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The Alphabet Maltese Letter Approximate Pronunciation Symbol Examples
The Alphabet Maltese Letter Approximate Pronunciation Symbol Examples
(*) 'GH' is regarded as a single letter in Maltese. When it precedes or follows any one of the vowels 'a', 'e', 'o' it
prolongs the sound of the vowel. In my phonetic transcription this is shown by : after the vowel concerned.
When 'GH' is followed by the vowel 'i' it takes the sound of 'ay' in the English word 'bay'. When 'GH' is
followed by the vowel 'u' it takes the sound of 'ou' in the English word 'soul'.
When 'GH' is the final letter in a word, it is pronounced as a soft aspirate sound like 'h' in the English word
'hair'.
N.B.(2) My phonetic transcription will also show the differences in pronunciation of 'g' in 'gobon' and 'g' in
'gidba', 'z' in 'zija' and 'z' in 'zarbun', and between silent and pronounced 'h'.
N.B.(3) Doubled consonants are to be lengthened phonetically at the beginning of a word or inside it. Thus ll
in 'falla' must be pronounced not with one l as in English 'fuller' but with the first l closing the first syllable
and with the second l opening the second syllable. Approximate phonetic analogy in English would be the
pronunciation of "full life".
THE ARTICLE
The definite article "the", in Maltese is "l", linked by a hyphen to the following noun or adjective. E.g. l-orizzont
(the horizon), l-isbah (the most beautiful).
The article becomes "il-" if the following word begins with a consonant. E.g. il-mera (the mirror), il-quddiesa
(the Mass), il-qamar (the moon), il-lapis (the pencil), il-habs (the prison), il-ghasfur or l-ghasfur (the bird), il-
herra or l-herra (the rudenss).
The definite article changes to match the following word in certain instances when the initial consonant is c, d,
n, r, s, t, x, z (voiced), or z E.g. ic-cirku (the circle), id-duhhan (the smoke), in-nemel (the ants), ir-rahal (the
village), is-suwed (the blacks), it-tagen (the frying pan), ix-xitan (the devil), iz-zalza (the sauce), iz-zunzan (the
bee).
PRONOUNS
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Personal pronouns in Maltese can also function as verbs. Thus:
Singular: Plural:
Jien (or Jiena) = I; I am Ahna = We; We are
Int (or Inti) = You; You are Intom = You; You are
Hu (or Huwa) = He; He is Huma = They; They are
Hi (or Hija) = She; She is
The negative of the verbal mode of the pronoun is made by surrounding the pronoun with "ma" before the
pronoun and "x" appended to it. Thus:
RELATIVE PRONOUN
The relative pronouns who, whom, that, which are rendered in Maltese by the particle "li".
L-ittra li bghattli. (The letter you sent me).
Ma rajtx il-programmi li semmejtli. (I didn't see the programs you
mentioned to me).
Dan hu l-frigg li jmissna nixtru. (This is the fridge we should
buy).
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
Min (Who)
Liema (Which one)
Xi (What)
X (What) before words beginning with a vowel, a single consonant,
a silent h or gh.
PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES
The pronominal suffixes appended to nouns, verbs and prepositions are:
Singular Plural
-i, -ja (my) -na (our)
-ek, -ok, -k (your) -kom (your)
-u, -h (his) -hom (their)
-ha (hers) -hom (their)
E.g. mieghek (with you); tajthom (I gave them); gismi (my body);
ommok (your mother); taghha (hers).
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Singular Plural
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1st person: tieghi (my, mine) taghna (our, ours)
2nd person: tieghek (your, yours) taghkom (your, yours)
3rd person: tieghu (his, its) taghhom (their, theirs)
taghha (her, hers, its) taghhom (their, theirs)
ADVERBS
fejn (where) Fejn hi l-librerija? (Where's the library?)
hawn (here) Hawn ahna! (Here we are!)
hemm (there) Meta sejjer hemm? (When are you going there?)
kullimkien (everywhere) Kullimkien hekk. (It's like this everywhere.)
meta (when) Meta se titilqu? (When are you leaving?)
illum (today) Illum temp bnazzi. (Fine weather today.)
ghada (tomorrow) Tluq ghal ghada. (Departure set for tomorrow.)
ilbierah (yesterday) Wasalna 'lbierah. (We arrived yesterday.)
xhin (when) Xhin hi c-cena? (What time is supper?)
qatt (never) Qatt ma kellu xorti. (He was never lucky.)
kif (how) Kif issajjru l-bebbux? (How do you cook snails?)
biss (only) Rajtha darba biss. (I saw her only one time.)
wisq (too much) Tlablab wisq. (She chatters too much.)
bizzejjed (enough) Ma jiekolx bizzejjed. (He doesn't eat enough.)
hadd (no one) Hadd ma gie. (No one showed up.)
xejn (nothing) Xejn ma jiskantani. (Nothing surprises me.)
tassew (really) Tassew ma toghgobnix. (Really I don't like it.)
ghaliex (why) Ghaliex ma cempiltx? (Why didn't you call?)
