Some plurals add an ending. Many nouns in -a change it to -i: , a lamp, , lamps. Others add -ijiet, or -jiet after a vowel: , , chairs · , , coffees.
Plurals with an ending
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -i | ||
| lamp | ||
| lamp | ||
| cup | ||
| cup | ||
| suitcase | ||
| suitcase | ||
| armchair | ||
| armchair | ||
| -ijiet | ||
| chair | ||
| chair | ||
| coffee | ||
| coffee | ||
Many more plurals change inside the word, like English man and men, only far more often. This is called the broken plural: , · , · , . There is no rule you can use yet, so learn every noun with its plural: , , the way a dictionary gives it.
Broken plurals
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cat | ||
| cat | ||
| neighbour | ||
| neighbour | ||
| friend | ||
| friend | ||
| table | ||
| table | ||
| room | ||
| room | ||
| door | ||
| door | ||
| window | ||
| window | ||
| key | ||
| key | ||
A plural is the same for masculine and feminine: , . And cats in general are , with the article, unlike English: Cats know!
This and that have a plural too, , these, and , those, the same for both genders. Like and , they stand before the noun with its article: , these chairs · , those tables.
These and those
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| · | this · these | |
| this · these | ||
| · | that · those | |
| that · those | ||
Araw! Ċikku diġà fil-pultruna. Il-qtates jafu!Look! Ċikku is already in the armchair. Cats know!
U s-sufan l-isfar? U s-siġġijiet ta' Lina?And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
U s-sufan l-isfar? U s-siġġijiet ta' Lina?And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
Fil-kafetterija għad hemm mwejjed.There are still tables in the café.
Dawn is-siġġijiet tal-kafetterija.These chairs are the café's.
A plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present tense the plural keeps the person letter at the front and adds -u at the end: the 1st person plural (, we) is , the 2nd person plural (, you, to several people) , and the 3rd person plural (, they) . A verb that ends in -a takes -w instead: .
The present tense, plural
| Meaning | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| help | ||||
| help | ||||
| know | ||||
| know | ||||
| come | ||||
| come | ||||
| sleep | ||||
| sleep | ||||
| take | ||||
| take | ||||
| wait | ||||
| wait | ||||
| With an i- in front | ||||
| play | ||||
| play | ||||
Before the -u, the last vowel often drops: , . gets back a : . is , , , and both verbs take the -u: You can come in the daytime!
Not works as in the singular, and the -x comes after the -u: , we don't know. With the -x goes, as you know: We don't know anything.
Bonswa! Qed ngħinu biss.Good evening! We're just helping.
Tgħinu? Bil-lejl? Għaliex?Helping? At night? Why?
Tgħinu? Bil-lejl? Għaliex?Helping? At night? Why?
Grazzi ħafna. Imma tistgħu tiġu bi nhar ukoll!Thank you very much. But you can come in the daytime too!
Grazzi ħafna. Imma tistgħu tiġu bi nhar ukoll!Thank you very much. But you can come in the daytime too!
Aħna ma nafu xejn.We don't know anything.
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the words in the plural: nouns and verbs.
. !
Ċikku is already in the armchair. Cats know!
? ?
And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
? ?
And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
.
There are still tables in the café.
! .
Good evening! We're just helping.
!
But you can come in the daytime too!
!
But you can come in the daytime too!
.
Marija's key opens all the doors.
, .
There are rooms and windows, but there are no tables.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
One or more?
Choose the right plural.
Il- jafu!
Cats know!
U s- ta' Lina?
And Lina's chairs?
U s- ta' Lina?
And Lina's chairs?
Fil-kafetterija għad hemm .
There are still tables in the café.
Iċ-ċavetta ta' Marija tiftaħ il- kollha.
Marija's key opens all the doors.
Marija għandha ċ- kollha.
Marija has all the keys.
Ġorġ u Lina huma l- tiegħi.
Ġorġ and Lina are my neighbours.
Ella u Ċikku .
Ella and Ċikku are friends.
Hemm fil-kantina wkoll.
There are lamps in the cellar too.
is-siġġijiet tal-kafetterija.
These chairs are the café's.
il-mwejjed ta' Lina.
Those tables are Lina's.
We, you, they
Choose the form that fits the person.
Bonswa! Qed biss.
Good evening! We're just helping.
? Bil-lejl?
You're helping? At night?
