If you’ve started learning Albanian, you might have noticed something confusing.

The Albanian you hear on the streets of Pristina (Kosovo) or Shkodër (Northern Albania) sounds completely different from the Albanian spoken in Tirana or the southern beaches of Sarandë.

Why is that?

It’s because the Albanian language is divided into two major dialects: Gheg and Tosk.

Once you understand a few basic rules, telling Gheg and Tosk apart becomes incredibly easy.

What are Gheg and Tosk?

Geographically, the Albanian speaking world is split right down the middle by the Shkumbin River in central Albania.

• Gheg (Gegë) is spoken north of the Shkumbin River. This includes northern Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and parts of North Macedonia.
• Tosk (Toskë) is spoken south of the Shkumbin River. This includes southern Albania, as well as the historical Albanian communities in Italy (Arbëreshë) and Greece (Arvanitika).

Here’s the most important thing you need to know as a beginner:

Standard Albanian is based primarily on the Tosk dialect.

When you watch the news, read a book, or take an official Albanian course, you are learning a polished version of Tosk. However, because Gheg is spoken by millions of people, understanding its basics is crucial for real-life communication.

Pronunciation and sound differences

The easiest way to tell if someone is speaking Gheg or Tosk is by listening to a few specific sounds.

The letter “n” vs. the letter “r”

In linguistics, there is a fancy term called rhotacism. In simple terms, it means that over time, the “n” sound in northern Albanian changed to an “r” sound in southern Albanian.

If you hear a word with an “n” in the middle, it’s likely Gheg. If that same word has an “r”, it’s Tosk.

Nasal vowels in Gheg

Gheg Albanian uses nasal vowels, which means you push air through your nose when you say them (similar to French).

In written Gheg, these are often marked with a little roof symbol called a circumflex (â, ê).

Standard/Tosk Albanian doesn’t use nasal sounds; it replaces them with the letter ë.

Dropping the “ë”

Standard Albanian uses the vowel “ë” constantly.

In Tosk, you usually pronounce it clearly. In Gheg, speakers are known for skipping the “ë” entirely or using it to stretch out the vowel that comes before it.

Grammar differences: the infinitive

The biggest grammatical difference between Gheg and Tosk is how they form the infinitive of a verb.

In English, the infinitive is the basic form of the verb with “to” in front of it (like “to go”, “to eat”, “to sleep”).

Gheg has a true infinitive.

In the north, they use the word me followed by the verb to express the infinitive. It’s short, punchy, and very easy to learn.

Tosk does not have a true infinitive.

In the south (and in Standard Albanian), we use the subjunctive mood instead. This means we say the equivalent of “that I go” or “that I eat” using the particle të.

Let’s look at how you would say “I want to work” in both dialects:

Here is another example with the verb “to sleep”:

Vocabulary differences

Sometimes, the differences aren’t just about sound or grammar. Gheg and Tosk actually use completely different words for everyday things.

This happens in every language. Think about how Americans say “elevator” and the British say “lift”.

Here are a few common vocabulary differences you will hear:

Which dialect should you learn?

When students ask me which version of Albanian they should learn, my answer as a language teacher is always the same: start with Standard Albanian.

Because Standard Albanian is largely Tosk-based, it gives you a massive advantage:

• All textbooks, dictionaries, and language apps use the Standard version.
• Everyone in the Albanian-speaking world understands Standard Albanian, even if they reply to you in heavy Gheg.
• It will make reading signs, menus, and official documents much easier.

However, if you are moving specifically to Kosovo, Shkodër, or another northern region, you should absolutely start practicing Gheg phrases once you have your basics down. The locals will appreciate your effort to speak their local dialect, and it will help you assimilate much faster.

Don’t let the differences scare you. The more you listen to both dialects, the more natural they will start to feel.