Maltese Learning Community and Resources

So, you're thinking of learning Maltese. Know that it is quite a unique language and although not very easy to learn, it is a hybrid language spanning three distinct language families.

But don’t worry, you still won't have a lot of trouble picking up a few words during your stay.  

The basics 

Here are some of the basic things to get you started. The first thing you need to know is how to pronounce the letters of the alphabet. Maltese uses 30 letters. The letter "ċ” is pronounced like "ch", as in ‘chess’. The letter "g" with a dot on it (“ġ”) is pronounced like "j", as in ‘Joe’. Peculiarly, the “għ” is considered one letter in Maltese and although originally was something close to a glottal stop, it is today not pronounced at all. This ‘ħ’ is pronounced, this ‘h’ is not. 

Source: Ling

...and some vocab

Next, you need to learn some basic vocabulary. The Maltese language’s forte is stealing words from other languages and claiming them as its own.  
 
Some common words and phrases include: 

Welcome - Merħba (from Arabic, Merhaba) 
Hello - Orrajt? (from English, All right?) 
Good morning - Bonġu (from French, bonjour) 
Goodbye - Ċaw (from Italian, ciao)  
Please - Jekk jgħoġbok (literally, if you please) 
Thank you - Grazzi (from Italian, grazie) 
Yes - Iva  
No - Le 

Let’s make things a bit more complicated and get you speaking like a local now:   

Mela! - this is one of the first words foreigners tend to learn, but never quite master. It literally means ‘Right’ or ‘Of course’, but if said in a different tone can mean ‘Of course not!’. It also means ‘ok’ and ‘so’... and it often starts long, rambling conversations. 

Eżatt! - It means exactly. If the speaker says this to you he or she is emphatically in agreement. You'll find Maltese people use this word even when speaking English when they get excited. 

Eeeeee! - this can express surprise or disagreement… or agreement. Again, this is a tricky one. 

Ejja! - It means ‘come’, ‘hurry up’... but in a threatening tone can mean ‘shut up’ or ‘come on!’.

Confused yet? Don't be. Any way you use these, you're nearly certain to find Maltese people will appreciate the effort, even if you're using them incorrectly. 

Once you've got the basics down, you can start using Maltese in real-life situations. This will help you become more comfortable with the language and make it easier for you to communicate with other people who speak it. 

Did you learn any Maltese words while here? Which word do you hear frequently and are unsure on what it means?