njëratjetra

Njëratjetra is a compound expression in Albanian grammar that means “one or the other.” It is used to refer to one item among two possibilities and can function as either a determiner or a pronoun.

Origin and forms: The term combines njëri (“one”) and tjetri (“the other”). It most often appears in the hyphenated form njëri-tjetri, while the closed form njëratjetra is also found in dictionaries and grammars. The expression is generally invariable, not inflecting for gender or number, and is used across different registers of language.

Usage: Njëratjetra typically signals a choice between two options that have been mentioned or are clear from context. It can precede a noun to mark which of the two is meant or stand as a pronoun referring to the two referents without naming them explicitly. In both spoken and written Albanian, it serves to indicate a non-specific, dichotomous alternative.

See also: Albanian grammar; pronouns; determiners.