One of the best ways to experience a culture is through its food. This chapter will give you the basic vocabulary you need to talk about common foods and drinks in Maltese.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| ħobż | (hobz) | bread |
| ġobon | (JO-bon) | cheese |
| laħam | (LA-ham) | meat |
| tiġieġa | (ti-JEE-ja) | chicken |
| ħut | (hoot) | fish |
| ħaxix | (HASH-eesh) | vegetables |
| frott | (frott) | fruit |
| bajda / bajd | (BAI-da / bayt) | egg / eggs |
| patata | (pa-TA-ta) | potato / potatoes |
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| ilma | (IL-ma) | water |
| kafè | (ka-FEH) | coffee |
| te | (teh) | tea |
| ħalib | (ha-LEEB) | milk |
| meraq | (ME-ra') | juice |
| inbid | (im-BEED) | wine |
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| kolazzjon | (ko-lats-YON) | breakfast |
| ikla ta' nofsinhar | (IK-la ta' nofs-in-NAR) | lunch (midday meal) |
| pranzu | (PRAN-zoo) | dinner |
Master the vocabulary for food and drinks.
Import Chapter 14 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Match the Maltese word to its English meaning.
ħobż ( ) water
laħam ( ) cheese
ilma ( ) meat
ġobon ( ) breadħobż → bread
laħam → meat
ilma → water
ġobon → cheeseCreate simple sentences saying what you want to eat or drink. Use `Irrid...` (I want...).
Maltese cuisine is a rustic and seasonal blend of Mediterranean flavors. A cornerstone of the diet is `ħobż tal-Malti` (Maltese bread), a crusty sourdough bread that is a source of national pride. It's often eaten simply with olive oil and tomato paste (`ħobż biż-żejt`) or served with every meal.
Two iconic foods you must know are `pastizzi` and `fenek`. `Pastizzi` (pas-TITS-tsi) are flaky pastry pockets filled with either ricotta (`tal-irkotta`) or mushy peas (`tal-piżelli`), and they are the island's most popular snack. `Fenek` (FE-nek), or rabbit, is considered the national dish, often served as a stew (`stuffat tal-fenek`) or fried in garlic.
The local soft drink, `Kinnie` (KIN-nee), is a beloved bittersweet carbonated beverage made from bitter oranges and aromatic herbs. It's a taste unique to the islands!
Marija and Pawlu decide what to have for dinner.
Marija: Jien għandi l-ġuħ. X'se nieklu għall-pranzu? (Yen AN-dee l-jooh. Sh'se NEEK-loo all-PRAN-zoo?)
Pawlu: Ma nafx. Għandna laħam fil-friġġ? (Ma nafsh. AND-na LA-ham fil-FRIJJ?)
Marija: Le, ma għandniex laħam. Imma għandna tiġieġa u ftit ħaxix. (Le, ma and-NEESH la-ham. IM-ma AND-na ti-JEE-ja oo ftit HASH-eesh.)
Pawlu: Tajjeb. Nistgħu nagħmlu tiġieġa bil-patata. U x'nixorbu? (TAI-yeb. NIS-taw naa-MLOO ti-JEE-ja bil-pa-TA-ta. Oo sh'nish-OR-boo?)
Marija: Għandi l-għatx. Irrid tazza ilma, jekk jogħġbok. (AN-dee l-aatch. Ir-REED TATS-tsa IL-ma, yek YOJ-bok.)
Pawlu: Jien irrid tazza inbid aħmar. (Yen ir-REED TATS-tsa im-BEED AH-mar.)
Marija: I am hungry. What will we eat for dinner?
Pawlu: I don't know. Do we have meat in the fridge?
Marija: No, we don't have meat. But we have a chicken and a few vegetables.
Pawlu: Good. We can make chicken with potatoes. And what will we drink?
Marija: I am thirsty. I want a glass of water, please.
Pawlu: I want a glass of red wine.
`ħobż` (bread), `ġobon` (cheese), `laħam` (meat), `tiġieġa` (chicken), `ħut` (fish), `ħaxix` (vegetables), `frott` (fruit), `bajd` (eggs), `ilma` (water), `kafè` (coffee), `te` (tea), `ħalib` (milk), `meraq` (juice), `inbid` (wine), `kolazzjon` (breakfast), `pranzu` (dinner).
Prosit! You have learned the basic vocabulary for food and drinks. In the next chapter, we will visit the market (`fis-suq`) and learn more specific vocabulary for shopping, allowing you to ask for the things you want to buy.