Building on what you learned in Chapter 4, this lesson will teach you how to form all the numbers up to one hundred, which is essential for everything from shopping to telling your age.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
The system for forming numbers above 20 in Maltese is very logical. The structure is always **"unit `u` ten"** (unit AND ten). For example, 21 is literally "one and twenty".
First, you need to know the words for the tens.
| Number | Maltese | Phonetic Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | għoxrin | (osh-REEN) |
| 30 | tletin | (tle-TEEN) |
| 40 | erbgħin | (erb-EEN) |
| 50 | ħamsin | (ham-SEEN) |
| 60 | sittin | (sit-TEEN) |
| 70 | sebgħin | (seb-EEN) |
| 80 | tmenin | (tme-NEEN) |
| 90 | disgħin | (dis-EEN) |
| 100 | mija | (MEE-ya) |
To form any number, just combine the unit (from Chapter 4) with the ten using `u` (and).
Just like with the number 1, the gender distinction between `wieħed` (masculine) and `waħda` (feminine) applies to all numbers ending in "one" (21, 31, 41, etc.) when they describe a noun.
This rule does not apply to numbers ending in two, three, etc. `Tnejn` is used for both genders, e.g., `tnejn u għoxrin ktieb` and `tnejn u għoxrin karozza`.
Master the numbers from 21 to 100.
Import Chapter 21 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Read the Maltese number and write the corresponding numeral.
Write out the full Maltese number for the following numerals.
Knowing these numbers is very practical in Malta. You'll use them when paying for groceries, where a total might be `tlieta u għoxrin ewro` (€23). They are also essential for understanding ages. It's common to hear about a grandparent who is `ħamsa u tmenin sena` (85 years old).
Another very Maltese use is for bus numbers! The public transport system is extensive, and you'll navigate by asking for `tal-linja disgħin` (bus number 90) or checking the schedule for `tal-linja tnejn u sebgħin` (bus number 72). Being able to hear and say these numbers confidently makes getting around the island much easier.
Nannu (Grandpa) talks about his life.
"Meta kont żgħir jien, kien hemm biss ftit karozzi," jgħid in-nannu. (ME-ta kont zair yen, keen emm biss ftit ka-ROTS-tsi, yaid in-NAN-noo.)
"Jien għandi sitta u tmenin sena issa. Twelidt fis-sena elf disa' mija u sitta u tletin." (Yen AN-dee SIT-ta oo tme-NEEN SE-na IS-sa. Twe-LITT fis-SE-na elf DIS-a MEE-ya oo SIT-ta oo tle-TEEN.)
"In-nanna tiegħek, hi għandha tnejn u tmenin sena." (in-NAN-na TEE-ek, ee AN-da tneyn oo tme-NEEN SE-na.)
"F'din it-triq, hemm tlieta u erbgħin dar. Id-dar tagħna hija n-numru wieħed u għoxrin." (f'DEEN it-TREE', emm TLEE-ta oo erb-EEN dar. id-DAR TAH-na EE-ya in-NOOM-roo WEE-hed oo osh-REEN.)
"When I was young, there were only a few cars," says grandpa.
"I am eighty-six years old now. I was born in the year one thousand nine hundred and thirty-six."
"Your grandmother, she is eighty-two years old."
"On this street, there are forty-three houses. Our house is number twenty-one."
The structure for numbers 21-99 is always **unit `u` ten**. (e.g., `sitta u ħamsin` for 56).
`għoxrin` (20), `tletin` (30), `erbgħin` (40), `ħamsin` (50), `sittin` (60), `sebgħin` (70), `tmenin` (80), `disgħin` (90), `mija` (100).
Prosit! You have now mastered counting all the way to 100. In the next chapter, we will bring together much of what you've learned—greetings, questions, and basic verbs—into full "Everyday Conversations" to practice real-world scenarios.