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Qed, dejjem, qatt ma

Right now, or as a habit

The Maltese present tense does two jobs. On its own it says what you do as a habit, again and again: I drink coffee every day. With in front, it says what is going on right now: I'm drinking tea. never changes; the verb after it still takes its person.

Right now:

Tap a word to hear itTap a word to hear it and see its meaning
Person	Habit	Right now	Meaning
Singular
			I drink · I'm drinking
I drink · I'm drinking
			you drink · you're drinking
you drink · you're drinking
			he drinks · he's drinking
he drinks · he's drinking
			she drinks · she's drinking
she drinks · she's drinking
Plural
			we drink · we're drinking
we drink · we're drinking
			you drink · you're drinking
you drink · you're drinking
			they drink · they're drinking
they drink · they're drinking

is short for (a man), (a woman) and (several); in speech and in writing, does for everyone. What are you doing (right now)?

Ġorġ uses both in one breath: I'm having my tea, and I'm off to bed. ( for a woman) before a verb is being off to do it now; , I go to bed, is the habit:

Now, or as a habit

Tap a word to hear itTap a word to hear it and see its meaning
Now	Habit	Meaning
		I'm drinking tea. · I drink tea every morning.
I'm drinking tea. · I drink tea every morning.
		He's eating your roll! · He eats here.
He's eating your roll! · He eats here.
·		I'm off to bed (a man · a woman). · I go to bed at seven.
I'm off to bed (a man · a woman). · I go to bed at seven.

To say how often, add a word for it, usually before the verb or at the start: Always with coffee. What time do you usually get up? Sometimes I go running. , never, takes before the verb, and the verb has no -x: He never cooks.

How often

Tap a word to hear itTap a word to hear it and see its meaning
Word	Example	Meaning
		always · I always drink coffee.
always · I always drink coffee.
		usually · I usually get up at seven.
usually · I usually get up at seven.
		sometimes · Sometimes I go running.
sometimes · Sometimes I go running.
		never · I never cook.
never · I never cook.
		every day · I read every day.
every day · I read every day.

alone is a whole answer: Never at one? Never.

Qed nixrob it-te, u sejjer norqod.I'm having my tea, and I'm off to bed.
U int, normalment x'ħin tqum?And you, what time do you usually get up?
Hu qatt ma jsajjar. Jorqod id-dar, imma jiekol hawn.He never cooks. He sleeps at home, but he eats here.
U issa qed jiekol il-panina tiegħek!And right now he's eating your roll!

Practice 1/6 · Finding words

Find the words

Tap qed, and the words that say how often.

, .
I'm having my tea, and I'm off to bed.
. , .
He never cooks. He sleeps at home, but he eats here.
!
And right now he's eating your roll!
, .
Sometimes I go running, and I always have a shower.
, .
Sometimes I go running, and I always have a shower.
.
I usually sleep until two.
.
I'm always here at a quarter to nine.

Practice 2/6 · The right form

Now or always?

Choose the right word for the gap.

Ħares! Ġorġ jiekol il-panina tiegħi!
Look! Ġorġ is eating my roll!
Ħares! Ġorġ jiekol il-panina tiegħi!
Look! Ġorġ is eating my roll!
Ġorġ ma jsajjar.
Ġorġ never cooks.
X' tagħmel hawn, Ġorġ?
What are you doing here, Ġorġ?
X' tagħmel hawn, Ġorġ?
What are you doing here, Ġorġ?
Issa nixrob it-te.
Right now I'm having my tea.
x'ħin tqum?
What time do you usually get up?
Jien nieħu doċċa fis-sitta u nofs.
I always have a shower at half past six.
Jien nieħu doċċa fis-sitta u nofs.
I always have a shower at half past six.
Ġorġ, int ma tqum filgħodu?
Ġorġ, do you never get up in the morning?
Ġorġ, int ma tqum filgħodu?
Ġorġ, do you never get up in the morning?
immur niġri.
Sometimes I go running.
immur niġri.
Sometimes I go running.
Ħares: Ċikku jorqod fuq is-sufan!
Look: Ċikku is asleep on the sofa!

Right now, every person

qed never changes; choose the verb for the person.

Jien qed it-te.
I'm having my tea.
Ġorġ, x'qed hawn?
Ġorġ, what are you doing here?
Ġorġ, x'qed hawn?
Ġorġ, what are you doing here?
Lina qed kafè.
Lina is drinking a coffee.
Ġorġ qed il-panina tiegħi!
Ġorġ is eating my roll!
Ġorġ qed il-panina tiegħi!
Ġorġ is eating my roll!
Aħna qed te.
We're having tea.
Intom qed kafè?
Are you having coffee? (to several people)
Ġorġ u Ċikku qed .
Ġorġ and Ċikku are asleep.
Ġorġ, int qed ?
Ġorġ, are you asleep?
Ġorġ, int qed ?
Ġorġ, are you asleep?
Ħares: Ċikku qed .
Look: Ċikku is getting up.

Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps

Ġorġ's day

Fill the gaps with the words from the box.

Ġorġ iqum fit-tnejn, u fit-tlieta.
Ġorġ usually gets up at two, and sometimes at three.
Bil-lejl : it-trumbetta.
At night he works: he plays the trumpet.
Issa s-sebgħa ta' filgħodu, u Ġorġ jixrob it-te.
It's seven in the morning now, and Ġorġ is having his tea.
Hu ma jsajjar, imma jiekol għand Lina ġurnata.
He never cooks, but he eats at Lina's every day.
U issa norqod!
And now I'm off to bed!
Ħares! Ġorġ jiekol il-panina tiegħek!
Look! Ġorġ is eating your roll!

Practice 4/6 · Building sentences

Put the words in order

Put the words in order.

I'm having my tea, and I'm off to bed.
I usually get up at half past six.
I usually get up at half past six.
At half past six I go to bed!
He never cooks.
And right now he's eating your roll!
Sometimes I go running in the morning.
Sometimes I go running in the morning.
I always drink tea without sugar.
I'm off to work, Lina! Bye!
I'm off to work, Lina! Bye!
See? Ċikku is getting up too.

Practice 5/6 · In situations

The right words

Choose the right words for the situation.

It's seven in the morning. Ġorġ is having his tea before bed, and tells you so.
Ġorġ says:
Ġorġ asks what time you usually get up. Half past six.
You say:
Ġorġ asks what time you usually get up. Half past six.
You say:
Lina asks what you like doing in your free time.
You say:
Lina asks what you like doing in your free time.
You say:
Tell Lina that Ġorġ never cooks.
You say:
Tell Lina that Ġorġ never cooks.
You say:
Ġorġ is eating your roll right now! Tell Lina.
You say:
Ġorġ is eating your roll right now! Tell Lina.
You say:
Ġorġ asks where you're off to now. To work.
You say:
Ġorġ asks where you're off to now. To work.
You say:
Ġorġ tells you he sometimes gets up at three.
Ġorġ says: