Maltese phrasebook

Maltese (Malti) is the main language of Malta.

Pronunciation guide

The Maltese alphabet consists of 30 letters.

Vowels

a
like 'a' in "after"
e
like 'e' in "enter"
i
like 'i' in "if"
o
like 'o' in "often"
u
like 'oo' in "too"
ie
like 'ea' in "mean"

Consonants

b
like 'b' in "ball"
ċ
like 'ch' in "church"
d
like 'd' in "door"
f
like 'f' in "fork"
g
like 'g' in "gone"
ġ
like 'j' in "jump"
mostly silent, except at the end of a word or immediately before 'h', in which case, it sounds like 'ħ'
h
mostly silent, except at the end of a word, in which case, it sounds like 'ħ'
ħ
like 'h' in "hold"
j
like 'y' in "yellow"
k
like 'c' in "cake"
l
like 'l' in "love"
m
like 'm' in "make"
n
like 'n' in "nice"
p
like 'p' in "pig"
q
glottal stop, no direct equivalent. Similar to the Cockney English pronunciation of 'tt' in "bottle"
r
like 'r' in "rail"
s
like 's' in "saw"
t
like 't' in "tail"
v
like 'v' in "victory"
w
like 'w' in "weight"
x
like 'sh' in "shore"
z
like 'ts' in "dots"
ż
like 'z' in "zero"

Phrase list

Basics

Common signs


All of the common signs in Malta (such as Open and Closed) are written either in English, or using international symbols, so travellers should not have a problem.

Hello.
Hello. (HEH-low)
Hello (informal)
Aw (AA-w)
Hello. (Good morning)
Bonġu. (BON-ju)
How are you?
Kif inti? (kiyf int-EE?)
Fine, thank you.
Tajjeb. Grazzi. (TAI-yeb GRUTS-ee)
What is your name?
X'jismek? (SHYI-smeck?)
My name is ______.
Jisimni ______. (yi-SIM-nee_____ .)
Nice to meet you.
Għandi pjaċir. (AAn-dee pya-CHEER)
Please.
Jekk jogħġbok. (yek YOH-jbok)
Thank you.
Grazzi. (GRUTS-ee)
You're welcome.
Mhux problema. (moosh pro-bleh-MA)
Yes.
Iva. (Eve-a)
No.
Le. (Le)
Excuse me. (getting attention)
Skużi. (SCOO-zee)
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
Skużani. (SCOO-za-nee)
I'm sorry.
Jiddispjaċini. (yid-dis-pya-CHEE-NEE)
Goodbye
Saħħa. (SAH-ha)
Goodbye (informal)
Ċaw. (CHA-W)
I can't speak Maltese [well].
Ma nitkellimx bil-Malti [tajjeb]. (maa nit-kel-limsh bill mal-ti [thai-yeb])
Do you speak English?
Titkellem bl-Ingliz? (Tit-kel-lem blin-gleez?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Hawn xi ħadd jitkellem bl-Ingliz? (awn shi hut jit-kel-lem blin-gleez?)
Help!
Ajjut! (I-yut!)
Look out!
Attent! (AAT-tent!)
Good morning.
Bonġu. (BON-ju)
Good day.
Il-ġurnata t-tajba. (ill JUR-na-ta it THAI-ba)
Good evening.
Bonswa. (BON-swaa)
Good night.
Il-lejl it-tajjeb. (ill leyl it THAI-yeb)
I don't understand.
Ma nifhimx. (maa ni-fimx)
Where is the toilet[, please?]
Fejn hu t-toilet[, jekk jogħġbok?] (feyn ooh it TOY-litt, yek YOH-jbok?)

Problems

Leave me alone.
Ħallini. (hahl-LEE-nee)
Don't touch me!
Tmissnix! (tmiss-NEESH)
I'll call the police.
Se ngħajjat il-pulizija. (se NIGH-yat ill poo-lits-EE-ya)
Police!
Pulizija! (poo-lits-EE-ya!)
Stop! Thief!
Waqqfuh! Ħalliel! (wa-eh-FOOH! hahl-LIEL!)
I need your help.
Tista' tgħini? (tis-TA tey-nee?)
It's an emergency.
Emergenza. (eh-mer-GEN-sa)
I'm lost.
Intlift. (in-tlift)
I lost my bag.
Tlift il-basket. (tlift ill BUS-ket)
I lost my wallet.
Tlift il-wallet. (tlift ill WOH-let)
I'm sick.
Imradt. (im-rudt)
I've been injured.
Weġġajt. (WEDGE-iyt)
I need a doctor.
Għandi bżonn tabib. (AAndi bzon TAA-bib)
Can I use your phone?
Nista' nużalek it-telefon? (nis-TAA noo-ZAA-lek it te-le-fon?)

