Lesson 0.1: Introduction
Lesson 0.2: About the course
Lesson 0.3: Why study Maltese
An introduction to the Maltese language
Maltese originally comes from Sicily, as settlers came from there around the year 1100 in Malta. Nowadays, it is a mix from mainly Italian, Arabic, English and some French. Those influences can clearly be noticed when learning the language. Knowing any of those will help you a lot. Maltese became the official language, together with English, in Malta in 1934. It is the only semitic language written with Latin letters. Maltese is as well closely related to Tunisian Arabic.
Around the world, there are around 500.000 native Maltese speakers. About 400.000 of them live in Malta. The others live mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Due to the accession to the European Union, many Maltese immigrated to Brussels in Belgium.
The Maltese language is regulated by the National Council for the Maltese Language (Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti, that’s not so difficult isn’t it – ilsien means language). The Council was created in 2005. Its task is to promote the use of standard Maltese and to regulate the new words coming into Maltese (words like mowbajl – which means cell phone, you guessed it right).
Read more about the Council to inform you about the Maltese language there’s also a Maltese version.
And there’s more about the Maltese language on Wikipedia as well. You’ll understand better where it comes from.
Lesson 1: The verb to be in Maltese (flashcards with all tenses of to be here)
Lesson 2: Your first dialogue
Lesson 3: Words from the first dialogue
A PDF with the vocabulary is here.
Lesson 4: The first dialogue with explanations
Lesson 5: Tip
Quiz
1) Do hu and huwa mean the same, namely ‘they (are)’?
a) Yes b) sometimes c) No d) I don’t know
2) Ma nafx means…
a) Afternoon, b) See you! c) There is not. d) I don’t know.
3) How do you say ‘nice to meet you in Maltese?
a) Tajjeb narak b) Għandi pjaċir. c) Inti veru/vera tajjeb/tajba
4) Kif inti? is a question used at the end of a conversation.
a) True b) sometimes true c) false
5) Skuzani, mhux is-student tiegħi, naħdem il-wara nofsinhar. would be something said by…
a) A teacher b) Students who are not sure when they have to come to work c) Unemployed foreigners d) Foreign workers who came to work at the wrong time
Solutions quiz: 1c, 2d, 3b, 4c, 5a
___________________________________________________________________
Lesson 6: The alphabet
Lesson 7: Reading exercise
Lesson 8: Words of the reading exercise
A PDF with the words seen is here.
Lesson 9: Reading tip: some interesting websites
1 Għ and h are unpronounced consonants
a) true b) false
2 What means Dejjem nogħod ħdejn il-uffijċċu tiegħi?
a) I live around the office of my boss. b) Before, I lived in the office’s buildings c) I always live in the neighbourhood of my office
3 Mela and mbagħad mean more or less the same.
a) True b) false
4 Isma’ means now, and issa means listen.
a) No, they both don’t really mean much, like mela. b) True. c) False, isma’ means ‘be able to’. Issa on the other hand is correct. d) False, it’s the other way around. Issa is now, isma’ is listen.
Solutions: 1a, 2c, 3a, 4d
___________________________________________________________________
Lesson 10: Verbs: a secret revealed
Lesson 11: NTJt verbs
Exercises (translate the sentences)
- We enter the house.
- She writes already.
- I see they buy the school.
- I can drink during my break.
- I say, read now!
- You are from France. (you in the plural)
- He reads what they write.
Solutions
- We enter the house. = Nidħlu id-dar.
- She writes already. = Diġa tikteb.
- I see they buy the school. = Nara jixtru l-iskola.
- I can drink during my break. = Nista’ nixrob matul il-brejk tiegħi
- I say, read now! = Nigħd, aqra/aqraw issa!
- You are from France. (you in the plural) = Intom minn Franza.
- He reads what they write. = Jaqra x’jiktbu.
