Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They tell you *how*, *when*, *where*, or *how often* an action happens. Learning them will add a new layer of detail to your Maltese sentences.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Adverbs in Maltese can be broken down into several useful categories.
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| malajr | (ma-LIAR) | quickly / fast |
| bil-mod | (bil-MOD) | slowly |
| tajjeb | (TAI-yeb) | well / good |
| ħażin | (ha-ZEEN) | badly / bad |
Example: Huwa jsuq malajr. (OO-wa ysoo' ma-LIAR) - He drives quickly.
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| illum | (il-LOOM) | today |
| għada | (AA-da) | tomorrow |
| ilbieraħ | (il-BEE-rah) | yesterday |
| issa | (IS-sa) | now |
| mbagħad | (m-BADJ) | then / later |
Example: Se narah għada. (Se na-RAH AA-da) - I will see him tomorrow.
| Maltese | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| dejjem | (DEY-yem) | always |
| spiss | (spiss) | often |
| xi kultant | (shi kool-TANT) | sometimes |
| rarament | (ra-ra-MENT) | rarely |
| qatt | ('att) | never (used with negation `ma...-x`) |
Example: Hija dejjem kuntenta. (EE-ya DEY-yem kun-TEN-ta) - She is always happy.
Example with `qatt`: Ma jmur qatt iċ-ċinema. (Ma ymoor 'ATT ich-chi-NE-ma) - He never goes to the cinema.
Master these common adverbs.
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Match the adverb with its logical opposite.
malajr ( ) qatt
ilbieraħ ( ) bil-mod
dejjem ( ) għadamalajr → bil-mod
ilbieraħ → għada
dejjem → qattTranslate the following sentences into Maltese, paying attention to the adverb.
While not a traditional adverb, no discussion of Maltese speech is complete without mentioning `mela` (ME-la). It's a hugely versatile word that functions like an adverbial filler or connector. It can mean "so", "then", "well...", "of course", or "okay". Its meaning depends entirely on context and tone of voice.
Learning to use `mela` naturally is a big step toward sounding like a local!
Marija is waiting for Pawlu, who is late.
Marija: Pawlu, fejn int? Qed nistenniek issa! (PAW-loo, feyn int? 'ed nis-ten-NYEEK IS-sa!)
Pawlu: Skużani, Marija. Ġej malajr. (skoo-ZAH-nee, Ma-REE-ya. Jey ma-LIAR.)
Marija: Int dejjem tard! Ilbieraħ, kont tard ukoll. (Int DEY-yem tart! il-BEE-rah, kont tart oo-KOLL.)
Pawlu: Naf, imma llum it-traffiku kien ħażin ħafna. (Naf, IM-ma il-LOOM it-traf-FI-ku keen ha-ZEEN HAF-na.)
Marija: Tajjeb. Mela, xi kultant trid titlaq mid-dar kmieni. (TAI-yeb. ME-la, shi kool-TANT treed tit-LA' mid-DAR KMIE-ni.)
Pawlu: Għandek raġun. Għada, se nitlaq bil-mod u kmieni! (AN-dek ra-JOON. AA-da, se nit-LA' bil-MOD oo KMIE-ni!)
Marija: Pawlu, where are you? I'm waiting for you now!
Pawlu: Sorry, Marija. I'm coming quickly.
Marija: You are always late! Yesterday, you were late too.
Pawlu: I know, but today the traffic was very bad.
Marija: Okay. Well, sometimes you have to leave the house early.
Pawlu: You're right. Tomorrow, I will leave slowly and early!
Adverbs add detail about how (`malajr`), when (`illum`), and how often (`dejjem`) an action occurs. The adverb `qatt` (never) requires the `ma...-x` negative structure.
`malajr` (quickly), `bil-mod` (slowly), `illum` (today), `għada` (tomorrow), `ilbieraħ` (yesterday), `issa` (now), `dejjem` (always), `spiss` (often), `xi kultant` (sometimes), `qatt` (never), `mela` (so/then/well).
Prosit! You can now describe actions with much more detail. In the next chapter, we'll focus on `Is-Saħħa u l-Benessri` (Health & Well-being), learning the vocabulary to talk about feeling sick or well, visiting a doctor, and describing ailments.