qenkësh + Participle

Non-active Admirative Pluperfect

Level 5

The Non-active Admirative Pluperfect is a rare, literary verb form used to describe a past-in-the-past event that the speaker discovered with surprise or is reporting as hearsay. It is formed using the imperfect admirative of 'jam' (to be) + the past participle.

How It Works

The Non-active Admirative Pluperfect (Koha më se e kryer, mënyra habitore, trajta pësore-vetvetore) is a sophisticated narrative tool in Standard Albanian.

1. Formation:
It is a periphrastic (multi-word) construction consisting of:

Conjugation of the auxiliary 'jam':

  • Unë qenkësha (I had apparently been...)
  • Ti qenkëshe
  • Ai/Ajo qenkësh (or qenkej)
  • Ne qenkëshim
  • Ju qenkëshit
  • Ata/Ato qenkëshin

2. Voice and the Particle 'u':
In simple tenses, the reflexive particle 'u' is used. However, in compound tenses like this one, the non-active voice is indicated only by switching the auxiliary from kam to jam. Never use 'u' with this tense.

3. Usage and Nuance:
This tense is primarily used in literature and formal storytelling to express:

  • Surprise: Discovering that something had already happened (e.g., 'I realized he had already been wounded').
  • Evidentiality: Reporting information the speaker heard from others without personally vouching for its truth.
  • Irony: Commenting on past events with a sense of disbelief.

Examples (3)

  1. Mësova se ai qenkësh plagosur në luftë shumë kohë më parë.

    I learned that he had apparently been wounded in the war a long time ago.

    Word by Word: I-learned that he had-apparently-been wounded in war much time before.

    Here, 'qenkësh plagosur' indicates a passive action (being wounded) that happened before the speaker 'learned' about it, expressed with a nuance of surprise or discovery.

  2. Kur arritëm, pamë se ata qenkëshin fshehur në bodrum.

    When we arrived, we saw that they had apparently hidden themselves in the basement.

    Word by Word: When we-arrived, we-saw that they had-apparently-been hidden in basement.

    This uses the reflexive meaning. The action of hiding occurred before the arrival, and the speaker is surprised to find them there.

  3. Nuk e dija që ti qenkëshe nisur aq herët.

    I didn't know that you had apparently set off so early.

    Word by Word: Not it I-knew that you had-apparently-been started so early.

    The verb 'nisem' (to set off) is non-active in form. The pluperfect admirative shows the speaker's surprise at a past departure.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the active auxiliary 'paskësh' for non-active verbs.

    Ai paskësh plagosur në luftë.
    Ai qenkësh plagosur në luftë.

    'Paskësh plagosur' means 'he had apparently wounded (someone else)'. To say 'he had been wounded', you must use 'qenkësh'.

  • Including the particle 'u' in the compound tense.

    Ai u qenkësh larë.
    Ai qenkësh larë.

    In Albanian compound tenses, the auxiliary 'jam' replaces the need for the particle 'u'. Adding 'u' is grammatically incorrect.

How It Connects

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

qenkësh + ParticipleLevel 5Non-active Admirative Pluperfect

Learn This First

To form the non-active pluperfect admirative, learners must understand how the admirative mood functions in the past (pluperfect), how to conjugate the auxiliary verb 'jam' in its non-active imperfect admirative form (qenkësh), and how to form the past participle of the main verb.