Lesson 12: The infinitive and imperative
Lesson 13: tip dictionaries
Quiz
1. The NTJt trick helps you conjugate all Maltese verbs in the present, except to be.
a) True b) false, there’s more exceptions c) false, to be also follows the trick
2. Tiftaħ means…
a) You/she enter/enters b) You/she open/opens c) She enters d) none of the solutions on the left
3. The feminine form in the plural is used…
a) Only for NTJt verbs b) In other verbs, but not for NTJt verbs c) only in special cases like to be d) none of the other answers
4. By knowing the present tense of the verb, I automatically know the verb stem (mamma), which helps me to find the verb in the dictionary.
a) True, verb stem is the third person singular in the present b) False, the mamma can’t be found in the dictionary c) false, the verb stem is the third person singular in the past d) none of the other answers
5. A verb you don’t know yet, to wash. What’s the imperative plural?
a) aħslu b) aħsel
Solutions: 1b, 2b, 3d, 4c, 5a
_____________________________________________________________________
Lesson 14: tourists’ secrets
Lesson 15: To have
Lesson 16: To have dialogue
Lesson 17: Words to have
A PDF with the words learnt in this lecture is here.
Lesson 18: Dialogue with corrections
Lesson 19: pronouns
Lesson 20: Talk to colleagues
Quiz
1. What does the expression ‘kemm għandek żmien?’ means?
a) how much money do you have? b) how did you get those? c) how old are you?
2. The plural of ħanut is…
a) ħanuti b) ħnuti c) ħanutijiet d) ħwienet e) ħanutiet
3. When you ask għaliex, you will receive as an answer…
a) A place, for example ‘il-Belt’. b) A person, for example ‘Mark’ c) a reason, for example ‘għandu bżonn’ d) A time, for example ‘issa’. e) It’s one of the answers, but the example is wrong.
4. Bħalna means…
a) In us b) with us c) to us d) none of the above
5. ‘With someone’ is conjugated as follows according to the endings of the endings of the verb ‘to have’ in Maltese: miegħi, miegħek, miegħu, magħha, magħna, magħkom, magħhom
a) It doesn’t follow the endings of the verb to have. b) correct c) correct, but there’s one mistake in the conjugation d) correct, but there’s 2 or more mistakes in the conjugations.
Solutions: 1c, 2d, 3c, 4d, 5b
___________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 21: relationships
Lesson 22: Flirt, the dialogue
Lesson 23: Flirt, new words
Here’s a PDF with the words learnt.
Lesson 27: Flirt, the dialogue again
Lesson 25: the article
Lesson 26: language exchange
Meet other language learners on this website (New Maltese learners every week there, check as well the lessons) or here.
Lesson 27: the negative
Quiz
1. To whom can’t you say ‘naħseb fik’?
a) Your mother b) your favourite musician c) your partner d) none of the other answers
2. In the office in Maltese is…
a) Fil-uffiċċju b) fl-uffiċċju c) f’uffiċċju d) none of the other answers
3. If you’re romantically interested in a boy/man, the answer to the questions ‘inti għarus?’ you hope for the most is:
a) Iva b) Le c) Forsi d) his has nothing to do with another
4. Imma and pro mean the same.
a) True b) False
5. The female of ħabib is…
a) ħbieba b) ħabibi c) ħabiba d) there is no female version
Solutions: 1d, 2b, 3b, 4a, 5 c
Bonus: the 50 most used words in Maltese (flashcards for the 100 here):
Liked this online Maltese course? A course completely in Maltese is available here, see the description for it below. Additional resources are here.
- Want to start learning Maltese?
- Is it hard to find a way to start?
- Are the explanations you’re getting too complicated?
You’re at the right place!
In this course, you’ll learn basic Maltese. The course is made for absolute beginners and teaches you Maltese step by step, together with over 1300 students (and counting!).
Maltese for beginners
We’ll focus on those words Maltese use over and over again, such as to be, greetings, basic grammar like the article and many other things. You will also learn how to properly introduce yourself, how to order a drink and basic conversations.
Learn the Maltese language in Maltese
The course is completely in Maltese to guarantee total immersion. Over 35 downloadable MP3s are added so you can practice your pronunciation and listening skills while being on the road. Many texts as well as exercises are added to practice what you’ve learnt.
Even if you’re not on the Maltese islands, you’ll have always access to the course. You can review the lessons and repeat the exercises any time, as much as you want to get in touch with Maltese culture and the language in Malta. So you don’t need to learn Maltese in Malta.
You’ll also find links to more resources.
I guarantee:
- Full, free lifetime access to a course on the language spoken in Malta
- All future extra lectures and upgrades are always included for free
- Unconditional Udemy 30 day money-back guarantee
Check the free previews and see you on the inside to learn Maltese!