Albanian: please

[LangF]

I started studying the Albanian language a while ago. There are two different forms of "please" word: Ju lutem and Të lutem. What is the difference between these words? Possibly informal / formal? How much do you use please word in Albania?

 

[entangledbank]

As in Finnish and many other European languages, the plural ju "you" is used as a polite singular, and the actual singular ti is familiar. As an object attached to a verb, they have the forms ju and të. The word lutem means "I request", so these pronouns are its object.

 

[LangF]

Thanks for the answer. Do you know how formal the Albanians are? For example, in Finland it would be strange to use a formal form (_te_ vs sinä) when talking to younger people or generally in shops, etc. While traveling in Russia, the formal form (ТЫ vs _ВЫ_) was more common.

 

[L'irlandais]

Hello,
My assimil pocket phrase book has this to say

L’usage du ”tu” est assez répandu, comme dans les autres pays méditerranéens. Mais, lorsque vous vous adressez aux représentants de l’autorité, il vaut mieux utiliser la deuxième personne du pluriel: ju (you/vous).