Why Learn Maltese?
Maltese (in Maltese: Malti) is an absolutely unique language in the world's linguistic landscape. It is the only Semitic language that is an official language of the European Union, and the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet. Spoken by approximately 520,000 people in Malta, Gozo and in a significant diaspora in Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, Maltese is a living bridge between the Arab world and Europe.
Born from an Arab Maghrebi dialect (Siculo-Arabic) of the 11th century, Maltese has massively absorbed Italian vocabulary (especially Sicilian), then English after British colonisation (1800-1964). The result is a language trilingual in its roots, with Semitic grammar, Romance vocabulary and everyday Anglicisms — a Mediterranean linguistic cocktail unique in the world.
History and Context
From the Phoenicians to the Arabs
The Maltese archipelago (Malta, Gozo, Comino) has been inhabited for over 7,000 years — the megalithic temples of Ggantija and Hagar Qim are among the oldest stone structures in the world, predating the Egyptian pyramids. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines succeeded one another, but it was the Arab conquest (870-1091) that left the deepest linguistic imprint.
Maltese descends directly from Siculo-Arabic, an Arabic dialect spoken in Sicily and Malta during the Muslim period. When the Normans conquered Malta in 1091, the local Arabic language survived — unlike in Sicily where it disappeared — because Malta remained relatively isolated.
The Knights of Malta and Italian Influence
The Order of Saint John (Knights of Malta) governed the archipelago from 1530 to 1798, making Italian the language of administration and culture. This period injected massive Romance vocabulary into Maltese. An estimated 60 to 65% of Maltese vocabulary is of Italian/Sicilian origin.
The British Period and English
British colonisation (1800-1964) added another layer. English became co-official in 1934 (the "language question" between Italian and Maltese was resolved in favour of Maltese and English). Today, Maltese and English are Malta's two official languages, and nearly all Maltese are bilingual.
Maltese Today
Malta is the smallest state in the European Union (316 km2, ~520,000 inhabitants). Independent since 1964, an EU member since 2004, it uses the euro. Maltese is an official EU language, meaning European documents are translated into Maltese — a unique status for a Semitic language.
Writing System and Pronunciation
The Maltese Alphabet
Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet. The alphabet has 30 letters:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G (dotted g), Gh, H, H (barred h), I, IE, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Z, Z (dotted z)
Letters specific to Maltese:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| C | /tʃ/ as in "church" | coff = safe |
| G | /dʒ/ as in "judge" | gurnata = day |
| Gh | silent or lengthens vowel | ghasfur = bird |
| H (barred) | /ħ/ pharyngeal | hobz = bread |
| IE | /iː/ long | iehor = other |
| Q | /ʔ/ glottal stop | qalb = heart |
| X | /ʃ/ as in "ship" | xemx = sun |
| Z (dotted) | /dz/ | zunzan = bumblebee |
Semitic Pronunciation
Maltese retains Semitic sounds found in Arabic:
- The q (qaf) is a glottal stop
- The barred h is a pharyngeal fricative
- The gh (ghajn) is generally silent in modern pronunciation but lengthens the adjacent vowel
Word Structure
Like Arabic, Maltese uses a system of consonantal roots (usually triliteral) from which words are derived by inserting vowels and adding prefixes/suffixes:
- Root K-T-B (write): kiteb (he wrote), ktieb (book), kittieb (writer), miktub (written/letter)
- Root D-R-S (study): diris (he studied), dars (lesson), madrasa (school)
Grammar Basics
The Definite Article
Maltese has a definite article il- (or l- after a vowel) that assimilates to "sun letters" (as in Arabic):
- il-ktieb = the book
- l-omm = the mother
- id-dar = the house (l assimilates to d)
- is-sema = the sky (l assimilates to s)
There is no indefinite article: "ktieb" means "a book".
Gender
Maltese has two genders (masculine and feminine). The feminine is often formed by adding -a:
- tifel (boy) / tifla (girl)
- kbir (big, m.) / kbira (big, f.)
