Module 10Grammar reviewPremium
Module 10, and the big tables of the course
Reviews practise both sides: wherever Lukas and Lena would say something differently, you do it once as each.
If and would: jekk, kieku
is for what may really happen. The verb after it is in the present tense, and the other half is often the future with . is the conditional, for what you only imagine, or won't do: , I would come.
| Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|
| If I can, I'll come. · If I could, I'd come. | ||
| If I can, I'll come. · If I could, I'd come. | ||
| If you come on Monday, you'll be late. · I'd love to come, but I can't. | ||
| If you come on Monday, you'll be late. · I'd love to come, but I can't. | ||
| If I don't like it, I'll say no. · If I had time, I'd cook. | ||
| If I don't like it, I'll say no. · If I had time, I'd cook. | ||
Se mmorru Għawdex bil-vapur. Jekk il-vapur jitlaq!We'll take the ferry to Gozo. If the ferry goes!
Se mmorru Għawdex bil-vapur. Jekk il-vapur jitlaq!We'll take the ferry to Gozo. If the ferry goes!
For how long, and how long ago: ilni, ilu
with a time is how long something has gone on, and still does. A verb after it stays in the present. It takes the endings of , with -ni for I. After a time, is ago and never changes; the verb is in the past.
| Person | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | |||
| I have been · I've been here three months. | |||
| I have been · I've been here three months. | |||
| you have been · How long have you been here? | |||
| you have been · How long have you been here? | |||
| he has been · Ċikku has been here for many years. | |||
| he has been · Ċikku has been here for many years. | |||
| she has been · Marija has lived here for fifty years. | |||
| she has been · Marija has lived here for fifty years. | |||
| Plural | |||
| we have been · We've been neighbours for three months. | |||
| we have been · We've been neighbours for three months. | |||
| you have been · How long have you been waiting? | |||
| you have been · How long have you been waiting? | |||
| they have been · They've been friends for three months. | |||
| they have been · They've been friends for three months. | |||
Ago: , three months ago · , two months ago · , ten minutes ago.
Inviting: tixtieq tiġi? ejja nieklu
, I would like, has every person, and the next verb takes the person too. with the form is let's. To say no nicely, start with the yes.
| Saying | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Inviting | · | Would you like to come? (one person · several) |
| Would you like to come? (one person · several) | ||
| Let's | · | Let's eat! · Let's go to Gozo! |
| Let's eat! · Let's go to Gozo! | ||
| Yes | Yes, gladly! | |
| Yes, gladly! | ||
| No, nicely | I'd like to, but I can't, because I'm working. | |
| I'd like to, but I can't, because I'm working. | ||
| Another time | Shall we do it another time? | |
| Shall we do it another time? | ||
Last and next
Last and next follow the noun and take its gender: and for a masculine noun, and for a feminine one. A day can be , that has passed. Soon is .
| Noun | Last | Next | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | |||
| the month · last month · next month | |||
| the month · last month · next month | |||
| Monday · last Monday · next Monday | |||
| Monday · last Monday · next Monday | |||
| Feminine | |||
| the week · last week · next week | |||
| the week · last week · next week | |||
| the year · last year · next year | |||
| the year · last year · next year | |||
One set of endings, from the first evening to the last
From on the first evening to at the party, Maltese has used one set of endings for my, me and to me: -i (-ja, -ni), -ek (-k), -u (-h), -ha, -na, -kom, -hom. They go on the possessive and on , on family words and the body (, ), on prepositions (, , ) and on verbs (, ). Even is one of them.
| Person | Meaning | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | ||||
| my, mine · for me · he helps me | ||||
| my, mine · for me · he helps me | ||||
| your · for you · he helps you | ||||
| your · for you · he helps you | ||||
| his · for him · he helps him | ||||
| his · for him · he helps him | ||||
| her · for her · he helps her | ||||
| her · for her · he helps her | ||||
| Plural | ||||
| our · for us · he helps us | ||||
| our · for us · he helps us | ||||
| your · for you · he helps you | ||||
| your · for you · he helps you | ||||
| their · for them · he helps them | ||||
| their · for them · he helps them | ||||
After a vowel the short forms -ja, -k, -h: , , . To someone takes -l-: , , .
Ara, hawn int! Dan għalik.Look, there you are! This is for you.
Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.My colleague helps me every day.
Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.My colleague helps me every day.
The verb in three tenses
The present tense has the person at the front (, , ) and -u at the end in the plural. The past tense has it at the end: -t for I and you, nothing for he, -et for she, -na, -tu and -u in the plural. The future tense is before the present. Here is , eat, all the way through.
| Person | Present | Past | Future | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | ||||
| I eat · I ate · I will eat | ||||
| I eat · I ate · I will eat | ||||
| you eat · you ate · you will eat | ||||
| you eat · you ate · you will eat | ||||
| he eats · he ate · he will eat | ||||
| he eats · he ate · he will eat | ||||
| she eats · she ate · she will eat | ||||
| she eats · she ate · she will eat | ||||
| Plural | ||||
| we eat · we ate · we will eat | ||||
| we eat · we ate · we will eat | ||||
| you eat · you ate · you will eat | ||||
| you eat · you ate · you will eat | ||||
| they eat · they ate · they will eat | ||||
| they eat · they ate · they will eat | ||||
Not: , I don't eat · , I didn't eat · , I won't eat.
