Maltese has one set of endings for my, me and to me, and you have used it since the first evening: , , , , , , . Here it is on one page. The same seven endings go on nouns, where they say whose (, my head), on prepositions (, with me), and on verbs, where they say who the action is done to (, he helps me).
After a consonant
| Person | Meaning | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | ||||
| my head · with me · he helps me | ||||
| my head · with me · he helps me | ||||
| your head · with you · he helps you | ||||
| your head · with you · he helps you | ||||
| his head · with him · he helps him | ||||
| his head · with him · he helps him | ||||
| her head · with her · he helps her | ||||
| her head · with her · he helps her | ||||
| Plural | ||||
| our heads · with us · he helps us | ||||
| our heads · with us · he helps us | ||||
| your heads · with you · he helps you | ||||
| your heads · with you · he helps you | ||||
| their heads · with them · he helps them | ||||
| their heads · with them · he helps them | ||||
On a verb, me is -ni, not -i: ; , I have been, takes -ni too. changes its vowel: , but . And is also they help: the sentence tells you which.
Nanna, rasi tuġagħni!Grandma, my head hurts!
Għall-kamra tal-bejt? Niġi miegħek!To the room on the roof? I'm coming with you!
Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.My colleague helps me every day.
Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.My colleague helps me every day.
After a vowel, three endings are shorter: -ja for my (-ni on a verb), -k for you, -h for him. The others stay the same. , hands, drops its first: , my hands. , he sees, just adds them: , he sees me. You know these from , and .
After a vowel
| Person | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| my hands · he sees me | |||
| my hands · he sees me | |||
| your hands · he sees you | |||
| your hands · he sees you | |||
| his hands · he sees him | |||
| his hands · he sees him | |||
, , and are as after a consonant: , , , .
To someone, to me or to her, takes an before the ending: , he tells me, literally he says to me. Before -ha, -na, -kom and -hom an comes in, to make it easy to say: . That is the -l- in , I told her, and in , she told me.
To someone: -l-
| Person | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | ||
| he tells me | ||
| he tells me | ||
| he tells you | ||
| he tells you | ||
| he tells him | ||
| he tells him | ||
| he tells her | ||
| he tells her | ||
| Plural | ||
| he tells us | ||
| he tells us | ||
| he tells you | ||
| he tells you | ||
| he tells them | ||
| he tells them | ||
U għedtilha: grazzi, imma le.And I told her: thank you, but no.
U għedtilha: grazzi, imma le.And I told her: thank you, but no.
Nibqa' hawn, għax hawn kulħadd jaf ismi.I'm staying here, because here everyone knows my name.
Nibqa' hawn, għax hawn kulħadd jaf ismi.I'm staying here, because here everyone knows my name.
Jibqa' magħna!You're staying with us!
Tibqa' magħna!You're staying with us!
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the words with an ending that says who: my, me, with us, to them.
, !
Grandma, my head hurts!
.
Ċikku has his head on my hands.
, ?
Ġorġ, would you like to come with me?
, ?
Ġorġ, would you like to come with me?
.
Tonio helps me every day.
? .
Ċikku? Nobody sees him.
.
Ġorġ tells us a long story.
! !
You're staying with us! You're staying!
! !
You're staying with us! You're staying!
, .
Ella draws, and Ġorġ helps her.
, .
Ġorġ says good night to them, and the children sleep.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Whose head, whose hands?
Choose the form that fits the person.
Nanna, tuġagħni!
Grandma, my head hurts!
tuġgħek?
Does your head hurt?
Ġorġ għajjien, u tuġgħu.
Ġorġ is tired, and his head hurts.
Ella? tuġagħha.
Ella? Her head hurts.
Wara l-festa, tuġagħna!
After the festa, our heads hurt!
Wara l-festa, tuġagħna!
After the festa, our heads hurt!
Tfal, tuġagħkom?
Children, do your heads hurt?
Ġorġ u Tonio? tuġagħhom.
Ġorġ and Tonio? Their heads hurt.
Ella, aħsel qabel l-ikel!
Ella, wash your hands before you eat!
Jien naħsel , u int taħsel idejk.
I wash my hands, and you wash yours.
Jien naħsel , u int taħsel idejk.
I wash my hands, and you wash yours.
Ġorġ jaħsel u jiekol.
Ġorġ washes his hands and eats.
With whom?
Choose the form that fits the person.
Għall-kamra tal-bejt? Niġi !
To the room on the roof? I'm coming with you!
Ġorġ, tixtieq tiġi ?
Ġorġ, would you like to come with me?
Ġorġ, tixtieq tiġi ?
Ġorġ, would you like to come with me?
Tonio jibża' mill-qtates, u Ċikku qatt ma jkun .
Tonio is afraid of cats, and Ċikku is never with him.
Ella? Ċikku dejjem .
Ella? Ċikku is always with her.
Ejja, oqgħod fil-bitħa!
Come on, stay with us in the courtyard!
Ġirien, nixtieq niekol .
Neighbours, I'd like to eat with you.
Ġirien, nixtieq niekol .
Neighbours, I'd like to eat with you.
Il-ġirien? Is-Sibt niekol .
The neighbours? On Saturday I'm eating with them.
Ċikku fuq il-mejda, u Tonio le.
