ġobon
/ˈd͡ʒɔ.bɔn/masculine
The Maltese word for cheese is ġobon.
ġobon is the standard noun used to refer to cheese as a dairy product. When you want to refer to a variety of traditional Maltese cheeses, which are typically made from the milk of sheep or goats, you can use the collective noun Gbejniet.
Meaning: dairy product (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
ġobon is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. It is pronounced /ˈdʒɔ.bɔn/.
Did you know?
- The word ġobon is used in Maltese slang to describe someone who is a coward or lacks courage, similar to the English expression 'chicken'.
- The word ġobon is a direct linguistic relative of the Arabic word jubn, meaning the Maltese term retains its ancient Semitic roots through the centuries.
- The spelling of ġobon uses the dot under the 'g', a character that exists in Maltese to distinguish its specific 'j' sound from other sounds.
Examples in context
- Ziri jrid pizza tal-ġobon.Ziri wants cheese pizza.This sentence shows how to use ġobon to describe a pizza topping.Tatoeba #11672994 by Amastan, translation #10210479 by Amastan
- Tħobbu l-ġobon?Do you like cheese?This sentence shows how to use ġobon when asking about someone's preferences.
- Hu jiekol il-ġobon.He eats cheese.This sentence shows how to use ġobon to describe a person's eating habits.Tatoeba #11964405 by Amastan, translation #8414856 by Amastan
Example conversation
Maria and Justin are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- MariaGħandi naqas ġobon għall-bastarda.I am short of cheese for the toast.
- JustinHawn hu fil-frid, Maria.Here it is in the fridge, Maria.
- MariaGrazzi, Justin. Liema tip ta' ġobon huwa?Thanks, Justin. What type of cheese is it?
- JustinHuwa ġobon imilgħaq.It is creamy cheese.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheese” translations and entries ġobon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ġobon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
