Emergency

1. Għajnuna!

   Help!

   Usage

   Shouted when needing immediate help in a dangerous situation

   Grammar Note

   "Għajnuna" is a noun meaning "help", shouted on its own to call for assistance.

2. Sejjaħ lill-pulizija, jekk jogħġbok

   Please call the police

   Usage

   Used when police intervention is needed in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "lill-" is a contraction of preposition "lil" (to/for) + definite article, marking the object

3. Fejn hu l-isptar?

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Asking for the hospital location in case of illness or injury

   Grammar Note

   "isptar" is derived from the Italian "ospedale" (hospital) via Sicilian influence

4. Intilift

   I am lost

   Usage

   Said when you have lost your way and need help

   Grammar Note

   "intilift" is a past form derived from the Arabic root "tilaf" (to stray/be lost)

5. Għandi bżonn ambulanza

   I need an ambulance

   Usage

   Requesting an ambulance for a serious injury or illness

   Grammar Note

   "għandi bżonn" (I have need) is the standard Maltese way to express need

6. Tlift il-passaport tiegħi

   I have lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to the police or embassy

   Grammar Note

   "Tlift" is the first-person singular perfect of "telef" (to lose), "I lost"; "tiegħi" (my) follows the noun to show the owner

7. Fejn hu l-konsulat?

   Where is the consulate?

   Usage

   Locating your country's consulate in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   "konsulat" is borrowed from Italian "consolato" (consulate)

8. Serquli l-kartiera

   My wallet was stolen

   Usage

   Reporting a stolen wallet or bag to the police

   Grammar Note

   "serquli" is from "seraq" (to steal, of Arabic origin) with indirect object "from me"

9. Għandi bżonn tabib

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Asking for medical help when feeling ill or injured

   Grammar Note

   "tabib" derives from Arabic "ṭabīb" (physician/doctor)

10. Rajt inċident fuq it-triq

    I witnessed an accident on the road

    Usage

    Reporting a road accident you have witnessed to the police

    Grammar Note

    "fuq" (on/above) derives from Arabic "fawq" (above), used here as "on the road"

11. Ieqaf!

    Stop it

    Usage

    Lets you refuse firmly without raising your voice

12. Tmissnix!

    Don't touch me

    Usage

    Show it as-is to a pushy tout or anyone unsafe

13. Se nsejjaħ lill-pulizija.

    I will call the police

    Usage

    Show it firmly against a scam or a threat

14. Itlaq minn hawn!

    Get away from me

    Usage

    For when someone will not leave you alone

15. nar

    Fire

    Usage

    Points at a fire; "nar" also covers fire and flame in general

16. ħalliel

    Thief

    Usage

    Show it to point out the person who stole; feminine "ħalliela", plural "ħallelin"

17. serq

    Theft

    Usage

    The act of stealing; Maltese uses one word for both robbery and theft

18. ħtif

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Kidnapping; the verbal noun of "ħataf" (to seize, to snatch)

19. qtil

    Murder

    Usage

    Murder; point at it when reporting or calling it in

20. irvell

    Riot

    Usage

    A riot or uprising, as in "l-irvell tal-karnival" (the 1846 carnival riot)

21. bomba

    Bomb

    Usage

    A bomb; a feminine noun, plural "bombi"

22. Nar! Itlaq minn hawn!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Shout to warn of fire and tell people to get away. Nar means fire; Itlaq minn hawn! means get away from here.

23. Ħalliel! Aqbdu!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shout for bystanders’ help just after a theft. Ħalliel means thief.

    Grammar Note

    "Aqbdu" is the plural imperative of "qabad" (to catch); to one person it is "aqbad"

24. Sejjaħ is-servizz tat-tifi tan-nar, jekk jogħġbok.

    Please call the fire service

    Usage

    Asks someone to call the fire service; the emergency number in Malta is 112

    Grammar Note

    servizz tat-tifi tan-nar = fire service; the request calls the service rather than naming a vehicle. Example: Sejjaħ lill-pulizija, jekk jogħġbok

25. Fejn hi l-għassa tal-pulizija?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Asks the way to the police station, e.g. to file a report

    Grammar Note

    Fejn hi …? = Where is …? Għassa in għassa tal-pulizija is feminine, hence hi rather than hu.