Numbers

1
wieħed (WEE-hed)
2
tnejn (tneyn)
3
tlieta (TLEE-ta)
4
erbgħa (EHR-ba)
5
ħamsa (HAM-sa)
6
sitta (SIT-ta)
7
sebgħa (SEH-ba)
8
tmienja (tmeehn-ya)
9
disgħa (DIH-sa)
10
għaxra (AA-shra)
11
ħdax (hdash)
12
tnax (tnash)
13
tlettax (tleht-TAASH)
14
erbatax (ehr-ba-TAASH)
15
ħmistax (hmiss-TAASH)
16
sittax (sit-TAASH)
17
sbatax (zba-TAASH)
18
tmintax (tmin-TAASH)
19
dsatax (tsa-TAASH)
20
għoxrin (osh-REEN)
21
wieħed u għoxrin (WEE-hed oo osh-REEN)
22
tnejn u għoxrin (tneyn oo osh-REEN)
23
tlieta u għoxrin (TLEE-ta oo osh-REEN)
30
tletin (tleh-TEEN)
40
erbgħin (ehr-BAYN)
50
ħamsin (hum-SEEN)
60
sittin (sit-TEEN)
70
sebgħin (seh-BAYN)
80
tmenin (tmeh-NEEN)
90
disgħin (dih-SAYN)
100
mija (MEE-ya)
101
mija u wieħed (MEE-ya oo WEE-hed)
200
mitejn (mee-TEYN)
300
tliet mija (tlet MEE-ya)
1,000
elf (elf)
2,000
elfejn (el-FAYN)
1,000,000
miljun (mill-YOON)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
numru _____ (noo-mroo)
half
nofs (nofs)
less
inqas (IN-aas)
more
iktar (ICK-tar)

Note: Some phrasing involving numbers may be difficult to catch for anyone not familiar with the Maltese language.

Time

now
issa (is-SAH)
later
iktar tard (ick-TAR tard)
before
qabel (AA-bel)
morning
filgħodu (fill-O-doo)
afternoon
wara n-nofsinhar (WAA-rah in nofs-in-aar)
evening
filgħaxija (fill-AA-shee-ya)
night
bil-lejl (bill leyl)

Clock time

Note that 'one o'clock' and 'two o'clock' are exceptions to the rule of reading clock time. Times between 'three o'clock' to 'eleven o'clock' are told normally and told normally by using the numbers.

one o'clock AM
is-siegħa ta' filgħodu (is SEE-yah tah fill-O-doo)
two o'clock AM
is-sagħtejn ta' filgħodu (is SAH-teyn tah fill-O-doo)
three o'clock AM
it-tlieta ta' filgħodu (it TLIH-ta tah fill-O-doo)
noon
nofsinhar (nofs-in-aar)
one o'clock PM
is-siegħa ta' wara n-nofsinhar (is SEE-yah tah WAA-rah in nofs-in-aar)
two o'clock PM
is-sagħtejn ta' wara n-nofsinhar (is SAH-teyn tah WAA-rah in nofs-in-aar)
three o'clock AM
it-tlieta ta' wara n-nofsinhar (it TLIH-ta tah WAA-rah in nofs-in-aar)
midnight
nofsilejl (nofs-ill-leyl)

Duration

_____ minute(s)
_____ minuta(minuti) (mih-NOO-tah (mih-NOO-tee))
_____ hour(s)
_____ siegħa(t) (see-aa (see-aat))
_____ day(s)
_____ jum(jiem) (yoom (yiem))
_____ week(s)
_____ ġimgħa(t) (jim-aa (jim-aat))
_____ month(s)
_____ xahar(xhur) (xaar (xoor))
_____ year(s)
_____ sena(snin) (se-na (snin))

Days

today
illum (il-LOOM)
yesterday
ilbieraħ (il-BIH-rah)
tomorrow
għada (AA-da)
this week
dil-ġimgħa (dill jim-aa)
last week
il-ġimgħa l-oħra (ill jim-aa loh-ra)
next week
il-ġimgħa ddieħla (ill jim-aa id-dih-la)
Sunday
Il-Ħadd (ill hut)
Monday
It-Tnejn (it tneyn)
Tuesday
It-Tlieta (it TLEE-ta)
Wednesday
L-Erbgħa (LEHR-ba)
Thursday
Il-Ħamis (ill ham-EES)
Friday
Il-Ġimgħa (ill jim-aa)
Saturday
Is-Sibt (iss sibt)

