-yej

Present Tense Verbs in -yej

Level 1

Verbs like lyej (to paint) and thyej (to break) belong to the First Conjugation. They follow a regular pattern where the stem ends in the diphthong -ye, and the endings are -j, -n, -n, -jmë, -ni, -jnë.

How It Works

In Standard Albanian, verbs ending in -yej belong to the First Conjugation. These verbs are characterized by a stem ending in the diphthong -ye.

1. The Stem:
The stem is found by looking at the dictionary form (1st person singular) and removing the ending -j. For the verb lyej, the stem is lye-. The diphthong ye remains constant throughout the present tense.

2. Conjugation Pattern:
To conjugate, you add specific endings to the stem lye-. Notice that the -j is only the ending for the first person singular and the plural forms (except 'ju'):

  • Unë lyej (I paint)
  • Ti lyen (You paint)
  • Ai/Ajo lyen (He/She paints)
  • Ne lyejmë (We paint)
  • Ju lyeni (You all paint)
  • Ata/Ato lyejnë (They paint)

3. Usage:
This pattern is used in the Present Indicative to describe current actions, habits, or general facts. Common verbs in this category include thyej (to break), kryej (to perform/finish), and shkyej (to tear).

Examples (5)

  1. Unë e lyej bukën me gjalpë.

    I smear the bread with butter.

    Word by Word: I it smear bread-the with butter.

    The verb 'lyej' uses the first person singular ending -j.

  2. Ti e thyen dritaren.

    You break the window.

    Word by Word: You it break window-the.

    In the second person singular, the ending is -n, and the 'y' is preserved.

  3. Ne i kryejmë detyrat tona çdo ditë.

    We perform our duties every day.

    Word by Word: We them perform duties-the our every day.

    The first person plural uses the ending -jmë attached to the stem 'krye-'.

  4. Ju e lyeni shtëpinë.

    You (plural) paint the house.

    Word by Word: You it paint house-the.

    The second person plural uses the ending -ni. Notice there is no 'j' before the ending.

  5. Ata e thyejnë heshtjen.

    They break the silence.

    Word by Word: They it break silence-the.

    The third person plural uses the ending -jnë.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing 'y' to 'i' in the plural forms.

    Ne i kriejmë detyrat.
    Ne i kryejmë detyrat.

    In Standard Albanian, the 'y' must be maintained throughout the conjugation. Changing it to 'i' is a common spelling and pronunciation error for learners.

  • Adding an extra 'j' in the 2nd person plural.

    Ju lyejni shtëpinë.
    Ju lyeni shtëpinë.

    The 2nd person plural ending is -ni, which is added directly to the stem 'lye-'. The -j ending used in the first person is not part of the stem and should not be included here.

How It Connects

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

-yejLevel 1Present Tense Verbs in -yej

Learn This First

To conjugate verbs ending in -yej, learners must first be familiar with personal pronouns to identify the subject. Additionally, understanding the basic conjugation pattern for vowel-stem verbs (like those in -oj) provides the structural foundation for how these endings are applied while maintaining the stem vowel 'y'.