Learning pronouns in Maltese, a Semitic language spoken primarily in Malta, is essential for mastering both spoken and written communication. Maltese pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Maltese replace nouns referring to people or things and are used based on the person being referred to.

Subject Pronouns:

• Jien (I): “Jien qed naqra.” – I am reading.
• Int (You – singular): “Int qed taqra.” – You are reading.
• Hu (He) / Hi (She): “Hu qed jaqra.” / “Hi qed taqra.” – He is reading. / She is reading.
• Aħna (We): “Aħna qed naqraw.” – We are reading.
• Intom (You – plural): “Intom qed taqraw.” – You are reading.
• Huma (They): “Huma qed jaqraw.” – They are reading.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns in Maltese often appear attached to the verb or as separate words before the verb.

• Lili (Me): “Huwa ra lili.” – He saw me.
• Lilek (You – singular): “Jien rajt lilek.” – I saw you.
• Lilu (Him) / Lilha (Her): “Jien rajt lilu.” / “Jien rajt lilha.” – I saw him. / I saw her.
• Lilna (Us): “Huwa ra lilna.” – He saw us.
• Lilkom (You – plural): “Hi rat lilkom.” – She saw you.
• Lilhom (Them): “Aħna rajna lilhom.” – We saw them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Maltese indicate ownership and are often formed by adding suffixes to the nouns.

• Tiegħi (Mine): “Il-ktieb tiegħi.” – My book.
• Tiegħek (Yours – singular): “Il-karozza tiegħek.” – Your car.
• Tiegħu (His) / Tagħha (Hers): “Il-pinna tiegħu.” / “Il-borża tagħha.” – His pen. / Her bag.
• Tagħna (Ours): “Id-dar tagħna.” – Our house.
• Tagħkom (Yours – plural): “Il-ġnien tagħkom.” – Your garden.
• Tagħhom (Theirs): “Il-ktieb tagħhom.” – Their book.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Maltese point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• Dan (This – masculine) / Din (This – feminine): “Dan il-ktieb.” / “Din il-mejda.” – This book. / This table.
• Dawk (Those): “Dawk il-ktbiet.” – Those books.

Reflexive Pronouns

Maltese uses reflexive constructions to indicate the subject performs an action upon itself, often using “lili nnifsi” for “myself,” “lilek innifsek” for “yourself,” etc.

• Lili nnifsi (Myself): “Jien ħsiltni lili nnifsi.” – I washed myself.
• Lilek innifsek (Yourself): “Inti libbist lilek innifsek.” – You dressed yourself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• Min (Who): “Min ġie?” – Who came?
• X’inhu (What – masculine) / X’hi (What – feminine): “X’inhu dan?” / “X’hi din?” – What is this?
• Fejn (Where): “Fejn tmur?” – Where are you going?

Understanding and correctly using Maltese pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context and the nuances of Maltese grammar play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.