Naf. Ħmejtu l-bieraħ filgħodu.I know. I baked it yesterday morning.
F'Lulju? Perfett! Se niġi!In July? Great! I'll come!
Saying no
answers no. says not before anything that is not a verb, and before . A verb takes in front and -x at the end; before a vowel or , becomes . With , and , the verb takes no -x. Don't is the form with -x.
| Word | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| no · No, thanks. | ||
| no · No, thanks. | ||
| · | not · It's not mine. · I'm not going to leave. | |
| not · It's not mine. · I'm not going to leave. | ||
| · | not, with a verb · I don't know. · I don't like it. | |
| not, with a verb · I don't know. · I don't like it. | ||
| · | not, the short form · I don't have time. · There's no need. | |
| not, the short form · I don't have time. · There's no need. | ||
| · · | · · | nothing · nobody · never · I said nothing. · Nobody knows. · He's never late. |
| nothing · nobody · never · I said nothing. · Nobody knows. · He's never late. | ||
| Don't | · | Don't tell anyone! · Don't be late! |
| Don't tell anyone! · Don't be late! | ||
Tibqa'? Imma jien għadni m'għedt xejn!'You're staying'? But I haven't said anything yet!
Tibqa'? Imma jien għadni m'għedt xejn!'You're staying'? But I haven't said anything yet!
Practice 1/7 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the verbs in the past tense.
.
Yesterday I ate baked macaroni at Marija's.
.
Yesterday I ate baked macaroni at Marija's.
, .
Ċikku ate all the fish, and Ella ate the cake.
, .
We ate in the courtyard, with everyone.
? ?
Did you eat everything? The cake too?
.
The neighbours ate and danced until midnight.
, .
I came to Malta three months ago, and today I eat like a Maltese.
, .
I came to Malta three months ago, and today I eat like a Maltese.
Practice 2/7 · The right form
How long, and when?
Choose the form that fits.
Jien f'Malta għaxar snin.
I've been in Malta for ten years.
Ella, kemm tpinġi mapep?
Ella, how long have you been drawing maps?
Ella, kemm tpinġi mapep?
Ella, how long have you been drawing maps?
Ċikku fin-numru sebgħa ħafna snin.
Ċikku has been at number 7 for many years.
Marija toqgħod hawn ħamsin sena.
Marija has lived here for fifty years.
Jien u n-nanna nistennew!
Grandma and I have been waiting!
Tfal, kemm fil-bitħa?
Children, how long have you been in the courtyard?
Tfal, kemm fil-bitħa?
Children, how long have you been in the courtyard?
Ġorġ u Tonio ħbieb tliet xhur.
Ġorġ and Tonio have been friends for three months.
Il-pinna ta' Tonio sparixxiet il-ġimgħa .
Tonio's pen went missing last week.
Anna se tiġi għandi x-xahar .
Anna is coming to stay next month.
Anna se tiġi għandi x-xahar .
Anna is coming to stay next month.
Is-sena nagħmel kejk akbar!
Next year I'll make a bigger cake!
Whose, and who helps?
Choose the form that fits the person.
Jien? Il-kamra fuq il-bejt.
Me? My room is on the roof.
Jien? Il-kamra fuq il-bejt.
Me? My room is on the roof.
Int? Iċ-ċwievet fuq il-mejda.
You? Your keys are on the table.
Ġorġ? Il-bokkin sparixxa.
Ġorġ? His mouthpiece went missing.
Jien? Tonio kuljum.
Me? Tonio helps me every day.
Jien? Tonio kuljum.
Me? Tonio helps me every day.
Ella, Ġorġ bix-xogħol tad-dar tiegħek?
Ella, does Ġorġ help you with your homework?
Ella, Ġorġ bix-xogħol tad-dar tiegħek?
Ella, does Ġorġ help you with your homework?
Tonio għajjien, u Ġorġ .
Tonio is tired, and Ġorġ helps him.
Ella għandha ħafna xogħol, u Ġorġ .
Ella has a lot of work, and Ġorġ helps her.
Jien u n-nanna? Tonio .
Grandma and me? Tonio helps us.
Ġorġ u Ella, Tonio ?
Ġorġ and Ella, does Tonio help you?
Ġorġ u Ella, Tonio ?
Ġorġ and Ella, does Tonio help you?
It-tfal għandhom xogħol, u Ġorġ .
The children have work, and Ġorġ helps them.
Practice 3/7 · Questions
Present, past, future
Choose the right answer.
X'kilt il-bieraħ għand Marija?
What did you eat at Marija's yesterday?
U Ella, għand Ġorġ u Lina?
And Ella, at Ġorġ and Lina's?
Intom x'kiltu fil-festin?
What did you all eat at the party?
X'kielu l-ġirien?
What did the neighbours eat?
Il-kejk tal-ġirien m'għadux hawn! Tfal, intom...?
