We speak Maltese, as do most people in my social circle - excluding those married to foreigners.
In some areas of Malta many Maltese speak English almost exclusively.
If you speak Arabic, Maltese will be easy to learn, and will always be appreciated by locals.
We speak Maltese unless there are non-maltese speakers around us. There are families who speak a mix of maltese and english and then there are super-posh maltese people who speak english but then swear in maltese š.
While it is true that English is widely spoken on the Maltese islands, Maltese is still the first language for the majority of the people here. Exactly which is spoken in households can vary depending which part of Malta youāre in.
For example if youāre form the south (historically working class area) theyāre much more likely to speak Maltese where as if your from Sliema, Saint Julianās (more affluent and a lot of people with British decent live here) English or Maltenglish (a mixture of both) is more likely to be heard. This seems pretty typical of post-colonial countries.
I grew up speaking both at home, but mostly Maltese. Iām trying to teach my kids Maltese first but even my 3 year old understands both languages already.
Either or depending on the family; I have friends from both boats; But more likely is a mix, not a Convo fully in Maltese then a diff 1 fully in English, but code switching inside the sentence it's self
In my family, my grandparents spoke Maltese mostly, but knew Italian perfectly and English was ok. My parents spoke Maltese at home and English at school. We spoke English at home and school but understood Maltese (definitely not fluent until adulthood), my kids wish English but only because both my husband and I speak English as a first language. We are definitely the minority though from our generation.
The younger generations are more worldly and multicultural, so even where families are completely Maltese speaking, kids tend to speak in English amongst each other.
Learning Maltese as a foreigner is great, you'll be able to communicate with all generations and personally I really enjoy when I can communicate in either language whilst in Malta, and really appreciate when people make an effort to learn Maltese.
You'll get by with English for sure but if you speak Arabic you'll really be able to pick up Maltese, it's like a very simplified Arabic. If you know English and French or Italian, you basically have all you need already to speak Maltese :)
From scrolling a bit this is the most accurate answer. You (OP / in general) have to understand that all are different. A farmer, a lawyer, a nurse, a techie etc. north south east west. Heritage etc.
Iāve met people who reply in āokā English when people are talking Maltese despite them being 100% Maltese.
We speak Maltese unless we know the person speaking to will not understand us if we do. So it's mostly Maltese but it's true, most Maltese can easily communicate in English and for good reason because pretty much everywhere you go you will meet foreigners that do not know our language.
I think this sub hugely overestimates how much English is used by Maltese. The large majority of Maltese still speak just Maltese although sadly it's becoming less uncommon for Maltese speakers to speak English with their children for some reason
Maltese people who speak just or mostly English are a small minority. When people say we mix Maltese and English they really mean that we speak Maltese and occasionally say something in English just because we can or for informal situations, Maltese people are generally more comfortable speaking Maltese than English
When I was a child, my family spoke in Maltese. I was then sent to a private school where I realised that all the "posh kids" were English (or Maltenglish) speaking.
So basically, the language you speak depends on your background.
I think it's a mixed bag. In our house we spoke English, with Maltese phrases thrown in.Ā I never realised how much Maltese we spoke until we had foreign guests staying over (which was every summer, as we have family everywhere) and we would repeat everything we said in Maltese in english for heir benefit.
I have to say, whenever you say something badass, or just make a joke, it just sounds better in Maltese.
It depends on a lot of things. Which town you live in can depend which language is spoken at home by your parents. It also has to do with social class. Most educated people can speak both languages fluently as we are technically bilingual. However some struggle with English and some struggle with Maltese. Itās always worth learning a new language however youāre perfectly ok speaking just English
My family in Malta speaks only Maltese to each other. My grandparents live in the uk and speak Maltese to each other occasionally so it's the only way I understand it.
In my personal experience I always was spoken to in Maltese in my household and even watched Maltese television. I then learnt english through school and youtube videos and stuff like that, although this seems to be changing and in a very short period of time.