Plurals
The Maltese plural system is dual, as in Arabic:
- External plural (suffix): ktieb / ktiejeb (books) — for some words
- Internal plural (broken): ragel (man) / irgiel (men), kelb (dog) / klieb (dogs)
Broken plurals are unpredictable and must be learned case by case.
Verbs
Maltese verbs follow the Semitic system of verb forms (root-based conjugation):
Example with K-T-B (to write):
| Person | Perfect (past) | Imperfect (present) |
|---|---|---|
| I | ktibt | nikteb |
| You | ktibt | tikteb |
| He | kiteb | jikteb |
| She | kitbet | tikteb |
| We | ktibna | niktbu |
| You (pl) | ktibtu | tiktbu |
| They | kitbu | jiktbu |
Italian Influence on Syntax
Despite its Semitic grammar, Maltese has borrowed syntactic structures from Italian, such as the SVO order (Subject-Verb-Object) which has become dominant, although VSO (Semitic) order remains possible.
Essential Phrases
| English | Maltese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Good morning | Bongu | Bondjou |
| Good evening | Bonswa | Bonswa |
| Goodbye | Sahha | Sah-ha |
| Thank you | Grazzi | Graz-zi |
| Please | Jekk joghgbok | Yekk yodjbok |
| Yes | Iva | Iva |
| No | Le | Le |
| How are you? | Kif int? | Kif int? |
| I am fine | Tajjeb/Tajba | Tayyeb/Tayba |
| What is your name? | X'jismek? | Chismek? |
| My name is... | Jien jisimni... | Yien yisimni... |
| I don't understand | Ma nifhimx | Ma nifimch |
| Do you speak English? | Titkellem bl-Ingliz? | Titkellem bl-Ingliz? |
| How much does it cost? | Kemm jiswa? | Kemm yiswa? |
| Where is...? | Fejn hu/hi...? | Feyn ou/i...? |
| Excuse me | Skuzani | Skouzani |
| Welcome | Merhba | Mer-ba |
| Cheers! | Sahha! | Sah-ha! |
Thematic Vocabulary
Around Malta
| English | Maltese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Island | Gzira | Dzira |
| Sea | Bahar | Ba-har |
| Sun | Xemx | Chemch |
| Harbour | Port | Port |
| Church | Knisja | Knisya |
| Street | Triq | Tri-q |
| Square | Pjazza | Pyatsa |
| Bay | Bajja | Bayya |
| Wall | Hajt | Hayt |
| Garden | Gnien | Nien |
Maltese Cuisine
| English | Maltese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | Hobz | Hobz |
| Maltese bread with oil | Hobz biz-zejt | Hobz biz-zeyt |
| Rabbit (national dish) | Fenek | Fenek |
| Flaky pastry | Pastizz | Pastits |
| Widow's soup | Soppa tal-armla | Soppa tal-armla |
| Gozo cheese | Gbejniet | Djeyniet |
| Nougat | Qubbajt | Qubbait |
| Tea | Te | Te |
| Coffee | Kafe | Kafe |
| Water | Ilma | Ilma |
Explore more Maltese vocabulary on our dedicated page.
Numbers
| Number | Maltese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiehed | Wi-hed |
| 2 | Tnejn | Tneyn |
| 3 | Tlieta | Tlieta |
| 4 | Erbgha | Erbaa |
| 5 | Hamsa | Hamsa |
| 6 | Sitta | Sitta |
| 7 | Sebgha | Sebaa |
| 8 | Tmienja | Tmienya |
| 9 | Disgha | Disaa |
| 10 | Ghaxra | Aachra |
| 100 | Mija | Miya |
| 1000 | Elf | Elf |
Cultural Context
Valletta and Heritage
Valletta (Il-Belt), the capital, is a jewel of Baroque architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1566 by Grand Master Jean de La Valette after the Great Siege of Malta (1565), it is often called "the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen". St John's Co-Cathedral, with its marble floors adorned with the tombs of knights and masterpieces by Caravaggio, is one of the Mediterranean's artistic treasures.
