-uaj

Present Tense Verbs in -uaj

Level 1

Verbs ending in -uaj are a sub-group of the first conjugation. They use the same endings as -oj verbs but keep the -ua- diphthong in the stem.

How It Works

In Standard Albanian, verbs like shkruaj (to write) and luaj (to play) belong to the first conjugation class (vowel + -j).

Conjugation Table (shkruaj):

  • Unë shkruaj (I write)
  • Ti shkruan (You write)
  • Ai/Ajo shkruan (He/She writes)
  • Ne shkruajmë (We write)
  • Ju shkruani (You all write)
  • Ata/Ato shkruajnë (They write)

Note that the 2nd and 3rd person singular forms (shkruan) are identical. You must rely on the personal pronoun or context to distinguish them. While the present tense endings are consistent for this group, keep in mind that different verbs within this category may follow different patterns when you eventually learn other tenses.

Examples (5)

  1. Unë shkruaj një letër.

    I am writing a letter.

    Word by Word: I write a letter.

    The 1st person singular ends in -j.

  2. Ti luan në kopsht.

    You play in the garden.

    Word by Word: You play in garden.

    The 2nd person singular ends in -n.

  3. Ne gatuajmë darkën çdo ditë.

    We cook dinner every day.

    Word by Word: We cook dinner every day.

    The 1st person plural ends in -jmë.

  4. Ata paguajnë faturën.

    They are paying the bill.

    Word by Word: They pay bill-the.

    The 3rd person plural ends in -jnë.

  5. Ju shkruani shumë mirë.

    You (plural) write very well.

    Word by Word: You write very well.

    The 2nd person plural ends in -ni.

Common Mistakes

  • Simplifying the diphthong -ua- to -u- or -o-.

    Unë shkroj / Unë luj
    Unë shkruaj / Unë luaj

    In Standard Albanian, the -ua- must be preserved in the present tense, even if it sounds compressed in fast speech.

  • Dropping the final -j in the 1st person singular.

    Unë shkrua
    Unë shkruaj

    The -j ending is mandatory for the 1st person singular of this verb class.

How It Connects

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

-uajLevel 1Present Tense Verbs in -uaj

Learn This First

To conjugate verbs ending in -uaj, learners must first be familiar with personal pronouns to distinguish between subjects. Additionally, familiarity with other vowel-stem verb patterns like -oj helps in recognizing the consistent person-markers used across Albanian present tense conjugations.