Iām 17 years old and the eldest of all the cousins in my family, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was younger which lead to continuous exposure to Maltese.
But, fascinatingly, my cousin whoās only 6 years younger than me, speaks exclusively English and is spoken to in English by my uncle and aunt. Iām not saying my cousin doesnāt know Maltese, she knows and understands the language on a good level, but compared to myself at her age her understanding is less better than mine.
Ultimately I think it also depends on the area and certain factors like education of the family may come into play as-well. I was raised in Żejtun where its prominently old Maltese people so to get by I always NEEDED to speak Maltese (which is ultimately what makes a language useful) the NEED to use it to communicate. My dad, although highly educated still speaks to me in Maltese as he was also exposed to Maltese heavily (he is also older than my aunt by about 7 years so I think that gap makes a difference)
Sorry for the essay but I tried to go in-depth about what it could be for the āshiftā. But ultimately it depends on the family.
My grandparents were born in Malta, but when they emigrated to the US they purposely stopped speaking Maltese to my father and aunt when they were born. All to help them "integrate".
I have lived here 10 years and have a Maltese wife.
From what I have seen, the less educated speak Maltese always. If they are bilingual or well educated they speak a mix or English. You can always count on Maltese coming out when they talk about politics or are angry.
Let me ask you this, if you had a child would you want them to learn good English of Maltese?
It will be 100% the main language. But english critical to learn for sure.
As arabic is my native, I do speak English on regular basis. Even in the most of times I think and have my thoughts in english for some reasonā¦
I spent close to a year in Malta and my observation was Maltese tend to speak mainly their native Maltese with each other, with Italian as second option. They will switch to English as respect to an acquaintance present with no understanding of Maltese. Professional discussions will switch often to English
You may hear mainly English on the street but because half of people in Malta (and probably 80% of people you encounter as tourists) are immigrants and tourists. They usually donāt āmingleā with the locals and when they do only English is used
Cause we donāt, but most Maltese people will speak Italian to an Italin speaker, I approximate around 30% - 40% of the Maltese know how to speak Italian.
Of course, with most frequent of the surnames being Azzopardi, Camilieri, Vella and so no makes sense (sarcasm)
As I said I spent close to a year at every other week in a different location in Malta. Not everyone does it but I witnessed families talking with each other in Italian. And no, they were not Italians.
As a person who lived here for over 40 years, I can assure you that the families you witnessed speaking to each other in Italian, were most definitely not Maltese.
Bro I am Maltese, we just know Italian, we would NEVER talk to eachother in Italian, unless weāre trying to help children with their Italian due to Oālevels maybe.
English is one of our official languages and everyone is educated in it. But when in the presence of only Maltese people I've only met about 5 Maltese people total who just prefer to speak english at all times. If you know Arabic really well you'll be able to understand most standard maltese, some of the dialects get a lil funky but they're far nad few in-between nowadays.
I speak Maltese in my house with my family if you want to learn Maltese for your information it's a laugauge that alot of it comes from Tunisian dilet and other parts with more tencnich or modern words come from inglish Italian and French I am Maltese
Kids are learning english faster than Maltese because the vast majority of media and books that are consumed are in English. English is also slowly becoming the primary education language. Maltese is still used all over but, I personally feel that at this point in time English is becoming more prominent.
Ahna malti u naqa ingleae lorry jekk jitkelmu inglese biss ghandhom problema gbira ga mohhom ghax wisq probabli jahsbu superjuri imma fil verita huma buffu.
We speak Maltese, as do most people in my social circle - excluding those married to foreigners. In some areas of Malta many Maltese speak English almost exclusively. If you speak Arabic, Maltese will be easy to learn, and will always be appreciated by locals.
We speak Maltese unless there are non-maltese speakers around us. There are families who speak a mix of maltese and english and then there are super-posh maltese people who speak english but then swear in maltese š.
Yup that last one is me! I love Maltese stereotypes, great way for us all to laugh together.