A few exceptions: triq (street), dar (house), ruh (soul), qalb (heart), belt (city), id (hand).
The adjective takes the definite article when it qualifies a noun which
is preceded by a definite article.
it-tifel il-marid (the sick boy) il-kamra n-nadifa (the clean room)
When a noun is in the singular, the qualifying ajective agrees with the noun in gender and number. In the
plural form of the adjective is the same for both masculine and feminine genders.
N.B. The formation of the plural number in Maltese for both adjectives and nouns does not follow uniform
patterns. The reader is encouraged to learn the plural forms as he or she encounters them.
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
The comparative degree of adjectives is formed by prefixing "a, e, i" or "o" to the positive form of the
adjective. Following are examples of the main patterns:
Some adjectives take "aktar" (more) or "izjed" (more) and "anqas" (less) to express the comparative degree.
The superlative is formed by prefixing the definite article "l-" to "aktar', "izjed", and "anqas".
Hi l-ahjar fil-kors.
(She is the best in the course).
The DUAL number is formed by adding the suffix "-ejn" or "-ajn" to the
singular form of the noun.
Maltese has two categories of formations of the plural for nouns and
adjectives;
a) EXTERNAL PLURAL
b) INTERNAL PLURAL
3) WEAK: Verbs having a third radical semi vowel "j". QaRa for
QaRaJ (he read)
DERIVED VERBS
Derived verbal stems are categorized into nine groups according to formation and meaning of verbs.
PATTERN 1
Ex: kisser (he smashed); raqqad (he put to sleep); kabbar (he enlarged).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) kissirt, (int) kissirt, (hu) kisser, (hi) kissret (ahna) kissirna, (intom) kssirtu, (huma) kissru
Present (jien) inkisser, (int) tkisser, (hu) ikisser, (hi) tkisser (ahna) inkissru, (intom) tkissru, (huma) ikissru
Imperative kisser (sing.), kissru (plur.)
Past Part. imkisser (m.) imkissra (f.) imkissrin (pl.)
Verb. Noun tkissir (breaking in pieces)
PATTERN 2
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) berikt, (int) berikt, (hu) bierek, (hi) bierket (ahna) berikna, (intom) beriktu, (huma) bierku
Present (jien) inbierek, (int) tbierek, (hu) ibierek, (hi) tbierek (ahna) inbierku, (intom) tbierku, (huma) ibierku
Imperative bierek (sing), bierku (plur.)
Past Part mbierek (m.) mbierka (f.) imberkin (plur.)
Verb. Noun tberik (blessing)
PATTERN 3
Perfect (jien) urejt, (int) urejt, (hu) wera, (hi) uriet (ahna) wrejna, (intom) urejtu, (huma) wrew
Present (jien) nuri, (int) turi, (hu) juri, (hi) turi (ahna) nuru, (intom) turu, (huma) juru
Imperative uri (sing.), uru (plur.)
Past Part. muri (m.) murija (f.) murijin (plur.)
Verb. Noun wirja (show); turija (demonstration)
PATTERN 4
Ex: tkabbar (he grew proud); (i)ccahhad (he denied himself); (i)ssellef
(he borrowed); tghallaq (he hanged himself).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) tkabbart, (int) tkabbart, (hu) tkabbar, (hi) tkabbret (ahna) tkabbarna, (intom)
tkabbartu, (huma) tkabbru
Present (jien) nitkabbar, (int) titkabbar, (hu) jitkabbar (hi) titkabbar (ahna) nitkabbru, (intom)
titkabbru, (huma) jitkabbru
Imperative tkabbar (sing.), tkabbru (plur.)
Past Part. mkabbar (m.) mkabbra (f.) mkabbrin (plur.)
Verb.Noun tkabbir (self-importance)
PATTERN 5
Pattern 2 verbs which take a prefix "t" (with the assimilation of "t"
before: c, d, g (soft), s, z (voiced), or z.). They have a reflexive,
passive, or reciprocal function.
Ex: tqabad (he struggled); tmieghek (he wallowed); tbierek (he was
blessed); (i)ggieled (he quarrelled).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) tqabadt, (int) tqabadt, (hu) tqabad, (hi) tqabdet (ahna) tqabadna, (intom) tqabadtu,
(huma) tqabdu
Present (jien) nitqabad, (int) titqabad, (hu) jitqabad, (hi) titqabad (ahna) nitqabdu, (intom) titqabdu,
(huma) jitqabdu
Imperative tqabad (sing.), tqabdu (plur.)
