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"

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 '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. (...)