Learn the Lingo: Essential Maltese Phrases for Your Malta Holiday

If you’re heading to Malta on holiday, you might want to immerse yourself a little deeper into the experience by picking up a few key words. Learning a bit of the local lingo is always a great way to acquaint yourself with the culture and rhythm of any new country you’re travelling to. Not only will learning a few basic Maltese words help you ingratiate yourself with the locals, but it will also enrich your overall holiday experience on the island. Here, we’ll give you a quick introduction to Maltese, the main language of Malta, and teach you a few handy phrases that are easy to learn so you can get more out of your visit.

So, what do they speak in Malta? The answer is Maltese. Maltese, the main language in Malta is quite unique, with nothing else quite like it in the Mediterranean or European Union. It’s built around a Semitic base but is written in a Latin alphabet. To the ear, it sounds like a mix of Arabic and Italian. Over the centuries, as different rulers took over the island, the language evolved, adopting words from Italian, Sicilian, French, and English. Today, English continues to be a major influence on Maltese, with many English loanwords becoming part of everyday conversation.

Maltese is one of Malta’s two national languages. The other is English. The English language is widely spoken by locals all around the island, making it easy to communicate with most people. The level of fluency may vary, especially across generations, but no matter where you go, you’re bound to bump into locals who can help you out in English.

While you can easily get around Malta without knowing any Maltese at all, it’s always fun to learn a few new phrases when traveling to a new country. So get ready to arm yourself with these main language basics before exploring Malta.

One of the most common questions for anyone visiting Malta is how to say hello in Maltese. There’s no exact translation for hello, and greetings depend on the time of day. In the morning, people say “Bongu” (pronounced bon-ju), similar to the French “bonjour.” In the afternoon, you might hear “wara nofsinhar it-tajjeb” (pronounced wa-rah nof-sin-ar it-tay-yeb). However, most Maltese people are happy to use the English “hello” in everyday-speak.

When saying goodbye in Malta, the colloquial phrase is “Ċaw” (pronounced cha-w), similar to the Italian “ciao.” While Italians use “ciao” as both a greeting and farewell, in Malta, it’s only used to say bye. In more formal situations, you might hear “Saħħa” (pronounced sah-ha) as a traditional way to say goodbye in Maltese.

If it’s late and you want to say good night, you can use the informal “Bonswa” (pronounced bon-swaa), which comes from the French “bonsoir.” Alternatively, you could say “Il-lejl it-tajjeb” (pronounced ill-leyl it-thai-yeb), with lejl meaning night and tajjeb meaning good.

Two of the easiest words to learn in Maltese are “iva” (pronounced eve-a) for yes and “le” (pronounced leh) for no. When travelling around the island, you might also hear locals pronouncing yes as “iwa” (ee-wah) in different regional dialects.

Saying please in Maltese is a bit tricky: “Jekk jogħġbok” (pronounced yek yoh-jbok). But with a bit of practice you’ll quickly get the hang of it. It’s a great phrase to use in cafes and restaurants when ordering.

Thankfully, saying thank you in Maltese is much simpler. Borrowed from the Italian “grazie”, in Malta you say “grazzi” (pronounced grut-see) to show your appreciation.

Whether you need to stop someone to ask for directions or you accidentally bump into someone, the phrase “skużani” (pronounced scoo-za-nee) can mean both sorry and excuse me, depending on the context. It’s another handy Maltese phrase to have ready.

If you like striking up conversations with locals, a simple “kif inti?” (pronounced kif int-ee?) meaning “how are you?” is a great conversation starter. Bonus points if you can understand their replies in Maltese! If they reply with “tajjeb ħafna” (pronounced tai-yeb haaf-na), it means “very good,” while “mhux ħazin” (pronounced moosh haa-zeen) means “not bad.”

While most Maltese people speak English, it’s always polite to ask first. You can ease into your query with “Titkellem bl-Ingliż?” (pronounced tit-kel-lem blin-gleez?), which means “Do you speak English?”

When in Malta, going out for a traditional Maltese meal is a must. Before you tuck into your traditional dishes, why not wish everyone around the table bon appétit the Maltese way with a hearty “L-ikla t-tajba” (pronounced lick-la it-tay-bah).