kujdes

Kujdes is an Albanian noun that denotes care, concern, attention, or caution. It can refer to the act of looking after someone or something, the state of being careful, or the effort to avoid danger or error. The word is widely used across dialects and registers, from everyday conversation to more formal speech.

In usage, kujdes appears in statements about responsibility and prudence. For example, it can express personal concern for one’s health or well-being, as in “kam kujdes për shëndetin tim.” It also functions as an exhortation or warning: the interjection “Kujdes!” is commonly spoken to alert someone to a risk, roughly equivalent to “Careful!” in English. The expression “duhet të kesh kujdes” conveys the advice to be careful.

Kujdes has related forms in Albanian. The noun kujdesje, formed with the suffix -je, is used to denote the concept or quality of care and attentiveness. As a core concept in everyday language, kujdes often appears in proverbs and etiquette, reflecting cultural expectations regarding attentiveness to others, personal safety, and responsible conduct.

Translations into English typically render kujdes as care, attention, or caution, depending on the context. In linguistic terms, kujdes is a stable, everyday word that supports a range of phrases about looking after people, objects, and situations, as well as warnings to prevent harm.