Idioms are the heart and soul of a language. They are expressions where the meaning isn't obvious from the individual words. Learning them is a key step to understanding native speakers and sounding more natural yourself.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Here are some idioms you might hear in everyday conversation.
| Maltese Idiom | Figurative Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Għandu rasu iebsa. Lit: He has a hard head. |
He is stubborn. | Tippruvax tibdlu; għandu rasu iebsa. (Don't try to change him; he's stubborn.) |
| Taqtagħli qalbi. Lit: You cut my heart. |
You are discouraging me. | Tgħidx hekk, se taqtagħli qalbi! (Don't say that, you'll discourage me!) |
| Kiser is-silġ. Lit: He broke the ice. |
He broke the ice (same as English). | Kien hemm skiet kbir, imma Pawlu kiser is-silġ b'ċajta. (There was a big silence, but Pawlu broke the ice with a joke.) |
| Fuq ilsien kulħadd. Lit: On everyone's tongue. |
The talk of the town. | L-aħbar tat-tieġ kienet fuq ilsien kulħadd. (The news of the wedding was the talk of the town.) |
| Wera wiċċu. Lit: He showed his face. |
He showed up / appeared. | Stennejnieh sagħtejn, imma fl-aħħar wera wiċċu. (We waited for him for two hours, but he finally showed up.) |
| Qishek serqet il-bajd. Lit: You look like you've stolen the eggs. |
You look guilty / ashamed. | X'għamilt? Qishek serqet il-bajd! (What did you do? You look so guilty!) |
Master these common idioms.
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Match the idiom to its figurative meaning.
Wera wiċċu ( ) The talk of the town
Għandu rasu iebsa ( ) To break the ice
Kiser is-silġ ( ) He is stubborn
Fuq ilsien kulħadd ( ) He showed up
Wera wiċċu → He showed up
Għandu rasu iebsa → He is stubborn
Kiser is-silġ → To break the ice
Fuq ilsien kulħadd → The talk of the town
Choose the best idiom to complete the sentence.
Meta t-tim tagħna tilef il-logħba, il-kowċ kważi ______________.
The correct answer is 2. taqtalu qalbu. (When our team lost the game, the coach was almost discouraged. Lit: his heart was cut.)
Idioms offer a fascinating glimpse into the history and values of a culture. The idiom `Qishek serqet il-bajd` (You look like you've stolen the eggs) likely comes from a time when eggs were a valuable commodity in a rural society, and stealing them was a petty but shameful crime. The expression perfectly captures a look of someone caught doing something they shouldn't have.
Similarly, `għandu rasu iebsa` (he has a hard head) reflects the value placed on determination, even if it sometimes borders on stubbornness—a trait sometimes associated with the Maltese character, forged through centuries of resilience.
Anna tells Pawlu about a difficult meeting at work.
Pawlu: Kif mort il-laqgħa, Anna? (Kif mort il-LA'-a, AN-na?)
Anna: Uff, kienet diffiċli. Għall-bidu, ħadd ma kien qed jitkellem. (Ooff, KEE-net dif-FI-chli. all-BI-doo, hadd ma keen 'ed yit-KEL-lem.)
Pawlu: U mbagħad? (Oo m-BADJ?)
Anna: Fl-aħħar, il-kap tiegħi kiser is-silġ u beda jistaqsi l-mistoqsijiet. (fl-AH-har, il-kap TEE-eye KI-ser is-SILJ oo BE-da yis-TA'-si l-mis-to'-see-YEET.)
Pawlu: U l-kollega l-ġdid, Mark, kien hemm? (Oo l-kol-LE-ga l-jdeed, Mark, keen emm?)
Anna: Iva, wera wiċċu għal ħames minuti biss. Ma jimpurtahx. Hu għandu rasu iebsa u ma jismax min-nies. (EE-va, WE-ra WICH-choo aal hames min-OO-ti biss. Ma yim-poor-TAHSH. Oo an-DOO RA-soo YEB-sa oo ma YIS-mash min-nees.)
Pawlu: How did the meeting go, Anna?
Anna: Ugh, it was difficult. At the beginning, nobody was talking.
Pawlu: And then?
Anna: Finally, my boss broke the ice and started asking questions.
Pawlu: And the new colleague, Mark, was he there?
Anna: Yes, he showed up for only five minutes. He doesn't care. He is stubborn and doesn't listen to people.
Prosit! Understanding idioms is a huge leap towards fluency. In the next chapter, `Tesprimi Opinjonijiet` (Expressing Opinions), we will learn the phrases and structures needed to share your thoughts, agree, and disagree, which is a perfect next step for more advanced conversation.