The Maltese Language

• Introduction
• Chapter 1 The Maltese Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Chapter 2 Basic Greetings and Introductions
• Chapter 3 Numbers, Dates, and Telling Time
• Chapter 4 Common Nouns and Gender
• Chapter 5 The Definite and Indefinite Article
• Chapter 6 Basic Sentence Structure
• Chapter 7 Personal Pronouns
• Chapter 8 The Verb 'To Be'
• Chapter 9 The Verb 'To Have'
• Chapter 10 Asking Questions
• Chapter 11 Everyday Vocabulary: Food and Drink
• Chapter 12 Everyday Vocabulary: Family and People
• Chapter 13 Adjectives and Agreement
• Chapter 14 Prepositions of Place
• Chapter 15 The Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Chapter 16 Common Irregular Verbs
• Chapter 17 At the Restaurant: Ordering a Meal
• Chapter 18 Getting Around: Directions and Transportation
• Chapter 19 Shopping and a Visit to the Market
• Chapter 20 Expressing Likes and Dislikes
• Chapter 21 The Past Tense (Il-Passat)
• Chapter 22 Making Plans and Future Intentions
• Chapter 23 At the Hotel: Checking In and Common Phrases
• Chapter 24 Talking about the Weather
• Chapter 25 Basic Cultural Etiquette and Useful Expressions
• Afterword
• Appendix I A Journey Through Time - The History of the Maltese Language
• Appendix II Travel Glossary

Welcome! If you are holding this book, chances are you are preparing for a journey to the beautiful Mediterranean archipelago of Malta. Whether you are planning to wander the golden, historic streets of Valletta, dive into the crystal-clear waters of Gozo, or simply relax with a coffee while soaking in the island's vibrant culture, you have an incredible trip ahead of you.

As you pack your bags and plan your itinerary, you might find yourself wondering about the local language. You may already know that Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English. Because nearly everyone on the islands speaks excellent English, you might ask yourself, Do I really need to learn Maltese?

Strictly speaking, you don't need to. But making the effort to learn even a little bit of Maltese will transform your trip. There is a profound difference between experiencing a country as a passing tourist and experiencing it as a welcomed guest. When you take the time to greet a shopkeeper with bonġu (good morning) or offer a heartfelt grazzi (thank you) after a meal, you cross a bridge. Locals deeply appreciate visitors who take an interest in their mother tongue, and your efforts—no matter how small—will be rewarded with warm smiles, better service, and a deeper connection to the people you meet.

Furthermore, Maltese (Malti) is a linguistic marvel that is completely unique in the world. It is the only Semitic language—sharing deep ancient roots with Arabic and Hebrew—that is written using the Latin alphabet. Over the centuries, Malta's position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean has resulted in a language that is a fascinating historical tapestry. You will hear the rhythmic cadence of its Arabic origins, heavily layered with vocabulary borrowed from Sicilian, Italian, and, more recently, English. Learning Maltese isn't just about communication; it is a crash course in the history of the island itself.

This book is designed specifically for you: the prospective visitor who wants to get up to speed quickly and confidently. You do not need any prior language-learning experience to use this guide. Over the next 25 chapters, we will take a highly practical, step-by-step approach to the language.

We will start at the very beginning—demystifying the Maltese alphabet and pronunciation so you can read street signs and menus with ease. From there, we will move into essential greetings, numbers, and basic grammar, keeping the rules bite-sized and easy to digest. As you progress, the chapters will mirror the experiences you will have on your trip. You will learn how to order food at a restaurant, ask for directions, shop at local markets, check into your hotel, and navigate cultural etiquette.

Don't be intimidated by unfamiliar letters or new sounds. The goal of this book is not absolute perfection, but practical connection. Read the words out loud, practice the phrases, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Your Maltese adventure starts right here, on these pages. Let's begin.

Merħba f'Malta! (Welcome to Malta!)

When you first step off the plane in Malta and begin reading street signs, menus, and shop windows, you might experience a moment of confusion. You will see words that look vaguely Italian, words that look remarkably Arabic, and words peppered with letters topped with dots or crossed with horizontal lines.

