Maltese is unlike any of its neighbors, Semitic grammar wrapped around centuries of Italian and English borrowing, but its most common words behave the way common words always do: a small set carries most of the load. This hundred covers the pronouns, prepositions, and verbs that show up in nearly every Maltese sentence. Learn them well and the rest of the language has far less friction.
How to use this list
Do not work through this list top to bottom. Read down it and mark only the words you could not have produced yourself. Those are your list. The rest are already yours, and reviewing them is wasted effort better spent on words you actually meet in reading, conversation, or subtitles.
The 100 words
| # | Maltese | English | In use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | u | and | Jien u int se mmorru l-iskola.You and I are going to go to school. |
| 2 | imma | but | Irrid immur, imma qed tinżel ix-xita.I want to go, but it's raining. |
| 3 | għax | because | Jien imdejjaq għax int sejjer.I am sad because you are leaving. |
| 4 | jekk | if | Jekk tinżel ix-xita, nibqgħu d-dar.If it rains, we'll stay home. |
| 5 | jew | or | Trid tè jew kafè?Do you want tea or coffee? |
| 6 | meta | when | Meta se tiġi?When will you come? |
| 7 | li | that | Naf li għandek raġun.I know that you're right. |
| 8 | x' | what | X'jismek?What's your name? |
| 9 | min | who | Min ġie?Who came? |
| 10 | fejn | where | Fejn toqgħod?Where do you live? |
| 11 | għala | why | Għala qed tibki?Why are you crying? |
| 12 | kif | how | Kif inti?How are you? |
| 13 | kemm | how much/many | Kemm jiswa dan?How much does this cost? |
| 14 | liema | which | Liema karozza hija tiegħek?Which car is yours? |
| 15 | jien | I | Jien ngħix f'Malta.I live in Malta. |
| 16 | int | you (singular) | Int tismagħni?Can you hear me? |
| 17 | huwa | he | Huwa jaħdem f'bank.He works at a bank. |
| 18 | hija | she | Hija tħobb il-mużika.She loves music. |
| 19 | aħna | we | Aħna sejrin il-ħanut.We are going to the store. |
| 20 | intom | you (plural) | Intom titkellmu bl-Ingliż?Do you (plural) speak English? |
| 21 | huma | they | Huma qed jilagħbu fil-bitħa.They are playing in the yard. |
| 22 | dan | this (masc.) | Dan il-ktieb huwa ġdid.This book is new. |
| 23 | din | this (fem.) | Din id-dar hija ġdida.This house is new. |
| 24 | dak | that (masc.) | Dak ir-raġel huwa missieri.That man is my father. |
| 25 | dik | that (fem.) | Dik il-mara hija sabiħa.That woman is beautiful. |
| 26 | iva | yes | Iva, naqbel.Yes, I agree. |
| 27 | le | no | Le, ma rridx.No, I don't want to. |
| 28 | mhux | not | Dan mhux il-ktieb tiegħi.This is not my book. |
| 29 | diġà | already | Huwa diġà kiel.He has already eaten. |
| 30 | ukoll | also | Jien ukoll irrid il-kafè.I also want coffee. |
| 31 | ħafna | very/a lot | Din il-belt hija sabiħa ħafna.This city is very beautiful. |
| 32 | biss | only | Għandi għaxar ewro biss.I only have ten euros. |
| 33 | hawn | here | Jien hawn.I am here. |
| 34 | hemm | there | Il-ktieb hemm, fuq il-mejda.The book is there, on the table. |
| 35 | issa | now | Jien irrid immur issa.I need to go now. |
| 36 | wara | after | Wara l-ikel, jien naħdem.After the meal, I work. |
| 37 | qabel | before | Qabel ix-xogħol, jien nixrob il-kafè.Before work, I drink coffee. |
| 38 | dejjem | always | Hija dejjem tgħid il-verità.She always tells the truth. |
| 39 | ma' | with | Sejjer ċ-ċinema ma' ħabib.I'm going to the cinema with a friend. |
| 40 | mingħajr | without | Ma nistax ngħix mingħajrek.I can't live without you. |
| 41 | fi | in | Il-qattus rieqed fis-sodda.The cat is sleeping in the bed. |
| 42 | għal | for/to | Dan ir-rigal huwa għalik.This gift is for you. |
| 43 | minn | from | Huwa ġej mill-Polonja.He is from Poland. |
| 44 | fuq | on | Il-ktieb qiegħed fuq il-mejda.The book is on the table. |
| 45 | taħt | under | Il-kelb rieqed taħt il-mejda.The dog is sleeping under the table. |
| 46 | bejn | between | Aħna se noqogħdu bejn it-tieqa u l-bieb.We will sit between the window and the door. |
| 47 | sa | until | Stenna sa għada.Wait until tomorrow. |
| 48 | ta' | of | Dan huwa l-ktieb ta' Marija.This is Maria's book. |
| 49 | kien | to be | Hu kien tabib.He was a doctor. |
| 50 | għandu | to have | Hu għandu żewġ aħwa.He has two siblings. |
| 51 | sar | to become | Sar tard.It got late. |
| 52 | għamel | to do/make | X'għamilt illum?What did you do today? |
| 53 | mar | to go | Hu mar id-dar.He went home. |
| 54 | ġie | to come | Hu ġie l-bieraħ.He came yesterday. |
| 55 | qal | to say | Hu qal li se jiġi.He said that he would come. |
| 56 | ried | to want | Hu ried jiekol.He wanted to eat. |
| 57 | seta' | to be able to | Nista' ngħinek?Can I help you? |
| 58 | jaf | to know | Ma nafx it-tweġiba.I don't know the answer. |
