ndjenjës

Ndjenja is an Albanian noun meaning feeling, sensation, or emotion. The form ndjenjës is its genitive/possessive variant used in phrases such as “the feeling’s quality” or “of the feeling.” The concept encompasses subjective experiences that arise in response to stimuli, events, or thoughts, and it covers both physical sensations and affective states.

Ndjenja can refer to a wide range of experiences, from bodily sensations like warmth, pressure, or pain to emotional states such as happiness, fear, sadness, or nostalgia. In everyday language, people describe their internal experiences with phrases like “strong ndjenja” or “plot of ndjenja,” highlighting how feelings shape perception and behavior.

In psychology and neuroscience, ndjenja are studied as part of affect and perception. Feelings interact with attention, memory, and decision-making, and they are influenced by bodily states through interoception—the sensing of internal bodily signals. Brain systems involved in processing feelings include regions of the limbic system and the insula, which help integrate emotion with cognition.

Culturally and linguistically, ndjenja play a central role in Albanian literature, art, and daily life. The term is used to express empathy, moral sentiment, and human experience, and it appears in poetry, music, and conversation as a key aspect of what it means to be human. The concept also intersects with philosophical discussions about subjectivity and the nature of consciousness.

See also: emotion; sense; perception.