Verb 'to be' (jam)

A1 — Folje

Conjugation of 'to be' in present tense

Can introduce oneself, describe people and things using 'to be'

Examples

Unë jam mësues. — I am a teacher.
Ajo është nga Korça. — She is from Korçë.
Ne nuk jemi të lodhur. — We are not tired.

VerbsA1

Verb 'to be' (jam)

Conjugation of 'to be' in present tense

Learning Goal

Can introduce oneself, describe people and things using 'to be'

Exam Skills:ReadingWritingSpeaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Unë jam mësues.

I am a teacher.

Ajo është nga Korça.

She is from Korçë.

Ne nuk jemi të lodhur.

We are not tired.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Jam is "to be", and like English "be" it is irregular. Albanian names a verb by its "I" form, so you will see it listed as jam, not as an infinitive.

Person	Form	Example
unë	jam	Jam student. - I'm a student.
ti	je	Je i lodhur? - Are you tired?
ai / ajo	është	Ajo është mjeke. - She's a doctor.
ne	jemi	Jemi nga Londra. - We're from London.
ju	jeni	Ku jeni? - Where are you?
ata / ato	janë	Ata janë në Shkodër. - They're in Shkodër.

What it is used for

Identity and job, with no article: Jam mësues. - I'm a teacher. English needs "a"; Albanian does not.
Description: Kafja është e mirë. - The coffee is good.
Origin and place: Jam nga Skocia. - I'm from Scotland. Jemi në plazh. - We're at the beach.
Age, as in English: Jam tridhjetë vjeç. - I'm thirty (years old). Sa vjeç je? - How old are you?

Negatives and questions

Put nuk in front: Nuk jam i lodhur. - I'm not tired. For a yes/no question, start with a or simply raise your voice at the end: A je gati? / Je gati? - Are you ready? There is no inversion like "are you", and no extra verb.

Është is the form you will hear most: Nuk është larg - It isn't far. Its first ë is weak and the last one silent, so it sounds like "uhsht".

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

The irregular forms (jam/je/është) must be memorized individually — no regular pattern. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Relatively easy since English 'to be' is also highly irregular (am/is/are). Main issue: forgetting nuk for negation.

Common Error Patterns

Incorrect form of jam for the subject

Review: jam/je/është/jemi/jeni/janë

Omitted the verb 'to be' in a copular sentence

Albanian requires jam/është — it's not zero-copula like Russian

Unë jam mësues.

I am a teacher.

No article needed before professions in Albanian (like German).

Ajo është nga Korça.

She is from Korçë.

Është is the 3rd person singular form of jam. Korça = Korçë with definite article.

Ne nuk jemi të lodhur.

We are not tired.

Negation: nuk + verb. The adjective takes the linking particle të.

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A1 Modul 1: Albanian greetings, pronunciation, and first sentences

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Verb 'to be' (jam)?: Jam is "to be", and like English "be" it is irregular. Albanian names a verb by its "I" form, so you will see it listed as jam , not as an infinitive.
How do you form Verb 'to be' (jam)?: Put nuk in front: Nuk jam i lodhur. - I'm not tired. For a yes/no question, start with a or simply raise your voice at the end: A je gati? / Je gati? - Are you ready? There is no inversion like "are you", and no extra verb. Është is the form you will hear most: Nuk është larg - It isn't far. Its first ë is weak and the last one silent, so it sounds like "uhsht".
What are common mistakes with Verb 'to be' (jam)?: The irregular forms (jam/je/është) must be memorized individually — no regular pattern. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Relatively easy since English 'to be' is also highly irregular (am/is/are). Main issue: forgetting nuk for negation.

Person

Form

Example

unë

jam

Jam student. - I'm a student.

Je i lodhur? - Are you tired?

ai / ajo

është

Ajo është mjeke. - She's a doctor.

jemi

Jemi nga Londra. - We're from London.

jeni

Ku jeni? - Where are you?

ata / ato

janë

Ata janë në Shkodër. - They're in Shkodër.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Verb 'to be' (jam)?

Jam is "to be", and like English "be" it is irregular. Albanian names a verb by its "I" form, so you will see it listed as jam , not as an infinitive.

How do you form Verb 'to be' (jam)?

Put nuk in front: Nuk jam i lodhur. - I'm not tired. For a yes/no question, start with a or simply raise your voice at the end: A je gati? / Je gati? - Are you ready? There is no inversion like "are you", and no extra verb. Është is the form you will hear most: Nuk është larg - It isn't far. Its first ë is weak and the last one silent, so it sounds like "uhsht".

What are common mistakes with Verb 'to be' (jam)?

The irregular forms (jam/je/është) must be memorized individually — no regular pattern. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Relatively easy since English 'to be' is also highly irregular (am/is/are). Main issue: forgetting nuk for negation.