The Festas
Festas (parish festivals) are the beating heart of Maltese culture. Every town and village celebrates its patron saint with processions, spectacular fireworks (the Maltese are legendary pyrotechnicians), brass band music and elaborate street decorations. There is a festa nearly every summer weekend.
A Millefeuille of Civilisations
Malta's history is a layer cake of civilisations:
- Megalithic temples (3600-2500 BC): among the world's oldest structures
- Phoenicians (800-218 BC): merchants and navigators
- Romans (218 BC - 395 AD): Saint Paul reportedly shipwrecked in Malta in 60 AD
- Arabs (870-1091): the major linguistic imprint
- Normans, Aragonese, Knights (1091-1798): the Italian contribution
- British (1800-1964): the English contribution
- EU (2004-present): Maltese as an official European language
Maltese and Arabic
An Arabic speaker will recognise many Maltese words: dar (house), bab (door), qalb (heart), xemx/shams (sun), bahar (sea), waqt (time). The numbers 1 to 10 are nearly identical to Arabic. But an Arabic speaker will not understand a Maltese speaker without study, as pronunciation has evolved and Italian/English vocabulary is omnipresent.
The Maltese Diaspora
A remarkable fact: there are more Maltese abroad than in Malta! The diaspora is estimated at around 1 million people:
- Australia: ~200,000 (especially Melbourne and Sydney), the largest community
- Canada: ~60,000 (Toronto)
- United States: ~50,000 (Detroit, New York)
- United Kingdom: ~40,000 (London)
- Italy: historic community
Learn Maltese to connect with this dynamic diaspora! Start on Targumi's Maltese page.
Learn Maltese with Targumi
Maltese is a linguistic treasure: the only Semitic language in the European Union, a bridge between the Arab world and Mediterranean Europe, a language where "hello" is bongu (from Italian) but "heart" is qalb (Arabic) and "computer" is kompjuter (English). Learning Maltese means discovering in a single language the intertwined history of three civilisations.
At Targumi, we offer interactive courses to learn Maltese at your own pace. Our lessons cover the specific alphabet, pronunciation, Semitic grammar, the mixed vocabulary and the rich culture of the archipelago.
Why choose Targumi?
- Progressive lessons designed by language experts
- Contextualised vocabulary with authentic examples
- An integrated cultural approach: every lesson is a window into Maltese culture
- Multi-platform access: learn on your computer, tablet or phone
Merhba! (Welcome!) — Welcome to the world of Maltese!
Begin today at www.targumi.com and explore more language guides on our blog.
FAQ
Is Maltese a dialect of Arabic?
Maltese descends from Arabic (11th-century Siculo-Arabic), but it has evolved so much that it has been considered a distinct language for centuries. The grammar remains Semitic, but 60-65% of the vocabulary comes from Italian and 10-15% from English. An Arabic speaker will recognise words but will not understand a conversation without prior study.
Do I need to speak Arabic or Italian to learn Maltese?
No, it is an advantage but not a necessity. Speaking Arabic helps with grammar and basic vocabulary; speaking Italian helps with advanced vocabulary. But Maltese can be learned perfectly well without knowing either.
How many people speak Maltese?
Approximately 520,000 people in Malta and Gozo, plus around 1 million in the diaspora (mainly in Australia, Canada and the United States), although proficiency levels vary in the diaspora.
Is Maltese useful?
Absolutely! In Malta itself, speaking Maltese immediately distinguishes you from millions of tourists. It is also an official EU language, offering professional opportunities in European institutions. And the archipelago is a hub for online gaming, fintech and financial services, with a dynamic job market.
Sources: Ethnologue (SIL International), Borg and Azzopardi-Alexander — Maltese, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Heritage Malta, Aquilina — Maltese-English Dictionary.