To tell someone not to do something, Maltese does not use the imperative. It takes the present tense of , you, and adds -x, the same -x as in : , you sit, , don't sit! · , you say, , don't say it! A may go in front, but is usually left out: , don't go!
The last vowel often changes before the -x, as it does in , : , · , · , To several people, take the present of and add -x to its -u: , you are afraid, , don't be afraid! After a vowel it is -wx: ,
Don't!
| Present | Don't! | To several | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| you sit · don't sit! | |||
| you sit · don't sit! | |||
| you say · don't say it! | |||
| you say · don't say it! | |||
| you write · don't write! | |||
| you write · don't write! | |||
| you look · don't look! | |||
| you look · don't look! | |||
| you read · don't read! | |||
| you read · don't read! | |||
| you're afraid · don't be afraid! | |||
| you're afraid · don't be afraid! | |||
| you take · don't take it! | |||
| you take · don't take it! | |||
| you come · don't come! | |||
| you come · don't come! | |||
| you go · don't go! | |||
| you go · don't go! | |||
| you sleep · don't sleep! | |||
| you sleep · don't sleep! | |||
Because don't is built on the present, the comes back: , sit!, but , don't sit! · , come!, but , don't come! In the ' at the end, a silent , drops before the -x, and comes back in .
It-tielet: toqgħodx fuq il-kompjuters.Three: don't sit on the computers.
It-tielet: toqgħodx fuq il-kompjuters.Three: don't sit on the computers.
Jekk jogħġbok, aqraw ir-regoli. U tibżgħux!Please read the rules. And don't be afraid!
Jekk jogħġbok, aqraw ir-regoli. U tibżgħux!Please read the rules. And don't be afraid!
Ċikku, tiħux il-ġurdien tiegħi!Ċikku, don't take my mouse!
U għada tiġix tard!And don't be late tomorrow!
, nothing, , nobody, and , never, make a sentence negative with , and then the verb has no -x: , I don't know, but , I know nothing · , nobody knows · , he's never late. Alone, each is a whole answer: What does he do? Nothing.
Nothing, nobody, never
| Word | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nothing · I know nothing. | ||
| nothing · I know nothing. | ||
| nobody · Nobody knows. | ||
| nobody · Nobody knows. | ||
| never · He's never late. | ||
| never · He's never late. | ||
Where English says not ... anything or not ... anyone, Maltese says nothing and nobody. A don't keeps its -x even then, because it has no : Don't tell anyone!, literally don't tell nobody.
The -x, with and without xejn and ħadd
| With -x | With , , | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I don't know. · I know nothing. | ||
| I don't know. · I know nothing. | ||
| There's no cat. · There's nothing. | ||
| There's no cat. · There's nothing. | ||
| He isn't coming. · He never comes. | ||
| He isn't coming. · He never comes. | ||
| Don't say it! · Don't tell anyone! | ||
| Don't say it! · Don't tell anyone! | ||
loses its -x before : There's nothing there yet.
U qatt ma jiġi tard. Mhux bħal xi ħadd...And he's never late. Not like somebody...
Xejn. Jorqod, bħalek.Nothing. He sleeps, like you.
Għad m'hemm xejn.There's nothing there yet.
Imma tgħidx lil ħadd!But don't tell anyone!
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the words that say don't, nothing, nobody and never.
: .
Three: don't sit on the computers.
: .
Three: don't sit on the computers.
, . !
Please read the rules. And don't be afraid!
, . !
Please read the rules. And don't be afraid!
!
But don't tell anyone!
.
And he's never late.
. , .
Nothing. He sleeps, like you.
.
There's nothing there yet.
, !
Ċikku, don't sleep on the printer!
, !
Ċikku, don't sleep on the printer!
, : ! !
Ella, Ġorġ: don't go! Ċikku is coming!
, : ! !
Ella, Ġorġ: don't go! Ċikku is coming!
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Don't!
Choose the form that says don't, to one person (or one cat).
Ċikku, fuq il-kompjuter!
Ċikku, don't sit on the computer!
Ċikku, fuq il-kompjuter!
Ċikku, don't sit on the computer!
Imma lil ħadd!
But don't tell anyone!
fuq l-avviż tiegħi, jekk jogħġbok!
Don't write on my notice, please!
Sur Tonio, ! Ċikku fuq is-siġġu tiegħek.
Mr Tonio, don't look! Ċikku is on your chair.
Sur Tonio, ! Ċikku fuq is-siġġu tiegħek.
Mr Tonio, don't look! Ċikku is on your chair.
il-messaġġ tiegħi!
Don't read my message!
Sur Tonio, ! Ċikku mhux ħażin.
Mr Tonio, don't be afraid! Ċikku isn't bad.
Sur Tonio, ! Ċikku mhux ħażin.
Mr Tonio, don't be afraid! Ċikku isn't bad.
Ċikku, il-ġurdien tiegħi!
Ċikku, don't take my mouse!
U għada tard!
And don't be late tomorrow!
Ċikku, fil-kċina!
Ċikku, don't go into the kitchen!
Ċikku, fil-kċina!
Ċikku, don't go into the kitchen!
Ċikku, fuq il-printer!
Ċikku, don't sleep on the printer!
Ċikku, fuq il-printer!
Ċikku, don't sleep on the printer!
Don't, all of you!
Now to several people: -ux.
Ħello lil kulħadd! U !
Hello, everyone! And don't be afraid!
Ħello lil kulħadd! U !
