Maltese language — Stage 1 (A1)
Stage 1 Maltese language preparation is about building a functional foundation — enough to greet people, ask basic questions, count, tell the time, and conduct simple exchanges. Quality of daily practice matters more than the amount you study in any one sitting.
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4 sections8 key facts5 quiz questionsGreetings and courtesies
Maltese greetings are an immediate window into the culture. Bonġu (Good morning) and bonswa (Good evening/afternoon) are the standard time-of-day greetings. Merħba is a warm 'Welcome' or 'Hello' used in many contexts. Ħej is the casual 'Hey' used between friends.
Essential courtesies: Jekk jogħġbok (Please), Grazzi (Thank you), M'hemmx imbliem / Prego (You're welcome), Skużani (Excuse me / I'm sorry), Iva (Yes), Le (No).
When meeting someone for the first time: Jisimni... (My name is...), Kif jisimek? (What is your name?), Pjaċir (Pleased to meet you). To ask how someone is: Kif int? (How are you?). Common responses: Tajjeb, grazzi (Fine, thanks), Mhux ħażin (Not bad).
Numbers, days, and time
Numbers 1–10: wieħed (1), tnejn (2), tlieta (3), erbgħa (4), ħamsa (5), sitta (6), sebgħa (7), tmienja (8), disgħa (9), għaxra (10). Numbers 11–20: ħdax (11), tnax (12), tlettax (13), erbatax (14), ħmistax (15), sittax (16), sbatax (17), tmintax (18), dsatax (19), għoxrin (20).
Days of the week: Il-Ħadd (Sunday), It-Tnejn (Monday), It-Tlieta (Tuesday), L-Erbgħa (Wednesday), Il-Ħamis (Thursday), Il-Ġimgħa (Friday), Is-Sibt (Saturday). Note that the week in Malta traditionally begins on Sunday (Il-Ħadd), not Monday.
Months: Jannar, Frar, Marzu, April, Mejju, Ġunju, Lulju, Awwissu, Settembru, Ottubru, Novembru, Diċembru. Asking about time: X'ħin hu? (What time is it?). Il-ħin hu... (The time is...). Fil-għodu (in the morning), Waranofsinhar (in the afternoon), Filgħaxija (in the evening).
Essential vocabulary — everyday life
Places: Id-dar (the house/home), L-iskola (the school), Ix-xogħol (work), Is-suq (the market/shop), Il-klinika/it-tabib (the clinic/the doctor), L-isptartal (the hospital), Il-bus (the bus).
Family: Il-familja (family), Il-missier (father), Omm (mother), Iben (son), Bint (daughter), Ħu (brother), Oħt (sister), In-nannu/in-nanna (grandfather/grandmother).
Basic descriptors: Kbir/kbira (big), Żgħir/żgħira (small), Tajjeb/tajba (good), Ħażin/ħażina (bad), Sabiħ/sabiħa (beautiful), Kemm jiswu? (How much does it cost?), Fejn hu/hi? (Where is he/she/it?), Meta? (When?), Għaliex? (Why?), Kif? (How?).
Basic sentence structures
Maltese follows a Subject-Verb-Object structure similar to English. Simple present tense: Jien niekol (I eat), Int tiekol (You eat), Huwa jiekol (He eats), Hija tiekol (She eats). The verb conjugation changes based on subject.
The verb 'to be' (ikun) is often omitted in simple sentences: Jien Malti (I am Maltese — literally 'I Maltese'), Dan it-triq twila (This street is long). This omission is a distinctive feature of Maltese grammar that surprises English speakers.
Question formation: Trid...? (Do you want...?), Taf...? (Do you know...?), Tista'...? (Can you...?), Hemm...? (Is there...?). Adding 'le?' at the end of a sentence is a common way to seek agreement: Sabiħ, le? (Beautiful, isn't it?).
Key facts to remember
- Bonġu = Good morning; Bonswa = Good evening; Merħba = Welcome/Hello; Grazzi = Thank you
- Jekk jogħġbok = Please; Skużani = Excuse me/Sorry; Iva = Yes; Le = No
- Numbers 1–10: wieħed, tnejn, tlieta, erbgħa, ħamsa, sitta, sebgħa, tmienja, disgħa, għaxra
- The Maltese week traditionally starts on Sunday (Il-Ħadd)
- Days: Il-Ħadd (Sun), It-Tnejn (Mon), It-Tlieta (Tue), L-Erbgħa (Wed), Il-Ħamis (Thu), Il-Ġimgħa (Fri), Is-Sibt (Sat)
- Maltese follows Subject-Verb-Object structure like English
- The verb 'to be' is often omitted in Maltese simple sentences
- CEFR A1 target: basic communication in familiar, everyday contexts
Study tips
- Learn greetings first — you will use them immediately in daily life and they make a strong impression.
- Write the days of the week and numbers 1–20 on a card and review it each morning for a week. Repetition is the fastest path to retention.
- Notice that Maltese noun adjectives agree with gender — a good male friend is ħabib; a good female friend is ħabiba. Keep this in mind when using descriptors.
- Use the vocabulary sections to label items in your home — seeing the Maltese word on the item every day is highly effective for everyday vocabulary.
Common pitfalls
- Forgetting that the Maltese week begins on Sunday, not Monday — a common test question
- Confusing tnejn (two) with It-Tnejn (Monday) — same root, different context
- Not practising speaking aloud — reading Maltese and speaking it are very different at A1 level
- Trying to learn all vocabulary at once rather than building on the most frequent words first
Quick review
How do you say 'Please' in Maltese?
Jekk jogħġbok.
What day does the Maltese week traditionally begin on?
Sunday — Il-Ħadd.
What is the Maltese for 'five'?
Ħamsa.
How do you ask 'Where is it?' in Maltese?
Fejn hu? (for masculine) or Fejn hi? (for feminine).
How do you say 'My name is...' in Maltese?
Jisimni...