| 59 | ra | to see | Qed tara dak l-għasfur?Do you see that bird? |
| 60 | ta | to give | Agħtini l-ktieb.Give me the book. |
| 61 | ħa | to take | Ħu l-umbrella, qed tinżel ix-xita.Take the umbrella, it's raining. |
| 62 | ħaseb | to think | Naħseb li għandek raġun.I think that you're right. |
| 63 | ħadem | to work | Hija taħdem fl-isptar.She works at the hospital. |
| 64 | għex | to live | Aħna ngħixu Ħal Qormi.We live in Qormi. |
| 65 | tkellem | to speak | Hu jitkellem tliet ilsna.He speaks three languages. |
| 66 | staqsa | to ask | Nista' nistaqsik xi ħaġa?Can I ask you something? |
| 67 | wieġeb | to answer | Jekk jogħġbok, wieġeb il-mistoqsija.Please answer the question. |
| 68 | qara | to read | Inħobb naqra kotba.I like reading books. |
| 69 | kiteb | to write | Hija qed tikteb ittra.She is writing a letter. |
| 70 | kiel | to eat | Aħna kielna flimkien.We ate together. |
| 71 | xorob | to drink | Hu qed jixrob l-ilma.He is drinking water. |
| 72 | ħabb | to love | Inħobb lil familti.I love my family. |
| 73 | għoġob | to like/please | Din il-kanzunetta togħġobni.I like this song. |
| 74 | stenna | to wait | Qed nistenna l-karrozza tal-linja.I am waiting for the bus. |
| 75 | fittex | to look for | Hija qed tfittex xogħol.She is looking for a job. |
| 76 | sab | to find | Ma nistax nsib iċ-ċwievet tiegħi.I can't find my keys. |
| 77 | beda | to begin | Se nibdew il-lezzjoni issa.We are going to start the lesson now. |
| 78 | spiċċa | to finish | Spiċċajt ix-xogħol.I finished the work. |
| 79 | fehem | to understand | Ma nifhimx din il-mistoqsija.I don't understand this question. |
| 80 | tgħallem | to learn/study | It-tfal jitgħallmu fl-iskola.Children learn at school. |
| 81 | għen | to help | Tista' tgħinni?Could you help me? |
| 82 | ħass | to feel | Inħossni għajjien.I feel tired. |
| 83 | sema' | to hear | Qed nisma' l-mużika.I hear music. |
| 84 | bniedem | person | Kull bniedem huwa differenti.Every person is different. |
| 85 | raġel | man | Dak ir-raġel huwa tabib.That man is a doctor. |
| 86 | mara | woman | Il-mara xtrat ktieb ġdid.The woman bought a new book. |
| 87 | tifel | child | It-tifel qed jilgħab fil-park.The child is playing in the park. |
| 88 | jum | day | Illum huwa jum sabiħ.Today is a beautiful day. |
| 89 | sena | year | Għaddew ħames snin.Five years have passed. |
| 90 | ħin | time | M'għandix ħin.I don't have time. |
| 91 | dar | house | Id-dar tagħna hija ħdejn il-baħar.Our house is by the sea. |
| 92 | belt | city | Din hija belt kbira.This is a big city. |
| 93 | ħajja | life | Il-ħajja hija sabiħa.Life is beautiful. |
| 94 | xogħol | work/job | Ix-xogħol tiegħu huwa interessanti.His job is interesting. |
| 95 | ilma | water | Jekk jogħġbok agħtini tazza ilma.Please give me a glass of water. |
| 96 | triq | road/street | Id-dar tiegħi qiegħda fi tmiem din it-triq.My house is at the end of this street. |
| 97 | ktieb | book | Dan il-ktieb huwa interessanti ħafna.This book is very interesting. |
| 98 | tajjeb | good | Dan huwa film tajjeb.This is a good movie. |
| 99 | kbir | big | Għandhom dar kbira.They have a big house. |
| 100 | żgħir | small | Din hija belt żgħira.This is a small town. |
The ones English speakers get wrong
No present-tense 'to be'
Maltese doesn't use a verb for 'am/is/are' in the present tense. 'Jien tabib' means 'I am a doctor,' with no word standing in for 'am.' The verb 'kien' only shows up for the past ('I was'), the future, or emphasis, which surprises learners expecting a verb in every sentence.
ta' vs. ta
A single apostrophe separates two unrelated words. 'Ta'' means 'of,' as in 'il-ktieb ta' Marija' (Maria's book). 'Ta,' without the apostrophe, is the past-tense verb 'he gave.' They're pronounced almost the same, so context does most of the work.
The definite article assimilates: il- becomes id-, ir-, is-...
Maltese 'the' is normally 'il-,' but before certain consonants it changes to match the first sound of the noun: 'id-dar' (the house), 'ir-raġel' (the man), 'is-sodda' (the bed). Getting the wrong prefix is one of the most common small errors learners make.
għandu isn't a normal verb
There's no verb that simply means 'to have.' Possession is expressed with 'għandi / għandek / għandu...' ('at me / at you / at him...'), a form that behaves like a preposition fused with a pronoun rather than a verb you conjugate the usual way.
Negation wraps around the verb: ma...x
To negate a verb, Maltese doesn't add a separate word for 'not.' It wraps the verb in a circumfix: 'irrid' (I want) becomes 'ma rridx' (I don't want). Forgetting the second half, the '-x,' is a very common beginner mistake.
What to do next
A list this size is about two weeks of light daily review, and it is the difference between decoding Maltese and following it.