Past Part. mqabad
Verb. Noun tqabid (struggling)
PATTERN 6
Formed by prefixing "n" or "nt" to verbs of the first form. Verbs take a
reflexive or passive meaning.
Ex: (I)ndahal (he interfered); (i)nfirex (it was spread); (i)nqatel (he
killed himself); (i)nqabad (he was caught; (i)nstab (he was found).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) indhalt, (int) inthaldt, (hu) indahal, (hi) indahlet (ahna) indhalna, (intom) intdhaltu,
(huma) indahlu
Present (jien) nindahal, (int) tindahal, (hu) jindahal, (hi) tindahal (ahna) nindahlu, (intom) tindahlu,
(huma) jindahlu
Imperative indahal (sing.), indahlu (plur.)
Past Part. none
Verb. Noun ndhiel (interfering)
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PATTERN 7
Formed by inserting "t" after the first radical of the first form. Verbs
take a reflexive or passive role.
Conjugation:
PATTERN 8
Formed by inserting a long "a" or "ie" between the second and third
radical. These verbs express change of color or quality.
Ex: sfar (he grew yellow/pale); swied (it/he grew black); blieh (he grew
foolish).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) sfart, (int) sfart, (hu) sfar, (hi) sfaret
(ahna) sfarna, (intom) sfartu, (huma) sfaru
Present (jien) nisfar, (int) tisfar, (hu) jisfar, (hi) tisfar
(ahna) nisfaru, (intom) tisfaru, (huma) jisfaru
Imperative isfar (sing.), isfaru (plur.)
Past Part. musfar (m.) musfara (f.) musfarin (plur.)
PATTERN 9
This form is derived by prefixing "st" to the initial vowel of the root word. These verbs express a negative
effect.
Ex: stkerra] (he detested); staghgeb (he was amazed).
Conjugation:
Perfect (jien) stkerraht (int) stkerraht, (hu) stkerrah, (hi) stkerrhet
(ahna) stkerrahna (intom) stkerrahtu, (huma) stkerrhu
Present (jien) nistkerrah, (int) tistkerrah, (hu) jistkerrah, (hi) tistkerrah
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(ahna) nistkerrhu, (intom) tistkerrhu, (huma)jistkerrhu
Imperative stkerrah (sing.), stkerrhu (plur.)
Past Part. mistkerrah (m.) mistkerrha (f.) mistkerrhin (plur.)
Verb. Noun skerrih (loathing)
STRONG VERBS
Perfect:
DEFECTIVE VERBS
Root Verb: QALA (he earned)
HOLLOW VERBS
WEAK VERBS
Root Verb: QARA (he read)
DOUBLED VERBS
Another group of verbs consists of four consonants in the root form . Ex:
KaZBaR (he reviled); QaRMeC (he crunched); TeMTeM (he stuttered); WeRZaQ
(he screamed); FiXKeL (he obstructed).
IRREGULAR VERBS
gabhulhom (he brought it/him to them) tibghathomlna (you will send them to us)
kitbuhielna (they wrote it to/for us) hallihielhom (leave it for them)
ibghatuhuli (send it/him to me) islifhomli (lend them to me)
urihielu (show it/her to hm) iktbuhulhom (write it to/for them)
aghmluhielna (do it for us) kissruhomlkom (they smashed them for you)
THE NEGATIVE
The negative "not" in a statement is translated in Maltese by the
particle "ma" ("m" before a vowel, "h" or "gh") used before a verb
in the present or perfect, to which is appended the particle "x" (short
for xejn = nothing).
Following is the conjugation of the verbs to be and to have in the affirmative and negative forms in the
Present tense.
THE CONDITIONAL
In Maltese the conditional (expressed in English by would / should +
verb) is conveyed by "kieku" (if) or "jekk" (if) followed by the Perfect
or Present forms of the verb.
In Maltese, the Present tense conveys also the future. There are various particles and verbs which can
combine with the Present Tense to express different nuances to a future idea.
a) "Ser", abbreviated for "sejjer" (m), "sejra" (f), "sejrin" (pl) going, expresses an action that is going to take
place.
Il-gimgha d-diehla sejrin niccelebraw l-anniversarju taghna.
(Next week we are going to celebrate our anniversary.)
b) "Ghad" expresses a future action, event or situation which may take place.
d) The verb "ikollu" etc. followed by a conjugated verb in the Present expresses an idea of obligation.
e) The verb "ikun" etc. followed by a conjugated verb in the Present expresses an action expected to take
place concurrently with an another action.
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