njí

Një is a word in Albanian that functions as both a numeral and an indefinite article. As a numeral, it represents the quantity one and is used when counting or identifying a single item. As an indefinite article, it precedes a singular noun to mean “a” or “an,” introducing non-specific reference. For example, one may say një libër (a book) or një njeri (a person). The same form njënjë? No, the standard form is një, written with the letter ë, and it does not change with the gender of the noun; it appears before masculine and feminine singular nouns alike, such as një burrë (a man) and një grua (a woman).

Spelling and pronunciation are distinctive in Albanian. The word is spelled with the letter ë and is typically pronounced approximately as nyə, a palatal nasal followed by a neutral vowel. In practice, speakers may render it as nyə or nyuh in rapid speech. Its use is widespread in both standard and colloquial Albanian.

Grammatical behavior is simple: një does not inflect for number or gender, and it generally precedes the noun it modifies. When used in the numeral system, it counts as the first in sequences such as një, dy, tre (one, two, three). In combination with longer numerals, një often functions solely as the numeral one rather than as an indefinite article.

Related forms and phrases include expressions like njëherë (once) and njëherësh (simultaneously), where ugying forms derive from the base indefinite notion of “one.” Një remains a fundamental element of Albanian syntax, marking indefiniteness and counting in a compact, widely used form.