Don't panic! The Maltese alphabet is completely accessible. Because it is written in the Latin script (the same alphabet used for English), you already know the vast majority of the letters. There are 29 letters in the Maltese alphabet, and mastering them is the master key to unlocking the language. Once you know how to pronounce these letters, you can read almost any Maltese word aloud. Unlike English, which is full of unpredictable pronunciation rules (think of the words though, tough, and through), Maltese is highly phonetic. What you see is exactly what you say.

Let's break down the alphabet, focusing on the vowels, the familiar consonants, and those unique "special" letters.

The Vowels

Maltese has five standard vowels, plus one special vowel combination. They are crisp and short, similar to vowels in Italian or Spanish.

• A / a: Pronounced like the "a" in father.
• E / e: Pronounced like the "e" in pet.
• I / i: Pronounced like the "ee" in seen.
• O / o: Pronounced like the "o" in more.
• U / u: Pronounced like the "oo" in boot.

There is also a common two-letter vowel, Ie / ie. This is pronounced as a long "ee" sound, as in the word piece.

The Familiar Consonants

You can breathe a sigh of relief here: b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, and w are all pronounced exactly as they are in English.

Notice that the letters c and y do not exist in the Maltese alphabet on their own. (If you see a standard "c," it's usually in a borrowed English or Italian word).

The "Special" Consonants

Here is where Maltese gets its unique character. You will notice that a few letters have a dot over them (ċ, ġ, ż) or a stroke through them (ħ). Let's demystify them.

• Ċ / ċ (C with a dot): Pronounced like the "ch" in church.
• Ġ / ġ (G with a dot): Pronounced like the "j" in jump.
• G / g (Standard G): Without the dot, this is always a hard "g," as in goat or good.
• J / j: Pronounced like the English "y" in yes or yellow. (For example, the word jien, meaning "I", is pronounced "yeen").
• X / x: Pronounced like the "sh" in shoe. (A great example is the famous Maltese bus, the Xarabank, pronounced "sha-ra-bank").
• Z / z (Standard Z): Pronounced like the "ts" in pizza or cats.
• Ż / ż (Z with a dot): Pronounced like the buzzing "z" in zebra.

The Tale of the Three H's

Maltese has three different ways to approach the letter "h." This usually trips up beginners, but the rules are very simple:

1. H / h (Standard H): This letter is completely silent. If you see it at the beginning of a word, just pronounce the vowel that comes after it.
2. Ħ / ħ (H with a stroke): This is a harsh, raspy "h" sound. Imagine the sound you make when you breathe heavily on a cold window to fog it up, or the "h" in the English word house, but pronounced with much more force from the back of the throat.
3. Għ / għ: This is a uniquely Maltese two-letter combination called the għajn. For a beginner, the rule is easy: it is completely silent. You do not pronounce it. Instead, its job is to lengthen the vowel that comes right before or after it.

The Glottal Stop: Q / q

Finally, we have the letter Q. In English, we expect "q" to make a "kw" sound, as in queen. Throw that rule out the window for Maltese!

In Maltese, the Q represents a "glottal stop." This is a sound produced by suddenly closing the back of your throat. If you say the English phrase "uh-oh," that little catch in your throat between the two syllables is a glottal stop. You will see this letter frequently, such as in the word triq (street), which is pronounced "tree-*" (stopping the sound sharply at the end).

Let's Practice!

Now that you have the rules, let's try sounding out a few common Maltese words you'll likely see on your trip. Read the phonetic guides aloud.

• Grazzi (Thank you) -> gra-tsee (Notice the standard 'z' making a 'ts' sound!)
• Ċikkulata (Chocolate) -> chik-koo-la-ta
• Xawer (Shower) -> sha-wer (An English loanword written in Maltese spelling!)
• Ħobż (Bread) -> hobs (Strong H, and the dotted Ż making a buzzing sound).
• Għawdex (Gozo - Malta's sister island) -> ow-desh (The 'għ' is silent, lengthening the 'a', and 'x' makes an 'sh' sound).

Moving Forward

You don't need to memorize all of this immediately. As you progress through the coming chapters, we will provide English pronunciation guides for new words. However, by keeping these alphabet rules in the back of your mind, you will soon find yourself confidently reading signs in Valletta and menus in Mdina.

Now that you know how to sound things out, it's time to start talking. In Chapter 2, we will dive into your very first words in Maltese: basic greetings and introductions.