Family is at the heart of Maltese culture. In this chapter, you'll learn the essential vocabulary for family members and a crucial grammatical concept: how to show possession using suffixes.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| omm | (omm) | mother |
| missier | (mis-SEE-er) | father |
| ġenituri | (jen-i-TOO-ri) | parents |
| ħu | (hoo) | brother |
| oħt | (oht) | sister |
| aħwa | (AH-wa) | siblings / brothers and sisters |
| nannu | (NAN-noo) | grandfather |
| nanna | (NAN-na) | grandmother |
| nanniet | (nan-NEET) | grandparents |
| iben / bint | (I-ben / bint) | son / daughter |
| raġel / mara | (RA-jel / MAR-a) | husband / wife |
In Maltese, you don't use separate words like "my" or "your." Instead, you add a suffix (an ending) directly to the noun. This is a core concept derived from the language's Semitic roots.
| Maltese | English |
|---|---|
| omm-i -> ommi (OM-mee) | my mother |
| omm-ok -> ommok (OM-mok) | your mother |
| omm-u -> ommu (OM-moo) | his mother |
| omm-ha -> ommha (OM-ma) | her mother |
| omm-na -> ommna (OM-na) | our mother |
| omm-kom -> ommkom (OM-kom) | your (pl.) mother |
| omm-hom -> ommhom (OM-hom) | their mother |
Note on Irregular Forms: Some words change slightly when adding a suffix. For example, `ħu` (brother) becomes `ħuija` (hoo-EE-ya) for "my brother", and `oħt` (sister) becomes `oħti` (OH-tee) for "my sister". We will learn these as we go!
Master family vocabulary and possessive suffixes.
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Match the Maltese word with the English family member.
missier ( ) grandmother
oħt ( ) brother
nanna ( ) father
ħu ( ) siblings
aħwa ( ) sistermissier → father
oħt → sister
nanna → grandmother
ħu → brother
aħwa → siblingsApply the correct possessive suffix to the noun.
The family (`il-familja`) is the undisputed cornerstone of Maltese society. This extends far beyond the nuclear family to include grandparents (`nanniet`), aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's extremely common for extended families to live in the same town or village, sometimes even on the same street.
The Sunday family lunch is a cherished tradition, where multiple generations gather for a long, loud, and loving meal. Grandparents often play a very active role in their grandchildren's lives. The way the language uses suffixes to bind the person to the noun (like `ommi` - "my mother") reflects this deep, intrinsic connection; your family members are a part of you, not just separate people you are related to.
Marija is looking at a family photo.
"Dan hu r-ritratt tal-familja tiegħi," tgħid Marija. (Dan oo r-rit-RATT tal-fa-MIL-ya TEE-eye, taid Ma-REE-ya.)
Dan huwa missieri, Pawlu, u din hija ommi, Anna. (Dan OO-wa mis-SEE-ri, PAW-loo, oo deen EE-ya OM-mee, AN-na.)
Għandi ħija wieħed, jismu Mark. Huwa ħija l-kbir. (AN-dee hoo-EE-ya WEE-hed, YIS-moo Mark. OO-wa HEE-ya l-kbeer.)
U din oħti ċ-ċkejkna, Sara. (Oo deen OH-tee ich-CHKEYK-na, SA-ra.)
Nannuwi u nanniti jgħixu qrib tagħna. Inħobb ħafna lill-familja tiegħi! (NAN-noo-wi oo nan-NEE-ti ya-EE-shoo 'REEB TAH-na. In-HOBB HAF-na lil-fa-MIL-ya TEE-eye!)
"This is the photo of my family," says Marija.
This is my father, Pawlu, and this is my mother, Anna.
I have one brother, his name is Mark. He is my big brother.
And this is my little sister, Sara.
My grandfather and my grandmother live near us. I love my family very much!
`omm`, `missier`, `ħu`, `oħt`, `aħwa`, `nannu`, `nanna`, `iben`, `bint`, `raġel`, `mara`.
Remember to add endings like `-i` (my), `-ek` (your), `-u` (his), and `-ha` (her) to nouns to show ownership.
Prosit! You can now describe your family, one of the most important topics in any culture. In the next chapter, we will learn how to talk about what you and your family members *do* by introducing the present tense of regular verbs.