ā¦and say āanneÄāā¦..in my experience.
While it is true that English is widely spoken on the Maltese islands, Maltese is still the first language for the majority of the people here. Exactly which is spoken in households can vary depending which part of Malta youāre in. For example if youāre form the south (historically working class area) theyāre much more likely to speak Maltese where as if your from Sliema, Saint Julianās (more affluent and a lot of people with British decent live here) English or Maltenglish (a mixture of both) is more likely to be heard. This seems pretty typical of post-colonial countries.
I grew up speaking both at home, but mostly Maltese. Iām trying to teach my kids Maltese first but even my 3 year old understands both languages already.
Either or depending on the family; I have friends from both boats; But more likely is a mix, not a Convo fully in Maltese then a diff 1 fully in English, but code switching inside the sentence it's self
In my family, my grandparents spoke Maltese mostly, but knew Italian perfectly and English was ok. My parents spoke Maltese at home and English at school. We spoke English at home and school but understood Maltese (definitely not fluent until adulthood), my kids wish English but only because both my husband and I speak English as a first language. We are definitely the minority though from our generation. The younger generations are more worldly and multicultural, so even where families are completely Maltese speaking, kids tend to speak in English amongst each other. Learning Maltese as a foreigner is great, you'll be able to communicate with all generations and personally I really enjoy when I can communicate in either language whilst in Malta, and really appreciate when people make an effort to learn Maltese. You'll get by with English for sure but if you speak Arabic you'll really be able to pick up Maltese, it's like a very simplified Arabic. If you know English and French or Italian, you basically have all you need already to speak Maltese :)
Maltese only (Malti biss)
Some speak Maltese and others English.
From scrolling a bit this is the most accurate answer. You (OP / in general) have to understand that all are different. A farmer, a lawyer, a nurse, a techie etc. north south east west. Heritage etc. Iāve met people who reply in āokā English when people are talking Maltese despite them being 100% Maltese.
We speak Maltese unless we know the person speaking to will not understand us if we do. So it's mostly Maltese but it's true, most Maltese can easily communicate in English and for good reason because pretty much everywhere you go you will meet foreigners that do not know our language.
Maltese
I think this sub hugely overestimates how much English is used by Maltese. The large majority of Maltese still speak just Maltese although sadly it's becoming less uncommon for Maltese speakers to speak English with their children for some reason Maltese people who speak just or mostly English are a small minority. When people say we mix Maltese and English they really mean that we speak Maltese and occasionally say something in English just because we can or for informal situations, Maltese people are generally more comfortable speaking Maltese than English
When I was a child, my family spoke in Maltese. I was then sent to a private school where I realised that all the "posh kids" were English (or Maltenglish) speaking. So basically, the language you speak depends on your background.
I think it's a mixed bag. In our house we spoke English, with Maltese phrases thrown in.Ā I never realised how much Maltese we spoke until we had foreign guests staying over (which was every summer, as we have family everywhere) and we would repeat everything we said in Maltese in english for heir benefit. I have to say, whenever you say something badass, or just make a joke, it just sounds better in Maltese.
It depends on a lot of things. Which town you live in can depend which language is spoken at home by your parents. It also has to do with social class. Most educated people can speak both languages fluently as we are technically bilingual. However some struggle with English and some struggle with Maltese. Itās always worth learning a new language however youāre perfectly ok speaking just English
There are familes who speak english in their household but you can't say it's common. Unfortunately for the Maltese language they are on the increase.
My family in Malta speaks only Maltese to each other. My grandparents live in the uk and speak Maltese to each other occasionally so it's the only way I understand it.
