Now that you can identify objects with nouns and articles, let's learn how to count them! This chapter covers the essential numbers from zero to twenty.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Let's start with the first eleven numbers. Pay close attention to the pronunciation.
In Maltese, nouns have a grammatical gender (masculine or feminine). The form you use for "one" depends on the gender of the noun you are counting, and the number comes *after* the noun.
Do other numbers have gender? No. This special distinction only applies to the number one. For all other numbers, the form is the same regardless of the noun's gender.
This is a very important rule in Maltese! When you place the numbers 2 through 10 directly before a noun, they change to a special "construct" form.
| Number (Standalone) | Form Before a Noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tnejn (2) | żewġ (zewj) | żewġ siġġijiet (two chairs) |
| tlieta (3) | tliet (tleet) | tliet karozzi (three cars) |
| erbgħa (4) | erba' (ERB-a) | erba' bibien (four doors) |
| ħamsa (5) | ħames (hames) | ħames kotba (five books) |
| sitta (6) | sitt (sitt) | sitt subien (six boys) |
| sebgħa (7) | seba' (SEB-a) | seba' tazzi (seven cups) |
| tmienja (8) | tmien (tmeen) | tmien nisa (eight women) |
| disgħa (9) | disa' (DIS-a) | disa' qtates (nine cats) |
| għaxra (10) | għaxar (ASH-ar) | għaxar siġar (ten trees) |
The "teen" numbers in Maltese often end with a `-tax` or `-x` sound. For these numbers, you use the suffix `-il` before the noun.
Example: ħdax-il ktieb (eleven books).
Match the numeral on the left to the Maltese word on the right.
7 ( ) tmienja
12 ( ) għoxrin
8 ( ) sebgħa
15 ( ) tnax
20 ( ) ħmistax7 → sebgħa
12 → tnax
8 → tmienja
15 → ħmistax
20 → għoxrinWrite out the Maltese word for the following numerals.
The numbers you've just learned beautifully illustrate the mixed heritage of the Maltese language. Numbers like `wieħed` (1), `tnejn` (2), and `tlieta` (3) are clearly Semitic, sharing roots with Arabic numbers. However, `żero` (0) is a direct borrowing from Italian. This mix is a constant theme in Maltese.
In daily life, these basic numbers are essential. You'll use them constantly when buying things from a local shop, especially the beloved Maltese street food, `pastizzi`. You might ask for `żewġ pastizzi tal-irkotta` (two ricotta pastizzi) or `wieħed tal-piżelli` (one with peas).
Numbers are also central to the famous Maltese `festa` (village feast). Each town has a patron saint, and the date of their feast day is a very important number to the locals. You might hear people talking about the festa of `Santa Marija` on the 15th (`ħmistax`) of August, a major national holiday.
Let's count some items in a short story. Notice how the numbers change before the nouns!
F'razzett hemm ħafna annimali. (F'rats-TSETT emm HAF-na an-ni-MA-li.)
Hemm kelb wieħed u żewġ qtates. (Emm kelp WEE-hed oo zewj 'TA-tes.)
Hemm tliet tiġieġ u erba' baqar. (Emm tleet ti-JIEJ oo ERB-a BA-'ar.)
Rajt ħames ħrief u sitt żwiemel. (Rite hames HREEF oo sit ZWEE-mel.)
B'kollox, hemm sbatax-il annimal. (B'KOL-losh, emm sba-TASH-il an-ni-MAL.)
On a farm there are many animals.
There is one dog and two cats.
There are three chickens and four cows.
I saw five lambs and six horses.
In total, there are seventeen animals.
The numbers from żero (0) to għoxrin (20).
Remember the gendered forms for "one": wieħed (masculine) and waħda (feminine).
Remember the special construct forms for numbers 2-10 (e.g., `tnejn` becomes `żewġ`) when placed before a noun.
Prosit! You now have a solid foundation in basic counting. In the next chapter, we will introduce the essential verb "to be" (`kien`), which will allow you to start describing the objects and people you can now count.