are essential to become proficient in natural speech. These functions are categorized into seven main types:

  • Reflexive/Grooming: Actions the subject performs on their own body. In these contexts, non-active endings typically replace the need for a reflexive pronoun. Example: lahem (I wash myself). Note that the reflexive pronoun veten is used for transitive reflexivity, where the subject acts upon themselves as a distinct object.
  • Reciprocal: Actions performed by two or more subjects on each other. Example: shihemi (we see each other).
  • Anticausative: Actions that occur without a specified external agent. The subject undergoes a change of state naturally or accidentally. Example: Dera u hap (The door opened).
  • Potential/Generic Middle: This describes a quality of the subject rather than a specific event. It often requires an adverb like 'mirë' (well) or 'lehtë' (easily). Example: Ky libër lexohet shpejt (This book reads quickly).
  • Impersonal: Constructions where the subject is general or unspecified. Example: thuhet se... (it is said that...).
  • Involuntary/Experiencer: Expresses physical states, urges, or feelings. It uses a dative clitic with a 3rd person singular non-active verb. Example: më flihet (I feel sleepy/like sleeping).
  • Deponent Verbs: Verbs that exist only in the non-active form but often carry active meanings. These are independent lexical items. Examples: pendohem (I repent), dukem (I seem), përpiqem (I try).

Morphologically, these nuances are expressed through synthetic endings in the present tense (e.g., -em, -ohem) and the imperfect tense (e.g., -esha, -eshe). In the aorist tense, the non-active meaning is created by the particle u followed by active verb endings (e.g., u lava). Perfect tenses utilize the auxiliary jam.

Examples (6)

  1. Unë lahem çdo mëngjes.

    I wash (myself) every morning.

    Word by Word: I wash-myself every morning.

    This is a reflexive middle use focusing on personal grooming.

  2. Dritarja u thye nga era.

    The window broke from the wind.

    Word by Word: The-window [particle] broke from the-wind.

    An anticausative use where the window undergoes the action due to a natural force, not a deliberate agent.

  3. Këtu hahet shumë mirë.

    One eats very well here / The food here is very good.

    Word by Word: Here eats-itself very well.

    A potential middle use describing the quality of the experience/food at a location.

  4. Më hahet diçka e ëmbël.

    I feel like eating something sweet.

    Word by Word: To-me eats-itself something [particle] sweet.

    An involuntary/experiencer construction using a dative clitic to express a physical desire or state.

  5. Ai u vesh shpejt dhe doli.

    He dressed quickly and went out.

    Word by Word: He [particle] dressed quickly and went-out.

    The non-active aorist 'u vesh' indicates the subject performed the action of dressing on himself.

  6. Kjo makinë shitet lehtë.

    This car sells easily.

    Word by Word: This car sells-itself easily.

    A potential middle construction where the non-active form 'shitet' describes a quality of the subject (the car) rather than a specific passive event.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the particle 'u' in the present tense.

    Unë u lahem tani.
    Unë lahem tani.

    The particle 'u' is only for the aorist tense. The present tense uses synthetic endings like -em or -ohem.

  • Using 'kam' instead of 'jam' for non-active perfect tenses.

    Unë kam u larë.
    Unë jam larë.

    All non-active/middle constructions in the perfect tense must use the auxiliary 'jam' (to be).

  • Choosing 'veten' where a non-active verb is the usual choice.

    Different MeaningUnë laj veten.
    Unë lahem.

    'Unë laj veten' is a good sentence and means the same. For routine washing, the non-active 'lahem' is the more usual choice.

How It Connects

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Middle Voice NuancesLevel 5

Learn This First

To understand the middle voice in Albanian, you must first be comfortable with the non-active verb system, including the use of the particle 'u' and the specific non-active inflectional endings. Since the middle voice describes actions where the subject is both the agent and the patient, a solid grasp of basic reflexive constructions is also essential.