The neighbours' cake isn't here any more! Children, did you...?
X'tiekol kuljum għal nofsinhar?
What do you eat for lunch every day?
Tonio x'jiekol it-Tnejn? U Ella?
What does Tonio eat on Mondays? And Ella?
Il-ġirien ġejjin għall-ikel. X'tistaqsihom Lina?
The neighbours are coming to eat. What does Lina ask them?
Ella u Ċikku jieklu fil-bitħa?
Do Ella and Ċikku eat in the courtyard?
As Lukas
Kemm ilek hawn?
How long have you been here?
As Lena
Kemm ilek hawn?
How long have you been here?
Practice 4/7 · Fill the gaps
June at number 7
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
f'Malta tliet xhur, u l-Malti tajjeb!
I've been in Malta for three months, and my Maltese is good!
f'Malta tliet xhur, u l-Malti tajjeb!
I've been in Malta for three months, and my Maltese is good!
As Lukas
Xahrejn kont , u Ella kienet it-tabiba tiegħi.
Two months ago I was ill, and Ella was my doctor.
As Lena
Xahrejn kont , u Ella kienet it-tabiba tiegħi.
Two months ago I was ill, and Ella was my doctor.
Anna magħna tliet xhur, u x-xogħol tajjeb.
Anna has been with us for three months, and her work is good.
Is-Sibt fil-bitħa, u l-kejk kien .
On Saturday we ate in the courtyard, and the cake was for me.
Is-Sibt fil-bitħa, u l-kejk kien .
On Saturday we ate in the courtyard, and the cake was for me.
Tfal, l-kejk ?
Children, did you eat our cake?
Ġorġ u Ella l-imqarrun, u Ella il-kejk ukoll.
Ġorġ and Ella ate the macaroni, and Ella ate the cake too.
Ġorġ bix-xogħol tad-dar. U Tonio? Ġorġ wkoll.
Ġorġ helps me with my homework. And Tonio? Ġorġ helps him too.
Ġorġ u Lina? Dan il-festin . U l-kejk !
Ġorġ and Lina? This party is theirs. And the cake is for you!
Ġirien, intom ħbieb ħafna snin, hux?
Neighbours, you've been friends for many years, haven't you?
Ġirien, intom ħbieb ħafna snin, hux?
Neighbours, you've been friends for many years, haven't you?
Ix-xahar se niġi għandek!
Next month I'm coming to stay with you!
Practice 5/7 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
I eat here, Ella eats in her room, and the neighbours eat in the courtyard.
I eat here, Ella eats in her room, and the neighbours eat in the courtyard.
If the ferry goes, we'll go to Gozo.
If the ferry goes, we'll go to Gozo.
I'd love to come, but I can't.
Let's eat, Ċikku is eating his fish!
Let's eat, Ċikku is eating his fish!
Last month Ċikku disappeared for two days.
Next year Ella will be eleven.
Ġorġ and Tonio have been friends for years, and we've been neighbours for a while.
The cake is for us, the fish is for him, and the coffee is for her!
The neighbours? The cake is for them, and the coffee is for you two.
The neighbours? The cake is for them, and the coffee is for you two.
Ella? Ġorġ helps her. The children? Ġorġ helps them.
Ella? Ġorġ helps her. The children? Ġorġ helps them.
Practice 6/7 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
As Lukas
Lucía asks where you're from and how long you've been in Malta. Three months.
You say:
As Lena
Lucía asks where you're from and how long you've been in Malta. Three months.
You say:
Tell Anna: if the ferry goes, we'll go to Gozo.
You say:
After jekk, the present; the other half too, or se: immorru, se mmorru.
Tell Anna: if the ferry goes, we'll go to Gozo.
You say:
After jekk, the present; the other half too, or se: immorru, se mmorru.
Invite Ġorġ and Ella, both at once, to eat at your place.
You say:
Invite Ġorġ and Ella, both at once, to eat at your place.
You say:
Ella reminds you when she made the map of the roof.
Ella says:
Tell your neighbours that you're staying with them.
You say:
Tell your neighbours that you're staying with them.
You say:
As Lukas
Tell Ella that you were ill when her thermometer went missing.
You say:
Kont is I was (and you were); the thermometer is Ella's, so tiegħek.
As Lena
Tell Ella that you were ill when her thermometer went missing.
You say:
Kont is I was (and you were); the thermometer is Ella's, so tiegħek.
Anna is sorry you're not coming to Valletta, but she understands.
Anna says:
Tell Lina that last week you ate her bread every day.
You say:
Tell Lina that last week you ate her bread every day.
You say:
Ġorġ and Ella ask who is helping them carry the chairs on Saturday. Tonio is; Karim is helping you and Marija.
You say:
Ġorġ and Ella ask who is helping them carry the chairs on Saturday. Tonio is; Karim is helping you and Marija.
You say:
Tell Ġorġ and Lina that their party was great.
You say:
Tell Ġorġ and Lina that their party was great.
You say:
Practice 7/7 · Matching
Question and answer
Match each question to its answer.
Unit complete