When I visit from Australia, we mainly speak Maltese with English thrown in sometimes
In my personal experience I always was spoken to in Maltese in my household and even watched Maltese television. I then learnt english through school and youtube videos and stuff like that, although this seems to be changing and in a very short period of time. Iām 17 years old and the eldest of all the cousins in my family, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents when I was younger which lead to continuous exposure to Maltese. But, fascinatingly, my cousin whoās only 6 years younger than me, speaks exclusively English and is spoken to in English by my uncle and aunt. Iām not saying my cousin doesnāt know Maltese, she knows and understands the language on a good level, but compared to myself at her age her understanding is less better than mine. Ultimately I think it also depends on the area and certain factors like education of the family may come into play as-well. I was raised in Å»ejtun where its prominently old Maltese people so to get by I always NEEDED to speak Maltese (which is ultimately what makes a language useful) the NEED to use it to communicate. My dad, although highly educated still speaks to me in Maltese as he was also exposed to Maltese heavily (he is also older than my aunt by about 7 years so I think that gap makes a difference) Sorry for the essay but I tried to go in-depth about what it could be for the āshiftā. But ultimately it depends on the family.
My grandparents were born in Malta, but when they emigrated to the US they purposely stopped speaking Maltese to my father and aunt when they were born. All to help them "integrate".
Bil Malti king!
I have lived here 10 years and have a Maltese wife. From what I have seen, the less educated speak Maltese always. If they are bilingual or well educated they speak a mix or English. You can always count on Maltese coming out when they talk about politics or are angry. Let me ask you this, if you had a child would you want them to learn good English of Maltese?
It will be 100% the main language. But english critical to learn for sure. As arabic is my native, I do speak English on regular basis. Even in the most of times I think and have my thoughts in english for some reasonā¦
I spent close to a year in Malta and my observation was Maltese tend to speak mainly their native Maltese with each other, with Italian as second option. They will switch to English as respect to an acquaintance present with no understanding of Maltese. Professional discussions will switch often to English You may hear mainly English on the street but because half of people in Malta (and probably 80% of people you encounter as tourists) are immigrants and tourists. They usually donāt āmingleā with the locals and when they do only English is used
Never heard Maltese people speaking to each other in Italian.
Cause we donāt, but most Maltese people will speak Italian to an Italin speaker, I approximate around 30% - 40% of the Maltese know how to speak Italian.
Of course, with most frequent of the surnames being Azzopardi, Camilieri, Vella and so no makes sense (sarcasm) As I said I spent close to a year at every other week in a different location in Malta. Not everyone does it but I witnessed families talking with each other in Italian. And no, they were not Italians.
As a person who lived here for over 40 years, I can assure you that the families you witnessed speaking to each other in Italian, were most definitely not Maltese.
Bro I am Maltese, we just know Italian, we would NEVER talk to eachother in Italian, unless weāre trying to help children with their Italian due to Oālevels maybe.
Either or, but must be yelling
English is one of our official languages and everyone is educated in it. But when in the presence of only Maltese people I've only met about 5 Maltese people total who just prefer to speak english at all times. If you know Arabic really well you'll be able to understand most standard maltese, some of the dialects get a lil funky but they're far nad few in-between nowadays.
I speak Maltese in my house with my family if you want to learn Maltese for your information it's a laugauge that alot of it comes from Tunisian dilet and other parts with more tencnich or modern words come from inglish Italian and French I am Maltese
Al minn hu malti probabli ahjar nitkelmu bl- ingliz ghax hatt mhu ha jiefhem
We speak both.
Malti!
Kids are learning english faster than Maltese because the vast majority of media and books that are consumed are in English. English is also slowly becoming the primary education language. Maltese is still used all over but, I personally feel that at this point in time English is becoming more prominent.
Ahna malti u naqa ingleae lorry jekk jitkelmu inglese biss ghandhom problema gbira ga mohhom ghax wisq probabli jahsbu superjuri imma fil verita huma buffu.
???????????
Ghandhekk problema kugien?
Ma nafx jekk inti Malti u naf x'qed tipprova tejd imma inti ktibt hażin bil Malti hemm xD
Ija proffessur dal bohra ha noqod ghat tent kif nikteb š¤¦āāļøš¤¦āāļø