Ċikku is on the table, and Tonio tells him no.
Tfal, Ġorġ storja?
Children, is Ġorġ telling you a story?
Tfal, Ġorġ storja?
Children, is Ġorġ telling you a story?
Ċikku? Ħadd ma illum.
Ċikku? Nobody has seen him today.
Who helps whom?
Choose the form that fits the person.
Min jgħinek bil-Malti? Tonio .
Who helps you with your Maltese? Tonio helps me.
Ella, Ġorġ bix-xogħol tad-dar?
Ella, does Ġorġ help you with your homework?
Ella, Ġorġ bix-xogħol tad-dar?
Ella, does Ġorġ help you with your homework?
Ġorġ għandu ħafna xogħol, u Tonio .
Ġorġ has a lot of work, and Tonio helps him.
Ella għandha xogħol tad-dar, u Ġorġ .
Ella has homework, and Ġorġ helps her.
Aħna għandna ħafna xogħol, u Ġorġ .
We have a lot of work, and Ġorġ helps us.
Intom għandkom bżonn? Ġorġ .
Do you need anything? Ġorġ will help you.
Intom għandkom bżonn? Ġorġ .
Do you need anything? Ġorġ will help you.
Il-ġirien qed jaħdmu fil-bitħa, u Ġorġ .
The neighbours are working in the courtyard, and Ġorġ is helping them.
Ella, ara! Ġorġ mit-tieqa.
Ella, look! Ġorġ can see you from the window.
Ella, ara! Ġorġ mit-tieqa.
Ella, look! Ġorġ can see you from the window.
Jien nara lil Ċikku, u Ċikku .
I see Ċikku, and Ċikku sees me.
Ella tistaqsi ħafna, u Ġorġ kollox.
Ella asks a lot, and Ġorġ tells her everything.
Practice 3/6 · Questions
Me, you, him
Choose the right answer.
Min jgħinek bil-Malti?
Who helps you with your Maltese?
X'qed tagħmel, Ella?
What are you doing, Ella?
Ġorġ fejn hu?
Where's Ġorġ?
Ġorġ jarak mit-tieqa?
Can Ġorġ see you from the window?
Ċikku jarani?
Can Ċikku see me?
X'jgħidli Ċikku?
What is Ċikku telling me?
X'jgħid Ġorġ lil Ella?
What does Ġorġ say to Ella?
X'jgħidilkom Tonio, lilek u lil Ġorġ?
What does Tonio tell you, you and Ġorġ?
X'jgħid Ġorġ lit-tfal?
What does Ġorġ tell the children?
Practice 4/6 · Fill the gaps
Headaches at number 7
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Nanna, tuġagħni! Tista' tiġi għand Mama?
Grandma, my head hurts! Can you come with me to Mum's?
Ġorġ, tuġgħek? Ejja għand Lina.
Ġorġ, does your head hurt? Come with us to Lina's.
Ġorġ, tuġgħek? Ejja għand Lina.
Ġorġ, does your head hurt? Come with us to Lina's.
Ġorġ għajjien, u tuġgħu. Tonio .
Ġorġ is tired, and his head hurts. Tonio helps him.
Ella? tuġagħha, u Ġorġ storja.
Ella? Her head hurts, and Ġorġ tells her a story.
Wara l-festa tuġagħna, u Ġorġ .
After the festa our heads hurt, and Ġorġ helps us.
Wara l-festa tuġagħna, u Ġorġ .
After the festa our heads hurt, and Ġorġ helps us.
Tfal, tuġagħkom? Ġorġ storja, u torqdu.
Children, do your heads hurt? Ġorġ will tell you a story, and you'll sleep.
Ġorġ u Tonio? tuġagħhom, u Karim .
Ġorġ and Tonio? Their heads hurt, and Karim helps them.
Tonio kuljum, u kollox.
Tonio helps me every day, and tells me everything.
Tonio kuljum, u kollox.
Tonio helps me every day, and tells me everything.
Practice 5/6 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
To the room on the roof? I'm coming with you!
Ella? Ċikku is always with her.
Tonio is afraid, and Ċikku is never with him.
Neighbours, I'd like to eat with you.
Neighbours, I'd like to eat with you.
The neighbours? On Saturday I'm eating with them.
Ella, look! Ġorġ can see you from the window.
Ella, look! Ġorġ can see you from the window.
I see Ċikku, and Ċikku sees me.
Ella, wash your hands before you eat!
Ġorġ washes his hands and eats.
Ċikku is on the table, and Tonio tells him no.
Practice 6/6 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Ask Ella if Ġorġ helps her with her homework.
You say:
Ask Ella if Ġorġ helps her with her homework.
You say:
Tell Ella that you always wash your hands before you eat.
You say:
Tell Ella that you always wash your hands before you eat.
You say:
Ella can't hear the cat. Tell her what Ċikku is saying to her - he's hungry.
You say:
Ella can't hear the cat. Tell her what Ċikku is saying to her - he's hungry.
You say:
Ġorġ and Ella have a lot to carry. Tell them Tonio will help them too.
You say:
Ġorġ and Ella have a lot to carry. Tell them Tonio will help them too.
You say:
Ella tells the others that you're staying with them.
Ella says:
Ella tells the others that you're staying with them.
Ella says:
Unit complete