MATSEC SEC Maltese as a Foreign Language flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Bonġu

Maltese greeting meaning 'good morning', used from morning until early afternoon; the reply is the same word. It is informal but widely acceptable in shops and offices.

Il- versus l-

The definite article is il- before most consonants but drops to l- after a preceding vowel or before a vowel-initial word, as in il-belt but l-iskola.

Sun-letter assimilation

The article assimilates to certain initial consonants and doubles them: iċ-ċavetta, id-dar, in-nanna, ir-raġel, is-sena, ix-xemx, iż-żmien. This is a core orthography rule.

Għ and h silent

In standard Maltese, għ and h are not pronounced as consonants; għ lengthens or colours the neighbouring vowel, while h is simply silent, as in għalliem and raha.

X, ż, ċ, ġ

Maltese x sounds like English 'sh', ż like 'z', ċ like 'ch' in 'church', and ġ like 'j' in 'jump'. These letters are separate entries in the alphabet.

Q as glottal stop

The letter q in Maltese represents a glottal stop, a brief catch in the throat, as in qalb (heart) or qamħ (wheat). It is not pronounced like English 'k'.

Perfect suffixes

The perfect (past) tense adds suffixes to the stem: -t (I), -t (you), - (he/she), -na (we), -tu (you pl.), -u (they), as in kiteb, kitbet, kitbu.

Imperfect prefixes

The imperfect (present/future) uses prefixes n-, t-, j-, n-, t-, j-, n- plus suffixes, e.g. nikteb (I write), tikteb (you write), jikteb (he writes).

Negation ma ... x

Verbs are negated by wrapping ma before and x after the verb: ma rahx (he did not see him), ma ġiex (he did not come). Mhux negates nouns and adjectives instead.

Object pronoun suffixes

Direct and indirect object pronouns attach to the verb: -ni me, -k you, -h him/it, -ha her/it, -na us, -kom you plural, -hom them, as in rah (he saw him).

Gender agreement

Adjectives agree with the noun: masculine singular tajjeb, feminine singular tajba, plural tajbin. The same pattern applies to most descriptive adjectives.

Broken plurals

Many Maltese nouns form the plural by changing the internal vowel pattern rather than adding a suffix: ktieb/ kotba (book/books), tifel/ tfal (boy/boys), raġel/ irġiel (man/men).

Comparative akbar

Comparison uses iktar ... minn or the irregular comparative forms: kbir/ akbar (big/bigger), żgħir/ iżgħar (small/smaller), tajjeb/ aħjar (good/better). The superlative is l-iktar or l-aħjar.

Question words

Core interrogatives: min (who), xiex (what), fejn (where), meta (when), għaliex (why), kif (how), kemm (how much/many), liema (which). These are frequent cues in listening tasks.

Numbers one to ten

Waħda, tnejn, tlieta, erbgħa, ħamsa, sitta, sebgħa, tmienja, disgħa, għaxra. Listening items often test times, prices and quantities using these forms.

Discourse connectors

Sequencing words in speech and writing: l-ewwel (first), imbagħad (then), wara (after), fl-aħħar (finally), għalhekk (therefore), imma/iżda (but). They reveal the structure of a listening passage.

Formal versus informal you

Inti is singular informal 'you'; intom is plural and also the polite form for one person, taking a plural verb. Register choice matters in oral role-plays and letters.

Oral repair phrases

Useful when you do not understand: skużani (excuse me), ma fhimtx (I did not understand), tista' tirrepeti? (can you repeat?), x'inhu dan? (what is this?).

Grazzi and saħħa

Grazzi means 'thank you' and grazzi ħafna 'thank you very much'. Saħħa is a friendly goodbye literally meaning 'health'; narak means 'see you'.

Letter openings

Informal letters open with Għażiż/Għażiża (Dear, to a male/female). Formal letters use Spettabbli or Il-Kap followed by the name; close with Dejjem tiegħek or Tislijiet.

Essay structure

A short Maltese essay typically has three parts: introduzzjoni stating the topic, żvilupp with examples and reasons, and konklużjoni summarising the position. Each part is usually one paragraph.

Cohesive devices in writing

Link sentences with barra minn hekk (furthermore), madankollu (however), peress li (since), għaldaqstant (consequently), fl-aħħar nett (finally) to show logical flow.

Guided writing tasks

These ask you to complete a form, finish a dialogue, or write a short message of about 40-60 words. Accuracy of set phrases and correct register earn most of the marks.

Free writing word count

Free writing prompts usually require 80-120 words on a familiar topic. Aim for the middle of the range so content is fully covered without adding risky errors.

Reading: fact versus opinion

Markers such as naħseb (I think), forsi (perhaps), skont (according to) signal opinion or attribution, while plain statements with dates and figures signal fact. Distinguishing them is a common question type.

Reading: text types

SEC reading passages include notices, advertisements, personal letters, short articles and literary extracts. Layout cues such as headlines, dates, salutations and signatures help you locate answers quickly.

Reading: cognates

Maltese shares many loanwords with Italian and English, such as skola, kultura, telefown, kompjuter, so unfamiliar passages often contain recognisable anchors for meaning.

Preposition contractions

Prepositions fuse with the article: f' + il- gives fil-, ma' + il- gives mal-, minn + il- gives mill-, għal + il- gives għall-. These contracted forms are standard spelling.

Apostrophe elision

The apostrophe marks a dropped vowel or syllable: x'inhu (what is it), m'iniex (I am not), ħaġa'oħra. It is not used to mark possession as in English.

Listening: two passes

Recorded texts are usually played twice. Use the first listening for overall meaning and the second to confirm specific details such as names, times, prices and negations.

Listening: negation cues

Words like mhux (not), ma ... x, qatt (never) and xejn (nothing) reverse the meaning of a statement. Missing them is the most common cause of wrong answers.

Spelling letter names

When a name is spelled aloud, transcribe letter by letter using Maltese letter names and note doubled consonants (nn, ss, tt), which are meaningful in Maltese orthography.