Preposition + i cili
Relative 'I Cili' with Prepositions
In Albanian, while që is the most common relative pronoun, it cannot follow a preposition. In those cases, you must use i cili (which/who), which changes its form based on the noun it describes and the preposition used.
How It Works
The relative pronoun i cili is essential for formal writing and syntactic precision. Its most critical rule is that it is mandatory after prepositions.
1. Declension and Agreement
The pronoun must match the gender and number of the noun it refers to (the antecedent):
- Masculine Singular: i cili (Nom), të cilin (Acc), të cilit (Gen/Dat/Abl)
- Feminine Singular: e cila (Nom), të cilën (Acc), të cilës (Gen/Dat/Abl)
- Masculine Plural: të cilët (Nom/Acc), të cilëve (Gen/Dat/Abl)
- Feminine Plural: të cilat (Nom/Acc), të cilave (Gen/Dat/Abl)
2. Case Selection
The case of the pronoun is dictated by the preposition preceding it:
- për (for) + Accusative: për të cilin
- nga (from/by) + Nominative: nga i cili
- prej (from) + Ablative: prej të cilit
3. Disambiguation
Because i cili shows gender, it is often used in complex sentences to clarify which noun is being described. For example, in 'the son of the woman, who...', using i cili (masculine) refers to the son, while e cila (feminine) refers to the woman.
Examples (5)
- Ky është miku me të cilin udhëtova.
This is the friend with whom I traveled.
Word by Word: This is friend-the with the which I-traveled.
The preposition 'me' requires the accusative case. Since 'miku' is masculine singular, we use 'të cilin'.
- Kjo është shtëpia në të cilën banon ai.
This is the house in which he lives.
Word by Word: This is house-the in the which lives he.
The preposition 'në' takes the accusative. 'Shtëpia' is feminine singular, so we use 'të cilën'.
- Libri për të cilin po flasim është i ri.
The book about which we are speaking is new.
Word by Word: Book-the for the which [continuous] we-speak is the new.
'Për' takes the accusative. 'Libri' is masculine singular, resulting in 'të cilin'.
- Ata janë njerëzit prej të cilëve morëm lajmin.
They are the people from whom we received the news.
Word by Word: They are people-the from the which we-took news-the.
'Prej' requires the ablative case. 'Njerëzit' is masculine plural, so we use 'të cilëve'.
- Këto janë vajzat me të cilat punoj.
These are the girls with whom I work.
Word by Word: These are girls-the with the which I-work.
'Me' (with) takes the accusative. 'Vajzat' is feminine plural, so we use 'të cilat'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'që' after a preposition.
Miku me që udhëtova.Miku me të cilin udhëtova.In Albanian, the relative pronoun 'që' is invariant and cannot follow a preposition. You must use the inflected 'i cili' forms.
Forgetting the linking article (i, e, të, së).
Libri për cilin flasim.Libri për të cilin flasim.The pronoun 'i cili' always requires its preceding article. Without 'të', the sentence is ungrammatical.
Using the wrong case after a preposition.
Libri për i cili flasim.Libri për të cilin flasim.The preposition 'për' requires the accusative case ('të cilin'), not the nominative ('i cili').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'i cili' with prepositions, you must first be familiar with the basic declension of the relative pronoun 'i cili' (which changes based on gender and number). Additionally, you need to know which case a specific preposition requires (usually Accusative or Ablative) to correctly decline the pronoun following it.
- i ciliRelative Pronoun: 'I Cili'
The relative pronoun 'i cili' must be understood in its basic form before it can be used in prepositional phrases.
Level 2 - Prepositions with Accusative
Prepositions govern the case of the relative pronoun, so understanding which prepositions take the accusative case is essential.
Level 2 - Prepositions with Ablative
Many prepositions used with relative pronouns require the ablative case, which affects the declension of 'i cili'.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- qëRelative Pronoun: 'Që'
'Që' is the standard relative pronoun used when no preposition is present.
Level 2 - cili / cilaInterrogative 'Cili'
The relative pronoun 'i cili' is derived from the interrogative pronoun 'cili' (which one).
Level 1 - i / eAdjective Link Particles
The linking articles used with 'i cili' follow the same agreement rules as those used with adjectives.
Foundations - Definite Accusative Case
Understanding the accusative case is vital since most common prepositions used with 'i cili' require it.
Foundations - The Ablative Case
The ablative case forms of 'i cili' are used after prepositions like 'prej' or 'ndaj'.
Level 1
Learn Next
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Words in This Pattern
Practice Preposition + i cili in Bubblegum
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