? Bil-lejl?
You're helping? At night?
Lina u Ġorġ ukoll?
Are Lina and Ġorġ helping too?
Il-qtates !
Cats know!
Aħna ma xejn.
We don't know anything.
Intom tistgħu bi nhar ukoll!
You can come in the daytime too!
Intom tistgħu bi nhar ukoll!
You can come in the daytime too!
Marija u Ella bil-lejl.
Marija and Ella come at night.
Aħna bil-lejl, għax bi nhar m'għandix ħin.
We come at night, because in the daytime I have no time.
Ġorġ u Ċikku fuq is-sufan.
Ġorġ and Ċikku sleep on the sofa.
Aħna bil-lejl, u Ġorġ idoqq.
We sleep at night, and Ġorġ plays.
Waiting, taking, playing
Choose the form that fits the person.
Aħna hawn.
We're waiting here.
Aħna hawn.
We're waiting here.
Intom isfel?
Are you two waiting downstairs?
Il-ġirien isfel.
The neighbours are waiting downstairs.
Aħna l-pultruna.
We're taking the armchair.
Intom te jew kafè?
Will you have tea or coffee?
Marija u Ella l-bagalja.
Marija and Ella take the suitcase.
Aħna bil-lejl.
We play at night.
Intom issa? Nofsillejl!
You're playing now? It's midnight!
Intom issa? Nofsillejl!
You're playing now? It's midnight!
Ġorġ u l-ħbieb tiegħu bil-lejl.
Ġorġ and his friends play at night.
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Midnight
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Jien bilqiegħda u .
I'm sitting here, waiting.
Jien bilqiegħda u .
I'm sitting here, waiting.
? Bil-lejl? Għaliex?
Helping? At night? Why?
? Bil-lejl? Għaliex?
Helping? At night? Why?
Araw! Ċikku diġà fil-pultruna. Il- !
Look! Ċikku is already in the armchair. Cats know!
U s-sufan l-isfar? U s- ta' Lina?
And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
U s-sufan l-isfar? U s- ta' Lina?
And the yellow sofa? And Lina's chairs?
Aħna ma xejn.
We don't know anything.
Fil-kafetterija hemm u siġġijiet, u fil-kċina hemm u .
In the café there are tables and chairs, and in the kitchen there are cups and coffees.
il- mill-kantina, u il- wkoll.
These armchairs are from the cellar, and so are those lamps.
Fid-dar hemm , , u , u fil-kantina hemm .
In the house there are rooms, doors, windows and keys, and in the cellar there are suitcases.
Il- , u l- ta' Ġorġ .
The neighbours are asleep, and Ġorġ's friends are playing.
Aħna bil-lejl, u l-bagalja l-vojta.
We come at night, and we take the empty suitcase.
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
Cats know everything.
Marija and Ella come at night.
Are Lina and Ġorġ helping too?
Are Lina and Ġorġ helping too?
We're sleeping, but you're playing!
We're sleeping, but you're playing!
The neighbours wait downstairs, and we wait upstairs.
Do you know where the cats are?
Do you know where the cats are?
You sleep, and we have coffee.
You wait, and they take the armchair.
You wait, and they take the armchair.
Will you have tea or coffee?
We play at night, and the neighbours sleep.
Practice 5/6 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Marija and Ella come in at midnight with an armchair. Ask them if they're helping.
You say:
Two people: the 2nd person plural, t-…-u.
Marija and Ella come in at midnight with an armchair. Ask them if they're helping.
You say:
Two people: the 2nd person plural, t-…-u.
Tell the two of them that they can come in the daytime too.
You say:
Both verbs take the plural: tistgħu tiġu.
Tell the two of them that they can come in the daytime too.
You say:
Both verbs take the plural: tistgħu tiġu.
Ċikku jumps into the armchair at once. Ella explains.
Ella says:
You ask about the sofa and Lina's chairs. Marija and Ella know nothing, of course.
Marija says:
With xejn, the -x goes: ma nafu xejn.
There are chairs in your kitchen. Ask whose they are.
You say:
There are chairs in your kitchen. Ask whose they are.
You say:
Ġorġ's friends are playing at midnight. Tell them the neighbours are asleep.
You say:
Ġorġ's friends are playing at midnight. Tell them the neighbours are asleep.
You say:
Practice 6/6 · Matching
One and more
Match each plural to its singular.
Unit complete