Months

January
Jannar (yan-NAR)
February
Frar (frar)
March
Marzu (mar-tsoo)
April
April (aap-REEL)
May
Mejju (MAY-yoo)
June
Ġunju (JOON-yoo)
July
Lulju (LOO-lyu)
August
Awwissu (aaw-WIS-soo)
September
Settembru (set-TEM-bru)
October
Ottubru (ot-TOO-broo)
November
Novembru (noh-VEM-broo)
December
Diċembru (dee-CHEM-broo)

Colours

black
iswed (ISS-wet)
white
abjad (AHB-yat)
gray
griż (grees)
red
aħmar (AHH-mar)
blue
blu (blu)
yellow
isfar (ISS-far)
green
aħdar (AHH-dar)
orange
oranġjo (oh-RAHN-jyo)
purple
vjola (VYO-lah)
brown
kannella (kahn-NEL-lah)
pink
roża (RO-sa)

Transportation

Note that there are no trains in Malta, so asking train relating information will not be necessary.

Place Names

In general, the name of the language is not the same as the country.
e.g. Spanja → Spain, Spanjol → Spanish
Amerika → America, Amerikan → American

Canada
Kanada (KA-naa-daa)
England
Ingilterra (ING-eel-TER-raa)
France
Franza (FRAN-tsa)
Italy
Italja (IT-al-yaa)
Germany
Ġermanja (GER-maan-yaa)
Holland
Olanda (OL-aan-daa)
Australia
Awstralja (AUW-straal-yaa)
Finland
Filandja (FEEL-aand-yaa)
Russia
Russja (RU-ss-YAA)
Belgium
Belġu (BEL-guu)
Luxembourg
Lussenburgu (LUS-sen-buur-guu)
Poland
Polonja (POL-on-yaa)
Croatia
Kroazja (CROW-aats-yaa)
Denmark
Danimarka (DA-nee-maar-kaa)
Scandinavia
Skandinavja (SKAAN-deen-aav-yaa)
Sicily
Sqalijja (SEU-aalee-yyaa)
Europe
Ewropa (EW-ro-paa)
Africa
Afrika (AF-ree-kaa)

Bus and train

How much is a ticket to _____?
Kemm hu biljett għal _____? (kemm oo bill-YET aal ______)
One ticket to _____, please.
Biljett wieħed għal _____, jekk jogħġbok. (bill-YET WEE-hed aal ________, yek YOH-jbok)
Where does this bus go?
Għal fejn hi din? (aal feyn ee deen?)
Where is the bus to _____?
Fejn hi tal-linja għal _____? (...)
Does this bus stop in _____?
Din tieqaf _____? (...)
When does the bus for _____ leave?
Fiex ħin titlaq titlaq għal _____? (...)
When will this bus arrive in _____?
Fiex ħin tasal f' _____? (...)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ?
Kif nasal sa ______? (keef NAH-sal saa _______)
...the bus station?
...it-terminus? (it ter-MIH-nus)
...the airport?
...l-ajruport? (liy-roo-PORT)
...the youth hostel?
...il-hostel? (ill hoss-TEL)
...the _____ hotel?
...il-_____ hotel? (ill ______ ho-TEL)
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British embassy?
...l-ambaxxata Amerikana/Kanadiża/Awstraljana/Ingliża? (lam-baash-shaa-ta aa-meh-ree-KAA-na/kaa-naa-DEE-sa/aaw-stral-YAA-na/een-GLEE-sa)
Where are there a lot of...
Fejn hemm ħafna... (feyn emm haaf-na...)
...hotels?
...hotels? (ho-tels?)
...restaurants?
...ristoranti? (ris-to)
...bars?
...bars? (bars)
...sites to see?
...affarijiet x'tara? (af-fa-REE-jiet SHTA-raa)
Can you show me on the map?
Tista' turini fuq il-mappa? (tis-taa tu-REE-nee foo-UH ill map-pa?)
street
triq (trih-uh)
Turn left.
Dur fuq ix-xellug. (...)
Turn right.
Dur fuq il-lemin. (...)
left
xellug (...)
right
lemin (...)
straight ahead
ibqa' miexi (...)
towards the _____
lejn il- _____ (...)
past the _____
aqbez il- _____ (...)
before the _____
qabel il- _____ (...)
Watch for the _____.
Stenna sakemm tara il- _____. (...)
intersection
salib it-toroq (...)
north
tramuntana (...)
south
nofsinhar (...)
east
lvant (...)
west
punent (...)
uphill
fit-telgħa (...)
downhill
fin-niżla (...)

Taxi

Taxi!
Taxi! (...)
Take me to _____, please.
Ħudni sal- _____, jekk jogħġbok. (...)
How much does it cost to get to _____?
Kemm tiswa biex tasal sal- _____? (...)
Take me there, please.
Ħudni s'hemm, jekk jogħġbok. (...)
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