Conjunction part 1/2 (Lidhëzat) (Grammar)
A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses that are called the conjuncts of the conjunctions. In general, a conjunction is an invariable grammatical particle and it may or may not stand between the items conjoined.
We can classify conjunctions in three large categories depending on:
1. Lidhëza të parme* - they don't originate from another word. Such conjunctions are: apo, as, e, edhe, dhe, në, o, ose, po, por.
2. Lidhëza jo të parme - they're separated in three other groups:
2.1. Lidhëza tw formuara nga pjesë të tjera të ligjeratës ( Conjunctions formed from other parts of speech). Example : from pronouns: që, sa, se. from adverbs: ku, kur, nga, tek, ect.
2.2. Lidhëza të përngjitura(Fused Conjuctions) - Conjunctions formed from unifying two other conjunctions. Example: posa (po+sa), sesa (se+sa), teksa (tek+sa), qëkurse (që + kur + se), meqë (me + që), ndërsa (ndër + sa), ect.
2.3. Shprehje lidhëzore (Conjuctive expressions). Example: në qoftë se, me qëllim që, edhe pse, jo vetëm ë, ect.
*Their morphologic structure:
1. Lidhëzat e thjeshta (simple conjunctions) - one morpheme (apo, as, dhe, por ect.) (Note: Lidhëzat e thjeshta = lidhëzat e parme + lidhëzat e formuara me bashkim (konversion))
2. Lidhëzat e përngjitura (Fused conjunctions) - made from unifying two or more different words (derisa, porsa, kurse, megjithëse ect.)
3. Shprehjet lidhëzore (Conjunctive expressions) - made joining two or more words, that together work as a conjunction (në qoftë se, me qëllim që, edhe pse, ect.)
* Based on their syntax function:
1. Lidhëza bashkërenditëse (coordinate conjunctions) - they create an equal relationship between two words or two phrases. They can be written as two different sentences. Example:
1.1. Connecting two words:
Dritani dhe Diana gatuajnë. (Dritan and Diana cook.)
Dritani gatuan. Diana gatuan. (Drian cooks. Diana cooks.)
1.2. Connecting two phrases.
(Unë) Do të bëj detyrat dhe do të marr notë të mirë. (I'll do the homework and i'll get a good grade.) (
(Unë) Do të bëj detyrat. (Unë) do të marr notë të mirë. (I'll do the homework. I'll get a good grade.)
Note:usually when talking about yourself or someone in Albanian, the pronouns (unë/ti/ai/ajo/ne/ju/ata/ato) aren't really used since it's assumed that the listener knows who are you talking about based on the context, the verbs used ect.)
(Note:Pretty much, the conjuctions mentioned on the same category have the same/similar meanings)
1. Lidhëzat shtuese (Conjunctions used to add) - e, dhe, edhe, as, si... ashtu dhe
* Unë e ti jemi në të njëjtin grup. (e and dhe are practically the same thing, but dhe is more commonly used. They're the same as 'and' in English.)
Translation: Me and you are on the same group.
* Edhe Sara është në të njëjtin grup me ne. (edhe is similar to e/dhe but it has the 'that too' context. So you want to say that something too is doing the same thing as something else.)
Translation: Sara too, is on the same group as us.
* As unë se kisha bërë detyrën. (It is used to say that something too isn't doing something that something else didn't do.)
Translation: I didn't do the homework either. (In this case: I didn't do the homework just like someone else didn't do it either. Neither of us did the homework.)
* si... ashtu dhe (It refers to including someone/something to a certain group)
2.Lidhëzat veçuese (Conjuctions used to separate) - a,apo,ose,qoftç,ect.
* Apo (Usually used to separate two things that usually contradict each other, as in if you choose one you can't choose the other (example: to be or not to be, to go or not to go, did someone do something or did someone else do it ect.)
Jam me dy mendje, të shkoj apo mos të shkoj. (Translation: I don't know yet, if I should go or not.) (Note:"Jam me dy mendje" is a phrase used to say that you haven't made up your mind yet and you have to choose between two things. The literal translation would be "I have two minds" but that doesn't make much sense.)
Ti e bëre këtë apo e bëri Besa? (Translation: Did you do this or did Besa do it?)
* Ose (Usually used to separate two things that fall in the same group of things and you have to choose one from the two)
Nuk e kam parë akoma filmin, besoj se do iki nesër në kinema me Besën ose Sarën. (Translation: I haven't watched the movie yet, I believe I'll go to the cinema tomorrow with Besa or Sara.)
If you look at the second example of using 'apo' you'll notice that we're practically using 'apo' to separate between two people, just like we did on the example for 'ose'. So how can you know which one to choose? Well, as mentioned beforehand if two things are in the same category as in two people, two objects, two animals, ose is usually used. However you can replace 'apo' with 'ose' in the first example we used 'apo'. There's also 'ose ... ose' which can be used in the same context. Example: Ose do vij, ose s'do vij. (Translation: I'll either come or won't come.)
You can pretty much use 'ose' in every sentence you can use 'apo' except in questions. Saying 'Ti e bëre këtë ose e bëri Besa?' wouldn't be correct since 'ose' cannot be used in questions and is usually used in affirmative sentences.
3. Lidhëzat kundërshtuese(Conjuctions that contradict) - kurse, megjithatë, mirëpo, ndërsa, teksa, por, ect.
*Kurse (Usually used to say that someone did something while someone else did something that contradicts it or to say that someone did something for some time and then did something else that usually contradicts what he did before.)
Kishin studiuar shumë gjatë javës, kurse në fundjavë vendosën të pushonin. (Translation: They had studied a lot during the week, and on the weekend they decided to rest)
Unë vajta në shtëpi kurse pjesa tjetër e klasës panë një shfaqje. (Translation : I went home while the others in the class watched a show.)
* Megjithatë (Used to say that despite something happened that did not prevent something else from happening)
Pati një konflikt midis aktorëve dhe regjisorit megjithatë filmi u realizua me sukses. (Translation: There was a conflict between the actors and the producter, but still the movie was successfully realized.)
*Mirëpo (Same use as megjithatë but this specifically highlights the second action rather than the first one.)
Të gjithë ishin larguar, mirëpo ai ende nuk bindej të ikte. (Translation: Everyone left, but he still did not want to leave.)
* Ndërsa (Used to say that while someone is doing/did something, someone else is doing/did something else.)
Unë po pikturoj ndërsa ti po shkruan. (I'm painting while you're writing.)
*Teksa (Used to say that while something is/was happening, something else occurs/occurred too.)
Teksa po pastroja shtëpinë dëgjova disa hapa në katin e sipërm të saj. (Translation: While I was cleaning the house, I heard a few steps on the floor above.)
Mund të lash enët teksa dëgjon muzikë. (Translation: You can wash the dishes while you listen to music.)
Unë isha përgatitur për prezantimin por mësuesja nuk më dëgjoi. (Translation: I was prepared for the presentation but the teacher did not listen to me.)
Lidhezat permbyllese (Conjuctions used to explain the reason something happened) - andaj,ndaj,pa,pra,prandaj,domethene
* Iu duk rrugë e gjatë, ndaj vendosi të mos shkonte në ekskursion. (Translation: (He/she) thought the trip was too long, so he decided not to go to the excursion.)
* Patën shumë diskutime, prandaj takimi zgjati aq shumë. (Translation: There was a lot of discussions, that's why the meeting lasted that much.)
