Now it's time to learn how to express actions! This chapter introduces how to form the present tense in Maltese, which relies on a system of verb roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
At the heart of most Maltese verbs is a "root" made of three consonants. To conjugate the verb, you insert this root into a pattern of prefixes, vowels, and suffixes.
Let's use the verb `kiteb` (to write) as our example. Its root is K-T-B.
To form the present tense, you typically add a prefix at the beginning and sometimes a suffix at the end. The pattern is as follows:
| Pronoun | Prefix | Root | Suffix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jien (I) | n- | -ikte- | |
| Int (You, s.) | t- | -ikte- | |
| Huwa (He) | j- | -ikte- | |
| Hija (She) | t- | -ikte- | |
| Aħna (We) | n- | -iktb- | -u |
| Intom (You, pl.) | t- | -iktb- | -u |
| Huma (They) | j- | -iktb- | -u |
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jien nikteb | (nik-TEB) | I write |
| Int tikteb | (tik-TEB) | You write |
| Huwa jikteb | (yik-TEB) | He writes |
| Hija tikteb | (tik-TEB) | She writes |
| Aħna niktbu | (NIKT-boo) | We write |
| Intom tiktbu | (TIKT-boo) | You (pl.) write |
| Huma jiktbu | (YIKT-boo) | They write |
Examples in sentences:
Master the present tense of regular verbs.
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Match the conjugated verb to the correct pronoun.
niktbu ( ) Huwa (He)
tikteb ( ) Huma (They)
jiktbu ( ) Int (You, s.) or Hija (She)
jikteb ( ) Aħna (We)niktbu → Aħna (We)
tikteb → Int (You, s.) or Hija (She)
jiktbu → Huma (They)
jikteb → Huwa (He)The verb `qara` (ARA) means "to read" (root Q-R-A). Try to fill in the blanks using the same pattern as `kiteb`.
The present tense is the language of daily life and routine. A common question you might hear in Malta is `X'tagħmel?` (sh-TAA-mel), which means "What are you doing?" or "What do you do (for a living)?". The answer will almost always use a present tense verb.
For example, someone might reply `Naħdem fil-bank` (I work in the bank) or `Nistudja l-istorja` (I study history). This pattern of asking about one's daily activities is a very common way to make conversation and show friendly interest in someone's life, reflecting the close-knit nature of Maltese communities.
A day in the life of a student.
Jien nistudja l-Malti kuljum. (Yen nis-TUD-ya l-MAL-ti kool-YOOM.)
Filgħodu, nixrob kafè u naqra l-aħbarijiet. (fil-O-doo, NISH-rob ka-FE oo NA'-ra l-ah-ba-ri-YEET.)
Oħti, Sara, tisma' l-mużika. Hija tħobb il-mużika klassika. (OH-tee, SA-ra, TIS-ma l-moo-ZEE-ka. EE-ya thobb il-moo-ZEE-ka KLAS-si-ka.)
Il-ġenituri tagħna jaħdmu fl-uffiċċju. (il-jen-i-TOO-ri TAH-na YAH-dmoo fluf-FICH-chyoo.)
Wara nofsinhar, aħna lkoll nieklu flimkien. (Wa-ra nofs-in-NAR, AH-na l-koll NEEK-loo flim-KYEN.)
I study Maltese every day.
In the morning, I drink coffee and I read the news.
My sister, Sara, listens to music. She loves classical music.
Our parents work in the office.
In the afternoon, we all eat together.
Maltese present tense verbs are formed with a prefix (like `n-` for "I" or `j-` for "he") and sometimes a suffix (like `-u` for "we" or "they").
`kiteb` (to write), `qara` (to read), `studja` (to study), `xrob` (to drink), `sema'` (to listen/hear), `ħabb` (to love), `ħadem` (to work), `kiel` (to eat), `kuljum` (every day), `flimkien` (together).
Prosit! You can now form positive sentences about what people do. But what if you want to say what someone *doesn't* do? In the next chapter, we will learn about negation, using the `ma...-x` structure to turn your positive statements into negative ones.