bardhë

Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *bardza, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰórh₁ǵos, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵ- (“to shine, whiten”), whence also Lithuanian brėkšti (“to dawn”), Proto-Slavic *brězgъ (“dawn, daybreak”), Proto-Germanic *berhtaz (“bright, shining”), Persian برازیدن (barâzidan, “to beautify”), Sanskrit भ्राजते (bhrājate, “he shines”) or Sanskrit ब्रध्न (bradhna, “yellowish, ruddy”). Possibly closely related to Illyrian Βάρδυλις (Bárdulis) and Messapic barzidihi, see the entries for more.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾðə/
• (Gheg) IPA^(key): [baːɹð], [baːɹθ]

Adjective

i bardhë (feminine plural të bardha)

1. white

   Coordinate term: zi (“black”)

   kalë i bardhë ― white horse

   verë e bardhë ― white wine

   plepi i bardhë ― white poplar

2. blank, unwritten

   çek i bardhë ― blank cheque

3. lucky, fortunate

   ditë të bardha ― white days

4. pure, clean, immaculate

Declension

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• bardho
• bardhol
• bardhosh
• bardhulin
• dhebardhë
• fatbardhë
• zbardh
  • zbardhëllemë
  • zbardhues
  • zbërdhul
  • zbërdhulët

Related terms

• Bardh
• Bardhyl

Descendants

• → Bulgarian: барз (barz), ба́рзав (bárzav), бардз (bardz), ба́рдзав (bárdzav), бардзи́в (bardzív, “neither white nor colourful, greyish and partially white”)
• → Serbo-Croatian: bȁrz (“a goat with white stripes”), adjectives bàrzan, bȁrzav, bȁrzast (“neither white nor colourful, greyish and partially white”)
• → Turkish: barza

Noun

bardhë f (plural bardha, definite bardha, definite plural bardhat)

1. white animal
2. fair-skinned girl

Declension

Declension of bardhë

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bardhë	bardha	bardha	bardhat
accusative		bardhën
dative	bardhe	bardhës	bardhave	bardhave
ablative			bardhash

Noun

bardhë f (plural bardha, definite bardha, definite plural bardhat)

1. white (colour)
2. white (of the eye). sclera

   In full: e bardha e syrit

3. egg white, albumen

   In full: e bardha e vezës

4. good deed
5. (in the plural) Characters from folklore resembling girls living in forests, often mischievous when angry.

See also

Colors in Albanian · ngjyra (layout · text)

bardhë	gri, hirtë	zi
kuqe; skuqem	portokalle; bojë kafe	verdhë; krem; lylc
	gjelbër; blertë
cijan, kaltër	kaltër	blu
vjollcë; llullaq	magentë; purpurtë	rozë; trëndafil

Further reading

• “bardhë”, in FMGJSH: Fjalor i madh i gjuhës shqipe (in Albanian), 2026