Afërsisht

Afërsisht is an adverb in the Albanian language that expresses approximation or roughness. It indicates that a statement is not exact and is used to provide an estimate rather than a precise figure. For example, one might say “Afërsisht njëqind mijë euro” to denote about one hundred thousand euros, or “Afërsisht në orën pesë” to indicate roughly five o’clock.

Etymology and usage context: The word is related to afër, meaning near or close, and functions as an adverb to qualify quantities, times, dates, or other measurements. It is a standard part of both formal and informal Albanian and is widely used in speech, journalism, and writing to convey approximation without committing to precision.

Common usage notes: Afërsisht typically precedes the number or time it modifies and is often interchangeable with other expressions like rreth or cirk, though there are subtle differences. Afërsisht emphasizes numerical or measurable approximation, whereas rreth is more general or spatial in sense (around/about a location). In many contexts, the choice among afërsisht, rreth, and cirk reflects nuance rather than strict rules.

See also: afër, rreth, përqind, cirk.