Hello, everyone! And don't be afraid!
Ella, Ġorġ: fuq is-siġġu tiegħi!
Ella, Ġorġ: don't sit on my chair!
Ella, Ġorġ: lil ħadd!
Ella, Ġorġ: don't tell anyone!
Kulħadd: fuq il-ħajt!
Everyone: don't write on the wall!
Ella, Ġorġ: ! Ċikku qed jiekol.
Ella, Ġorġ: don't look! Ċikku is eating.
Ella, Ġorġ: ! Ċikku qed jiekol.
Ella, Ġorġ: don't look! Ċikku is eating.
Ella u Ġorġ, il-messaġġ tiegħi!
Ella and Ġorġ, don't read my message!
Ella, Ġorġ: il-kejk kollu!
Ella, Ġorġ: don't take all the cake!
Ġorġ u Lina, tard għada!
Ġorġ and Lina, don't be late tomorrow!
Ella, Ġorġ, ! Il-kejk ġej!
Ella, Ġorġ, don't go! The cake is coming!
Ġorġ, Ella: fuq is-sufan!
Ġorġ, Ella: don't sleep on the sofa!
Nothing, nobody, never
Choose the right word for the gap.
X'jagħmel wara nofsinhar? .
What does he do in the afternoon? Nothing.
Min jaf fejn hi ċ-ċavetta? ma jaf.
Who knows where the key is? Nobody knows.
Ċikku ma jiġi tard.
Ċikku is never late.
Il-friġġ tiegħi vojt. M'hemm .
My fridge is empty. There's nothing.
Il-friġġ tiegħi vojt. M'hemm .
My fridge is empty. There's nothing.
Tgħidx lil !
Don't tell anyone!
Taf fejn hu Ċikku? Le, ma .
Do you know where Ċikku is? No, I don't know.
Taf fejn hu Ċikku? Le, ma .
Do you know where Ċikku is? No, I don't know.
Le, ma xejn!
No, I know nothing!
Le, ma xejn!
No, I know nothing!
Fejn hu l-qattus? qattus hawn!
Where's the cat? There's no cat here!
Ġorġ? Illum ma .
Ġorġ? He isn't coming today.
Ċikku ma jaqra.
Ċikku never reads.
Ċikku ma jaqra.
Ċikku never reads.
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Tonio's notice
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
L-ewwel: ejja fid-disgħa. It-tieni: fit-tnax u fil-ħamsa.
One: come at nine. Two: eat at twelve and at five.
L-ewwel: ejja fid-disgħa. It-tieni: fit-tnax u fil-ħamsa.
One: come at nine. Two: eat at twelve and at five.
It-tielet: fuq il-kompjuters.
Three: don't sit on the computers.
It-tielet: fuq il-kompjuters.
Three: don't sit on the computers.
Ir-raba': , qatt fuq il-printer!
Four: never, ever on the printer!
Ir-raba': , qatt fuq il-printer!
Four: never, ever on the printer!
Ħello lil kulħadd! ir-regoli, u !
Hello, everyone! Read the rules, and don't be afraid!
Ħello lil kulħadd! ir-regoli, u !
Hello, everyone! Read the rules, and don't be afraid!
Il-ħames u s-sitt? Għad m'hemm .
The fifth and the sixth? There's nothing there yet.
Is-seba': il-Ġimgħa l-qattus joqgħod fuq is-siġġu tiegħi. Imma lil !
Seven: on Friday the cat sits on my chair. But don't tell anyone!
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
Hello, everyone! And don't be afraid!
Hello, everyone! And don't be afraid!
Ella, Ġorġ: don't sit on my chair!
Don't tell anyone, please! (to several people)
Everyone, don't write on the kitchen wall!
Ella, Ġorġ, don't look! Ċikku is eating.
Ella, Ġorġ, don't look! Ċikku is eating.
Don't read my message! (to several people)
Don't take all the cake! (to several people)
Don't be late tomorrow! (to several people)
Cats in the office? No, not yet.
Ġorġ, Ella: don't sleep on the sofa!
Practice 5/6 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Ċikku is about to sit on Tonio's computer. Tell him not to.
You say:
One cat: toqgħodx. Toqogħdux is for several.
Ċikku is about to sit on Tonio's computer. Tell him not to.
You say:
One cat: toqgħodx. Toqogħdux is for several.
Tonio asks you to keep the seventh rule a secret.
Tonio says:
Tonio is scared of Ċikku. Tell him not to be afraid.
You say:
Tonio is scared of Ċikku. Tell him not to be afraid.
You say:
Ċikku has Tonio's mouse again. Tonio tells him not to take it.
Tonio says:
Tonio tells you not to be late tomorrow.
Tonio says:
Ċikku has found Tonio's pen. Tell him not to write on the notice.
You say:
Ċikku has found Tonio's pen. Tell him not to write on the notice.
You say:
Lina asks what Ċikku does in the afternoon.
You say:
Lina asks what Ċikku does in the afternoon.
You say:
Marija asks who knows where her key is. Nobody does.
You say:
Marija asks who knows where her key is. Nobody does.
You say:
Ella asks where Ċikku is. You don't know.
You say:
Ella asks where Ċikku is. You don't know.
You say:
Tonio asks if Ċikku is coming today. He isn't.
You say:
Tonio asks if Ċikku is coming today. He isn't.
You say:
Practice 6/6 · Matching
Don't!
Match the pairs.
Unit complete
