You know that an adjective comes after its noun and takes its gender: , . Most adjectives just add -a for a feminine noun: , , big · , , small · , , old. is short in the feminine: .
Sizes and more: add -a
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| big | ||
| big | ||
| small | ||
| small | ||
| short | ||
| short | ||
| old | ||
| old | ||
| empty | ||
| empty | ||
| good | ||
| good | ||
The colours change shape instead. The masculine starts with a vowel, and in the feminine that vowel moves inside: , red, but · , yellow, but · , green, but . So , a yellow sofa, but , a red lamp.
Colours change shape
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| red | ||
| red | ||
| yellow | ||
| yellow | ||
| green | ||
| green | ||
White, black and light blue go the same way: , · , · , . You will meet them in the next modules.
When there are two adjectives, the colour stays next to the noun, and the size comes after it: , a big yellow sofa. With the article, every adjective takes it too: , the yellow sofa, literally the sofa the yellow. The masculine colours start with a vowel, so they take ; after a vowel, so do the feminine ones: , the red lamp.
With the article, every word takes it
| A | The | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| a yellow sofa · the yellow sofa | ||
| a yellow sofa · the yellow sofa | ||
| a red lamp · the red lamp | ||
| a red lamp · the red lamp | ||
| a big yellow sofa · the big yellow sofa | ||
| a big yellow sofa · the big yellow sofa | ||
| a small green lamp · the small green lamp | ||
| a small green lamp · the small green lamp | ||
Without the article, the adjective says what the thing is like: The lamp is red. With it, it says which one: , the red lamp.
To say where a thing is, put a preposition before the noun, which keeps its article: , on the sofa · , under the sofa. , inside, joins the article like : , in the room · , in the bathroom.
Where is it?
| Preposition | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| on · on the sofa | ||
| on · on the sofa | ||
| under · under the table | ||
| under · under the table | ||
| next to · next to the window | ||
| next to · next to the window | ||
| in front of · in front of the door | ||
| in front of · in front of the door | ||
| behind · behind the wardrobe | ||
| behind · behind the wardrobe | ||
| inside, in · in the room | ||
| inside, in · in the room | ||
After , which ends in a vowel, the article is : , behind the door.
Fil-kamra tal-banju hemm sufan isfar kbir.In the bathroom there's a big yellow sofa.
Fuq is-sufan hemm lampa ħamra.On the sofa there's a red lamp.
Il-lampa tiegħi żgħira u ħadra.My lamp is small and green.
Ara! Ċikku taħt is-sufan.Look! Ċikku is under the sofa.
Il-bagalja wara l-bieb, ħdejn il-gwardarobba.The suitcase is behind the door, next to the wardrobe.
Practice 1/5 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the colours.
.
In the bathroom there's a big yellow sofa.
.
On the sofa there's a red lamp.
.
My lamp is small and green.
? ?
And the red lamp? Is it yours too?
? ?
And the red lamp? Is it yours too?
!
The big yellow sofa is in the bathroom!
!
The big yellow sofa is in the bathroom!
Practice 2/5 · The right form
Masculine or feminine?
Choose the right word for the gap.
Fuq is-sufan hemm lampa .
On the sofa there's a red lamp.
Il-lampa tiegħi żgħira u .
My lamp is small and green.
Ella għandha bagalja .
Ella has a yellow suitcase.
Ġorġ għandu siġġu .
Ġorġ has a green chair.
Il-bieb kbir, imma t-tieqa .
The door is big, but the window is small.
Il-bieb kbir, imma t-tieqa .
The door is big, but the window is small.
Il-gwardarobba ħafna.
The wardrobe is very big.
Il-bagalja ta' Ella .
Ella's suitcase is old.
Il-kamra ħafna!
The room is very empty!
Is-sodda , u Ġorġ kbir!
The bed is short, and Ġorġ is big!
Is-sodda qadima, imma .
The bed is old, but good.
The yellow sofa, the red lamp
Choose the form with the right article.
U l-lampa ? Tiegħek ukoll?
And the red lamp? Is it yours too?
U l-lampa ? Tiegħek ukoll?
And the red lamp? Is it yours too?
Ġorġ fuq is-sufan .
Ġorġ is on the yellow sofa.
Is-sufan l-isfar fil-kamra tal-banju.
The big yellow sofa is in the bathroom.
Fejn hi l-lampa ?
Where's the green lamp?
Il-lampa l-ħadra fuq il-mejda.
The small green lamp is on the table.
Where is it?
Choose the right word for the gap.
Ara! Ċikku is-sufan.
Look! Ċikku is under the sofa.
is-sufan hemm lampa ħamra.
On the sofa there's a red lamp.
Il-bagalja l-bieb.
The suitcase is behind the door.
Is-sufan it-tieqa.
The sofa is next to the window.
Ġorġ il-bieb tiegħek.
Ġorġ is in front of your door.
Ċikku tiegħek!
Ċikku is in your room!
Practice 3/5 · Fill the gaps
Who is where?
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Fil-kamra tal-banju hemm sufan .
In the bathroom there's a big yellow sofa.
is-sufan hemm lampa .
On the sofa there's a red lamp.
Il-lampa tiegħi u .
My lamp is small and green.
Ara! Ċikku is-sufan .
Look! Ċikku is under the yellow sofa.
Il-gwardarobba it-tieqa, u l-bagalja l-bieb.
The wardrobe is next to the window, and the suitcase is behind the door.
Ġorġ il-bieb, u Ċikku .
Ġorġ is in front of the door, and Ċikku is in the room.
Il-gwardarobba , imma . Il-bagalja .
The wardrobe is old, but good. The suitcase is empty.
Is-sodda , u l-lampa l-ħadra fuq il-mejda .
The bed is short, and the small green lamp is on the red table.
Ella għandha bagalja .
Ella has a big yellow suitcase.
Practice 4/5 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
In the bathroom there's a big yellow sofa.
Ċikku is under the yellow sofa.
The red lamp isn't mine.
The big old wardrobe is next to the window.
The suitcase is empty, behind the door.
Ġorġ is in front of your door.
The small green lamp is on the table.
The big yellow sofa is in the bathroom.
The bed is short, but good.
Ella has a red lamp and a yellow suitcase.
Practice 5/5 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Ġorġ asks what the lamp in your bathroom looks like. It's small and red.
You say:
Lampa is feminine: żgħira, and the colour changes shape, ħamra.
Ġorġ asks what the lamp in your bathroom looks like. It's small and red.
You say:
Lampa is feminine: żgħira, and the colour changes shape, ħamra.
Ask Ġorġ if he has a yellow sofa.
You say:
Ask Ġorġ if he has a yellow sofa.
You say:
Ġorġ tells you what his own lamp is like.
Ġorġ says:
Ġorġ can't find Ċikku. He's under the sofa.
You say:
Ġorġ can't find Ċikku. He's under the sofa.
You say:
Ella is looking for your suitcase. It's behind the door.
You say:
Ella is looking for your suitcase. It's behind the door.
You say:
Tell Ġorġ that the big yellow sofa is in your bathroom.
You say:
The colour stays next to the noun, and every adjective takes the article: is-sufan l-isfar il-kbir.
Tell Ġorġ that the big yellow sofa is in your bathroom.
You say:
The colour stays next to the noun, and every adjective takes the article: is-sufan l-isfar il-kbir.
Unit complete
