Maltese is the main language of Malta .
[edit ] Pronunciation guide The Maltese alphabet consists of 30 letters. NOTE: The examples given in this guide follow the pronunciation in British English, which might be different than American English.
[edit ] Vowels a like 'a' in "after"
e like 'e' in "enter"
i like 'e' in "evil"
o like 'o' in "often"
u like 'u' in "emu"
ie like 'ea' in "mean"
[edit ] 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"
għ 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". Rolled like the Spanish 'r'.
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"
[edit ] Common diphthongs [edit ] Phrase list [edit ] Basics
Common signs
All of the common signs in Malta (such as Open and Close) 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? )
[edit ] 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? )
[edit ] 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 )
1000 elf (elf )
2000 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.
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 )
[edit ] 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 )
[edit ] 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) )
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 )
Sunday Il-Ħadd ( il ha-rd)
[edit ] 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 )
[edit ] Writing time and date [edit ] 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 )
[edit ] Transportation Note that there are no trains in Malta, so asking train relating information will not be necessary.
[edit ] Place Names In general, the name of the language is not the same as the country.eg. 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 )
[edit ] 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' _____? (... )
[edit ] 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! (... )
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. (... )
