Understanding the Language

Language Tips

Malti, or Maltese, is spoken daily in Malta and Gozo, but nowhere else in the world. It is a Semitic language with roots that go back to Phoenician and Carthaginian times. Given that it is both complicated and of no use outside the islands, the Maltese people never expect visitors to speak to them in it.

English is the second language and is spoken, or at least under­stood, by the vast majority of the population. However, it is useful to know a little Malti if only to pronounce place names properly. And, of course, it is good manners, and pleasing to both parties, to be able to return the most basic greetings and phrases in Malti.

Pronunciation Tips

There are 29 letters in the Maltese alphabet: five familiar vowels (pronounced long or short, depend­ing on the position in the word) and 24 consonants. There is no “y”.

The additions to the Roman alphabet are c˙, g˙, x˙, which are dotted like an i, and h and h-. Dotting the consonant changes the way it is pronounced:

dotted c˙ becomes the English ch – as in church;

dotted g˙ as the soft j in the French word je (or the second syllable in pleasure);

dotted x˙ as in zebra (without a dot, z is ts, as in nuts).

gh, although common, is not pronounced.

h is silent unless it is crossed h- like a t; then it is pronounced, as in hand.

q is a glottal stop, faintly like a k, impossible to most visitors.

m, when it is at the beginning of a word, is pronounced im.

Place Names

The following is a list of Maltese towns and villages and how to pronounce them.

Birgu bir-goo

Birzebbuga bir-tsay-boo-jah

Bugibba boo-jee-bah

Dwejra dway-ruh

Ggantija j-gan-tee-yah

Gharb ahrb

Hagar Qim h-ajar eem

Luqa loo-a

Marsaxlokk marsa-schlock

Mdina Im-deena

Mellieha mel-lear-ha

Mgarr im-jar

Msida im-seeda

Naxxar na-shar

Paceville par-tchay-ville

Qawra ow-rah

Tarxien tar-shin

Xaghra shah-ra

Xewkija she-key-yah

Xlendi sch-len-dee

Useful Words/Phrases

Good morning bongu (bon-jew)

Good evening bonswa (bon-swah)

Goodbye sahha (sa-ha)

(also “Cheers”, when drinking)

How are you? kif int?

I’m very well, thank you female response: tajba grazzi (tay-ba grat-see), male response: tajjeb grazzi (tay-szeb gratsee)

Do you speak English? Inti tit- kellem bl’Ingliz? (int-tit-kellem blin-gleez)

Please Jekk-joghbok (yeck yogbock)

Thank You Grazzi (grat-see)

Yes Iva (eeva)

No Le (le, with e as in “get”)