One of the most important verbs in any language is "to be." In Maltese, it's a little different from English. Let's explore how to describe states of being in the present and past.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
This is a key difference from English: In simple Maltese sentences, the present tense of "to be" (am, is, are) is often **implied** and not stated with a separate verb. You simply put the subject and the description together.
Sometimes, to add emphasis or clarity, the personal pronouns themselves can act as the verb "is/am/are":
| Pronoun (Acts as Verb) | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| jien (yen) | Jien kuntent. | I am happy. |
| int (int) | Int għajjien. | You are tired. |
| huwa (OO-wa) | Huwa t-tabib. | He is the doctor. |
| hija (EE-ya) | Hija sabiħa. | She is beautiful. |
| aħna (AH-na) | Aħna ħbieb. | We are friends. |
| intom (IN-tom) | Intom Maltin. | You (plural) are Maltese. |
| huma (OO-ma) | Huma studenti. | They are students. |
To talk about the past, you must use the verb `kien`. It is an irregular verb, so you need to memorize its forms.
| Pronoun | Past Tense `kien` | Phonetic Guide | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jien (I) | kont | (kont) | I was |
| Int (You, sing.) | kont | (kont) | You were |
| Huwa (He) | kien | (keen) | He was |
| Hija (She) | kienet | (KEE-net) | She was |
| Aħna (We) | konna | (KON-na) | We were |
| Intom (You, pl.) | kontu | (KON-too) | You were |
| Huma (They) | kienu | (KEE-noo) | They were |
Remember that many adjectives in Maltese change to match the gender of the noun they describe. This is very important when using "to be."
Master the present and past forms of "to be".
Import Chapter 5 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Read the sentences and determine if they are in the present or past tense.
Fill in the blank with the correct past tense form of `kien`.
The concept of "being" in Maltese is deeply tied to identity and place. When Maltese people ask each other where they are from, they often mean which town or village (`raħal`). The question `Int minn fejn?` (Where are you from?) is very common. The answer, `Jien minn Birkirkara` ("I am from Birkirkara"), uses the implied present tense you just learned.
This village identity is very strong and a source of pride, often associated with the local `festa` (feast), the parish church, and even friendly rivalries with neighboring towns. Understanding this helps you appreciate why simply stating "I am from [village]" is a complete and meaningful sentence in a cultural context.
Let's read a story comparing the past and present.
Jisimni Pawlu. Illum, jien inġinier. (Yis-IM-nee PAW-loo. il-LOOM, yen in-jin-YER.)
Imma dari, jien kont student. L-iskola kienet kbira. (IM-ma DA-ree, yen kont stood-ENT. lis-KO-la KEE-net KBEE-ra.)
Il-ktieb tal-matematika kien diffiċli. (il-KTEEB tal-ma-te-MA-ti-ka keen dif-FI-chli.)
Il-ħbieb tiegħi kienu divertenti. Aħna konna kuntenti ħafna l-iskola. (il-HBEEB TEE-eye KEE-noo di-ver-TEN-ti. AH-na KON-na kun-TEN-ti HAF-na lis-KO-la.)
Illum, ix-xogħol huwa interessanti, imma lbieraħ, jien kont għajjien ħafna. (il-LOOM, ish-SHOAL HOO-wa in-te-res-SAN-ti, IM-ma LBEE-rah, yen kont eye-YEN HAF-na.)
My name is Pawlu. Today, I am an engineer.
But in the past, I was a student. The school was big.
The mathematics book was difficult.
My friends were fun. We were very happy at school.
Today, the work is interesting, but yesterday, I was very tired.
The present tense "am/is/are" is often implied or expressed using pronouns. The past tense "was/were" uses the verb `kien` and its conjugations: kont, kont, kien, kienet, konna, kontu, kienu.
student, inġinier (engineer), kuntent/a (happy), għajjien/a (tired), tabib (doctor), sabiħ/sabiħa (beautiful), ħbieb (friends), diffiċli (difficult), divertenti (fun), illum (today), ilbieraħ (yesterday), dari (in the past).
Prosit! You've tackled one of the most fundamental concepts in Maltese. In the next chapter, we'll learn another essential verb, `għandi` (to have), which will allow you to talk about possessions and states like being hungry or thirsty.