Maltese phrasebook

Maltese 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 'e' in "evil"

o 

like 'o' in "often"

u 

like 'u' in "emu"

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"

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"

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 'zz' in "pizza"

ż 

like 'z' in "zero"

Phrase list

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. (Goodmorning) 

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)

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.

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)

Transportation

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

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. 

Ħudi 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. (...)