maltese

1.形容詞A2

釋義

Describes something that comes from or is connected with the Mediterranean island country of Malta, including its people, culture, or language.

例句

Cyrus brought back some Maltese cheese and olive oil from his holiday.

attributive adjective before country products

The Maltese government passed a new law to protect historical buildings in Valletta.

attributive adjective before institutions

用法筆記

Always capitalised because it derives from the country name Malta. The adjective form is not used after linking verbs such as 'is' or 'seems' in modern English — use 'from Malta' instead (e.g. 'This dish is from Malta', not 'This dish is Maltese' in adjectival position).

常見錯誤

❌She bought a Maltean scarf.

✅She bought a Maltese scarf.

💡the correct adjectival form for Malta is 'Maltese', not 'Maltean'.

❌The Maltese wine is very sweet.' (when the wine is literally drunk in Malta but made elsewhere)

✅The wine from Malta is very sweet.

💡use 'from Malta' to specify origin when the item does not belong to Malta inherently.

1.名詞A2

釋義

A person who comes from the island country of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.

例句

A friendly Maltese showed Femi the way to the bus station in Valletta.

singular countable: 'a + Maltese'

Several Maltese were among the passengers on the ferry to Sicily.

invariant plural: 'several + Maltese'

文法句型

the + Maltese (collective, meaning Maltese people as a group)

a + Maltese (singular)

two/several + Maltese (plural, no -s ending)

用法筆記

The plural form is identical to the singular: 'two Maltese', not 'two Malteses'. When referring to the entire population as a group, use 'the Maltese' with a plural verb: 'The Maltese are known for their hospitality.'

常見錯誤

❌She is a Malta.

✅She is a Maltese.' / 'She is from Malta.

💡'Malta' is the country name, not the demonym.

❌There were three Malteses at the dinner.

✅There were three Maltese at the dinner.

💡the noun does not add -s in the plural.

2.名詞B1

釋義

The official language of Malta, which developed from Arabic but is written with the Latin alphabet and includes many words borrowed from Italian and English.

例句

Amihan speaks Maltese fluently after living in Valletta for five years.

speak + Maltese (no article)

Road signs in Malta are written in both Maltese and English.

prepositional: 'in + Maltese'

文法句型

speak + Maltese

learn + Maltese

in + Maltese (meaning 'in the Maltese language')

用法筆記

Maltese is normally used without the definite article when referring to the language as a subject or skill ('She speaks Maltese', 'a Maltese speaker'). Use 'the Maltese language' for a more formal register or when contrasting with other languages.

常見錯誤

❌He is learning the Maltese.

✅He is learning Maltese.

💡drop 'the' when referring to the language as a study subject.

❌Maltese is a kind of Arabic.

✅Maltese developed from Arabic but is a separate language.

💡Maltese is related to Arabic but is an independent Semitic language with its own vocabulary and writing system.

❌She speaks Maltese language.

✅She speaks the Maltese language.' / 'She speaks Maltese.

💡when including 'language', add 'the'.

maltese

maltese — adjective

1. Describes something that comes from or is connected with the Mediterranean islan

用法筆記

常見錯誤

maltese — noun

1. A person who comes from the island country of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. The official language of Malta, which developed from Arabic but is written with

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