The conditional tense allows you to talk about what *would* happen, or what you *would* do, under certain conditions. It's the language of dreams, possibilities, and giving advice.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
The Maltese conditional typically has two parts: the "if" clause and the "would" clause.
`Kieku` (If...) , `(kont/kien/...)` (I/he/... would...)
`Kieku` is the word for "if" in these hypothetical sentences. The verb that follows `kieku` is usually in the past tense.
The "would" part of the sentence is formed by using the past tense of the verb "to be" (`kont`, `kont`, `kien`, `kienet`, etc.) followed by the present tense of the main verb.
| Pronoun | "Would" Form | Example Verb (buy) | Full Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jien (I) | kont | nixtri | I would buy |
| Int (You) | kont | tixtri | You would buy |
| Huwa (He) | kien | jixtri | He would buy |
| Hija (She) | kienet | tixtri | She would buy |
| Aħna (We) | konna | nixtru | We would buy |
| Intom (You pl.) | kontu | tixtru | You would buy |
| Huma (They) | kienu | jixtru | They would buy |
Let's combine the clauses to make full sentences.
Kieku kelli l-flus, kont nixtri karozza ġdida.
(If I had the money, I would buy a new car.)
Kieku stajt, kont nivvjaġġa d-dinja kollha.
(If I could, I would travel the whole world.)
Kieku kien hawn, kien jgħinek.
(If he were here, he would help you.)
Master the conditional tense.
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Match the "if" clause on the left with a logical "would" clause on the right.
Kieku kelli l-ġuħ... ( ) ...kont nivvjaġġa.
Kieku kelli l-ħin... ( ) ...kont nistrieħ.
Kieku kont għajjien... ( ) ...kont niekol xi ħaġa.
Kieku kelli l-ġuħ... → ...kont niekol xi ħaġa. (If I were hungry, I would eat something.)
Kieku kelli l-ħin... → ...kont nivvjaġġa. (If I had the time, I would travel.)
Kieku kont għajjien... → ...kont nistrieħ. (If I were tired, I would rest.)
Translate the following conditional sentences into Maltese.
Like people everywhere, the Maltese love to talk about what they'd do in a perfect world. A common topic for conditional sentences is winning the lottery (`il-lotterija`). You might hear friends joking: `Kieku nirbaħ il-lotterija, kont nixtri villa kbira u ma naħdimx iktar!` (If I won the lottery, I would buy a big villa and I wouldn't work anymore!).
The conditional is also a polite way to give advice. Instead of directly saying "You should study," a parent or friend might say `Kieku jien kont int, kont nistudja.` (If I were you, I would study.). This softens the advice, making it sound more like a helpful suggestion than a command.
Marija and Pawlu dream about what they would do if they were rich.
Marija: Pawlu, x'kont tagħmel kieku kont sinjur? (PAW-loo, sh'kont TAA-mel KYE-koo kont sin-YOOR?)
Pawlu: Mmm, mistoqsija tajba. Naħseb li kieku kont sinjur, kont nixtri dar kbira bil-pixxina. (Mmm, mis-to'-SEE-ya TAI-ba. NAH-seb li KYE-koo kont sin-YOOR, kont NISH-tri dar KBEE-ra bil-pish-SHEE-na.)
Marija: Jien ukoll! U kont nivvjaġġa ħafna. Kieku nista', kont immur l-Awstralja. (Yen oo-KOLL! Oo kont niv-vya-JA HAF-na. KYE-koo NIS-ta, kont mmoor l-aws-TRAL-ya.)
Pawlu: U kieku ma kellekx għalfejn taħdem, x'kont tagħmel? (Oo KYE-koo ma kel-LEKSH al-feyn TAH-dem, sh'kont TAA-mel?)
Marija: Kont naqra kotba l-ġurnata kollha! U int? (Kont NA'-ra KOT-ba l-joor-NA-ta KOL-la! Oo int?)
Pawlu: Jien kont ngħin lill-familja tiegħi u kont nagħti l-flus lill-karità. (Yen kont n'AIN lil-fa-MIL-ya TEE-eye oo kont naa-TI l-floos lil-ka-ri-TA.)
Marija: Pawlu, what would you do if you were rich?
Pawlu: Mmm, good question. I think that if I were rich, I would buy a big house with a pool.
Marija: Me too! And I would travel a lot. If I could, I would go to Australia.
Pawlu: And if you didn't have to work, what would you do?
Marija: I would read books all day! And you?
Pawlu: I would help my family and I would give money to charity.
The Maltese conditional for "If I did..., I would do..." is `Kieku` + past tense verb, `kont` + present tense verb.
`kieku` (if), `kont` (I would), `kien` (he would), `kienet` (she would), `sinjur` (rich), `flus` (money), `nivvjaġġa` (I travel), `karità` (charity), `pixxina` (swimming pool).
Prosit! You can now express yourself in more complex, hypothetical ways. In the next chapter, we will begin to apply all the grammar you've learned by focusing on `Qari ta' Testi Sempliċi` (Reading Simple Texts), helping you to build comprehension and see these rules in action.