maltese
/malˈte.ze/masculine
The Italian word for the Maltese language (name) is maltese. Wiktionary also lists malti.
Meaning: language of Malta (name)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| maltese | /malˈte.ze/ /malˈte.se/ |
masculine |
| malti | /ˈmal.ti/ | masculine, rare |
maltese is used to refer to the language of Malta. In a colloquial context, you can use the abbreviated form Il maltese instead of the full phrase La lingua maltese.
Which one should you use?
The form maltese is the standard masculine noun, while malti is a rare masculine form.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both maltese and malti are masculine nouns. The word maltese can also function as an adjective meaning pertaining to Malta or its language.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /malˈte.ze/.
Did you know?
- While maltese is the common Italian word for the language, the rarer form malti is derived from the Arabic word mālṭiyy.
- Because of the long history of rule over Malta, the maltese language contains a vast number of loanwords taken directly from Italian.
- In Italian, 'maltese' refers to both the language and a person from Malta, whereas in English, 'Maltese' is often capitalized as a proper noun and 'Maltese' can also refer to a specific dog breed.
Examples in context
- A Malta parlano il maltese.In Malta they speak Maltese.This sentence shows how to state that the Maltese language is spoken in Malta.Tatoeba #6390396 by Guybrush88, translation #5991720 by Adelpa
- Il mio amico non è maltese?Is my friend not Maltese?This sentence uses maltese as an adjective to ask about a friend's nationality.Tatoeba #6613279 by Guybrush88, translation #7926051 by shekitten
- "Di che nazionalità è?" "Maltese.""What nationality are you?" "Maltese."This sentence shows how to use maltese to answer a question about nationality.Tatoeba #6744149 by Guybrush88, translation #9924109 by shekitten
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are discussing their language studies.
- FrancescoHai mai studiato il maltese?Have you ever studied Maltese?
- MartinaNo, ma vorrei imparare il maltese.No, but I would like to learn Maltese.
- FrancescoÈ una lingua molto particolare.It is a very peculiar language.
- MartinaSì, Francesco, sembra molto difficile.Yes, Francesco, it seems very difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maltese” translations and entries maltese, malti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maltese, malti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
