Chapter 13: Prepożizzjonijiet tal-Post (Prepositions of Place)

Knowing how to describe where things are is essential for communication. This chapter introduces the most common Maltese prepositions of place.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Recognize and use common prepositions like `fuq` (on), `taħt` (under), and `ġo` (in).
Understand how prepositions like `f'` and `minn` combine with the definite article `il-`.
Form simple sentences to describe the location of objects.

Common Prepositions of Place

Maltese	Phonetic Guide	English
fuq	(foo')	on / on top of
taħt	(taht)	under / beneath
ġo	(jo)	in / inside
f' / fi	(f' / fee)	in / at
ħdejn	(hdeyn)	next to / beside
quddiem	(ud-DEEM)	in front of
wara	(WA-ra)	behind
bejn	(beyn)	between
minn	(minn)	from

Key Grammar Rule: Prepositions and the Article

Some prepositions combine with the definite article `il-`. The most common are:

`f'` (in/at) + `il-` = `fil-`
Example: `fil-kċina` (fil-KCHEE-na) - in the kitchen
`minn` (from) + `il-` = `mil-`
Example: `mil-iskola` (mil-is-KO-la) - from the school

For most other prepositions like `fuq` and `taħt`, the article remains separate: `fuq il-mejda` (on the table).

Example Sentences

Il-ktieb qiegħed fuq il-mejda. (il-KTEEB 'EE-ed foo' il-MEY-da.) - The book is on the table.
Il-qattus qiegħed taħt is-siġġu. (il-'AT-toos 'EE-ed taht is-SIJ-joo.) - The cat is under the chair.
Jien qiegħed fil-kamra. (Yen 'EE-ed fil-KAM-ra.) - I am in the room.
Il-karozza qiegħda ħdejn id-dar. (il-ka-ROTS-tsa 'EE-da hdeyn id-DAR.) - The car is next to the house.

Practice Activities

Recognition Practice:

Exercise 1: Match the Preposition

Match the Maltese preposition to its English meaning.

 fuq       ( ) in
 taħt      ( ) from
 ġo        ( ) next to
 ħdejn     ( ) on
 minn      ( ) under

fuq → on
taħt → under
ġo → in
ħdejn → next to
minn → from

Production Practice:

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blank

Complete the sentence with the correct Maltese preposition.

Il-lapes qiegħed _______ il-kaxxa. (The pencil is in the box.)
Jien ġej _______ il-ħanut. (I am coming from the shop.)
Poġġi l-platt _______ il-mejda. (Put the plate on the table.)

ġo
mil- (from the)
fuq

Cultural Insight

Prepositions of place are essential for navigating Malta's charming but often winding streets. When asking for directions, you'll frequently hear `dritt quddiemek` (straight in front of you) or `wara l-knisja` (behind the church). The church (`il-knisja`) is often the central landmark in any Maltese village, making it a very common point of reference.

The preposition `bejn` (between) is even found in a famous place name: `Ta' Bejn il-Knejjes`, which means "The area between the churches," a location in the town of Għaxaq. This shows how integral these simple words are to the very geography of the island.

Il-Ħin tal-Istorja (Story Time)

Pawlu is looking for his cat.

Fejn hu l-Qattus? (Where is the Cat?)

Pawlu: Marija, fejn hu l-qattus? Ma nistax insibu. (Ma-REE-ya, feyn oo l-'AT-toos? Ma nis-TASH in-see-BOO.)

Marija: Forsi qiegħed taħt is-sodda? (FOR-si 'EE-ed taht is-SOD-da?)

Pawlu: Le, ma hux hemm. (Le, ma oosh emm.)

Marija: U wara l-purtiera? (Oo WA-ra l-pur-TEE-ra?)

Pawlu: Lanqas. Stenna! Qiegħed fuq l-armarju, bejn żewġ kaxxi! (LAN-'as. STEN-na! 'EE-ed foo' l-ar-MAR-yoo, beyn zewj KASH-shi!)

Marija: Kif tela' hemm fuq? (Kif TE-la emm foo'?)

Where is the Cat? (Translation)

Pawlu: Marija, where is the cat? I can't find him.

Marija: Maybe he is under the bed?

Pawlu: No, he's not there.

Marija: And behind the curtain?

Pawlu: Neither. Wait! He is on top of the wardrobe, between two boxes!

Marija: How did he get up there?

Review and Consolidation

Key Vocabulary:

`fuq`, `taħt`, `ġo`, `f'`, `ħdejn`, `quddiem`, `wara`, `bejn`, `minn`.

Key Concept:

Remember that `f'` becomes `fil-` and `minn` becomes `mil-` when followed by the definite article `il-`.

Self-Assessment:

How do you say "on the table"? (`fuq il-mejda`)
How do you say "in the house"? (`fid-dar`)
How do you say "next to the school"? (`ħdejn l-iskola`)

Looking Ahead

Prosit! You can now describe where things are. In the next chapter, we will expand your descriptive abilities even further by learning the vocabulary for food and drinks, allowing you to identify what you want to eat and where it is.

Previous Chapter: Negation Next Chapter: Food & Drinks