26. Nixtieq nirrapporta serq.

    I want to report a theft

    Usage

    Used at a police station to report a theft; the paperwork an insurer needs comes from this report

    Grammar Note

    Nixtieq … = I would like … pattern. serq / irrapporta = theft / to report.

27. Hemm xi ħadd li jitkellem bil-Ġappuniż?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Show this at a hospital or police station to look for a Japanese speaker

    Grammar Note

    Hemm xi …? + li + jitkellem = Is there any …? + relative li + speaks. Example: Hemm xi sptar qrib?

28. Dan huwa mitluf minn sensih.

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Show this to emergency services when someone has collapsed

    Grammar Note

    A copular sentence. Mitluf minn sensih refers to a man; for a woman say Din hija mitlufa minn sensiha.

29. Hemm xi ħadd jegħreq!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Raises the alarm when someone is drowning at sea, in a river or in a pool

    Grammar Note

    Hemm xi + jegħreq = Hemm xi followed by jegħreq, the third-person imperfect of għereq (drown).

30. Tawni daqqiet.

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Tells police or a doctor that you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    ta / jagħti = give, also beat or strike; uses third-person plural with a first-person object. daqqiet = plural of daqqa (a blow). Example: Tawh sakemm qatluh (they beat him until they killed him); … nevita d-daqqiet ta’ sieq.

31. Tawni daqqa ta' sikkina.

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Reports a stab wound; also say if you are bleeding.

    Grammar Note

    Tawni + daqqa ta’ sikkina = Tawni followed by a blow with a knife. Daqqa / daqqiet ta’ X means a blow/blows of X. Example: … nevita d-daqqiet ta’ sieq. (a blow of the foot = a kick)

32. Serqu mill-kamra tiegħi.

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Reports to a hotel or the police that your room was broken into while you were out

    Grammar Note

    serq + kamra + tiegħi = uses the verb related to serq (theft), with kamra (room) and tiegħi (my).

33. Dak huwa l-ħati.

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Point at the offender while showing this to the police

    Grammar Note

    ħati = guilty, an adjective used as a noun for the culprit. For a woman: Dik hija l-ħatja.

34. Qarrqu bija.

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Used when reporting a scam or being overcharged

    Grammar Note

    third-person plural perfect = agentless third-person plural perfect. qarraq + b- = deceive + preposition; me becomes bija. Example: Tawni daqqiet. / Toqgħodx tqarraqni!

35. Insejt il-borża tiegħi.

    I left it behind

    Usage

    Says that you left your bag behind in a shop or on a vehicle

    Grammar Note

    first-person perfect + object + tiegħi = first-person perfect + object + my. insejt / nesa / borża = I forgot / forget / bag. Example: Tlift il-passaport tiegħi

36. Kien hemm inċident fuq it-triq.

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Reports that a traffic accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    kien hemm = past existential, built on hemm. inċident fuq it-triq = accident on the road. Example: Rajt inċident fuq it-triq

37. Ħabtet miegħi karozza.

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Tells emergency services or police that a car hit you

    Grammar Note

    Maltese puts the verb first; "karozza" is feminine, so the verb takes the feminine form "ħabtet"

38. Itlaq mill-ħruġ ta' emerġenza.

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Direct people to the emergency exit; the sign reads Ħruġ ta’ Emerġenza.

    Grammar Note

    Itlaq + minn + article + Ħruġ ta’ Emerġenza = imperative Itlaq followed by minn, article and emergency exit. Example: Itlaq minn hawn!

39. Għaġġel, jekk jogħġbok.

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Asks emergency services to hurry

    Grammar Note

    imperative + jekk jogħġbok = imperative + please, a polite request. għaġġel = uses the imperative of hurry.

40. Ejja mill-ewwel, jekk jogħġbok.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Asks someone to come at once, on the phone or in person

    Grammar Note

    imperative + jekk jogħġbok = imperative + please, a polite request. ejja / ġie = come! / come. Mill-ewwel is an adverbial phrase.

41. Din hija emerġenza.

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    States that the situation is urgent, e.g. when you cannot wait your turn

    Grammar Note

    emerġenza = emergency, feminine; the copula is hija. Example: Ħruġ ta’ Emerġenza

42. Ħudni l-isptar, jekk jogħġbok.

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Asks a taxi driver or a bystander to take you to hospital

    Grammar Note

    imperative + jekk jogħġbok = imperative + please, a polite request. ħud + -ni = imperative of ħa (take) + first-person object. l-isptar = hospital.

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