gjatë

Gjatë is a preposition in Albanian that marks the temporal scope of an action. It indicates that something occurs within a specified time frame and can be translated as during, throughout, or for the duration of. Gjatë is typically followed by a time noun or noun phrase and is used across formal and informal language.

Common collocations include gjatë ditës (during the day), gjatë natës (during the night), gjatë kohës (during the period), gjatë këtij viti (this year), and gjatë pushimeve (during the holidays). It can also express a sense of continuity over a span, as in gjatë gjithë vitit (throughout the year). These phrases demonstrate that gjatë emphasizes the time interval rather than a single moment.

In grammar, gjatë is invariable; it does not change with gender or number, and the accompanying noun follows the standard Albanian syntax for case and definiteness. The preposition is widely used in both major Albanian dialects, including Tosk and Gheg, and appears in formal and everyday speech.

Etymologyally, gjatë is a native Albanian preposition with a long-standing presence in the language. It is not a calque from another language and remains one of the core temporal prepositions used to express duration, span, and temporal context in Albanian. See also other temporal prepositions in Albanian, such as brenda (inside/within) and për kohën (for the time of).