ZQ-XUThe Rented Car (Il-karozza mikrija)
Scenario: Carmen Micallef calls the car-hire company to speak to Mr Martin Deguara. He is not there, so she explains to the employee that she rented a car fifteen days ago and is flying back to her country on Friday; they arrange to return the car at their office in the airport car park before her flight.
Source: Djalogu addattat minn Speaking Maltese 2 ta' Charles Daniel Saliba (Dialogue adapted from Speaking Maltese 2 by Charles Daniel Saliba)
Complete Dialogue
Carmen (Customer): Bonġu, jien Carmen Micallef. Nista' nkellem lis-Sur Martin Deguara, jekk jogħġbok?
Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent): Skużani, illum Martin mhux hawn. Nista' naqdik jien?
Carmen (Customer): Ma jimpurtax, mela ħa nispjega kollox lilek. Ħmistax ilu kont krejt karozza mingħandkom u issa se nsiefer lura pajjiżi nhar il-Ġimgħa. Nixtieq inkun naf kif se ngħaddilkom il-karozza lura.
Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent): Inti x'ħin se ssiefer il-Ġimgħa?
Carmen (Customer): It-titjira hija fid-disgħa ta' billejl.
Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent): Tajjeb ħafna, mela l-Ġimgħa stess qabel tidħol l-ajruport ejja hawn l-uffiċċju tagħna li jinsab fil-parkeġġ tal-ajruport stess. Ikollna bżonn nispezzjonaw il-karozza u malli jkun kollox sew, nirrilaxxaw il-VISA tiegħek.
Carmen (Customer): Ok, naħseb ikunu xi s-sitta ta' flgħaxija kif nasal.
Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent): Tajjeb, ikun hawn jien dak il-ħin.
Carmen (Customer): Sewwa wisq, mela narak il-Ġimgħa fis-sitta ta' flgħaxija. Grazzi!
Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent): Grazzi lilek, saħħa!
Sentence-by-Sentence Translation and Word Notes
1. Carmen (Customer)
Malti: Bonġu, jien Carmen Micallef. Nista' nkellem lis-Sur Martin Deguara, jekk jogħġbok?
Translation: Good morning, I am Carmen Micallef. Can I speak to Mr Martin Deguara, please?
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bonġu | good morning | Formal greeting |
| jien | I | First-person pronoun |
| Carmen Micallef | Carmen Micallef | Person's name |
| Nista' | I can | First-person singular |
| nkellem | I speak with | First-person singular of kellem |
| lis-Sur | with Mr | Contracted li + is-Sur; Sur = Mr |
| Martin Deguara | Martin Deguara | Person's name |
| jekk jogħġbok | please | Literally "if it pleases you" |
2. Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent)
Malti: Skużani, illum Martin mhux hawn. Nista' naqdik jien?
Translation: Excuse me, Martin is not here today. Can I help you myself?
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skużani | excuse me | skuża + -ni (me) |
| illum | today | Time adverb |
| mhux | not | Negation |
| hawn | here | Place adverb |
| Nista' | I can | First-person singular |
| naqdik | I serve you; I help you | naqdi + -k (you) |
| jien | I | Emphatic "I myself" |
3. Carmen (Customer)
Malti: Ma jimpurtax, mela ħa nispjega kollox lilek. Ħmistax ilu kont krejt karozza mingħandkom u issa se nsiefer lura pajjiżi nhar il-Ġimgħa. Nixtieq inkun naf kif se ngħaddilkom il-karozza lura.
Translation: Never mind, then I'll explain everything to you. Fifteen days ago I rented a car from you, and now on Friday I'm flying back to my country. I'd like to know how I can return the car to you.
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ma jimpurtax | it doesn't matter | ma + jimpurta + x negation |
| mela | then; so | Discourse marker |
| ħa nispjega | I'll explain | ħa (let me) + nispjega (I explain) |
| kollox | everything | Indefinite pronoun |
| lilek | to you | li + -lek |
| Ħmistax ilu | fifteen days ago | ħmistax (fifteen) + ilu (ago) |
| kont krejt | I had rented | kont (past auxiliary) + krejt (loanword rent, first-person past) |
| karozza | car | Feminine noun |
| mingħandkom | from you | mingħand + -kom (you, plural) |
| issa | now | Adverb |
| se nsiefer | I will fly | se (future) + nsiefer (I travel / fly) |
| lura | back | Adverb |
| pajjiżi | my country | pajjiż + -i (my) |
| nhar | on the day of | Literally "day" |
| il-Ġimgħa | Friday | With the definite article |
| Nixtieq | I would like | First-person singular |
| inkun naf | to know | inkun (I be) + naf (I know) |
| kif | how | Question adverb |
| se ngħaddilkom | I will hand over to you | ngħaddi + -lkom (to you, plural) |
| lura | back; in return | Here: "return" |
4. Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent)
Malti: Inti x'ħin se ssiefer il-Ġimgħa?
Translation: What time are you flying on Friday?
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inti | you | Second-person pronoun |
| x'ħin | what time | x' (what) + ħin (time) |
| se ssiefer | you will fly | se + ssiefer (second-person singular) |
| il-Ġimgħa | Friday | With the definite article |
5. Carmen (Customer)
Malti: It-titjira hija fid-disgħa ta' billejl.
Translation: The flight is at nine in the evening.
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| It-titjira | the flight | Feminine noun (loanword) |
| hija | is | Third-person feminine singular |
| fid-disgħa | at nine | Contracted f' + id-disgħa |
| ta' billejl | in the evening | ta' (of) + billejl (night; standard spelling bil-lejl) |
6. Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent)
Malti: Tajjeb ħafna, mela l-Ġimgħa stess qabel tidħol l-ajruport ejja hawn l-uffiċċju tagħna li jinsab fil-parkeġġ tal-ajruport stess. Ikollna bżonn nispezzjonaw il-karozza u malli jkun kollox sew, nirrilaxxaw il-VISA tiegħek.
Translation: Very good, then on Friday itself, before you enter the airport, come to our office, which is in the airport car park itself. We need to inspect the car, and as soon as everything is fine, we'll release your VISA deposit.
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tajjeb ħafna | very good | tajjeb (good) + ħafna (very) |
| l-Ġimgħa stess | on Friday itself | stess (itself, emphatic) |
| qabel | before | Preposition |
| tidħol | you enter | Second-person singular |
| l-ajruport | the airport | Loanword airport |
| ejja | come | Imperative |
| hawn | here | Place adverb |
| l-uffiċċju | the office | Loanword uffiċċju |
| tagħna | our | Possessive |
| li jinsab | which is located | jinsab (is located, third-person singular) |
| fil-parkeġġ | in the car park | Contracted f' + il-parkeġġ |
| tal-ajruport stess | of the airport itself | ta' (of) + ajruport + stess |
| Ikollna bżonn | we will need | ikollna (we will have) + bżonn (need) |
| nispezzjonaw | we inspect | Loanword spezzjona |
| il-karozza | the car | With the definite article |
| malli | as soon as | Conjunction |
| jkun kollox sew | everything is fine | jkun (is) + kollox (everything) + sew (well) |
| nirrilaxxaw | we release | Loanword rilaxxa |
| il-VISA tiegħek | your VISA deposit | Car-rental context: releasing the VISA pre-authorisation / deposit |
7. Carmen (Customer)
Malti: Ok, naħseb ikunu xi s-sitta ta' flgħaxija kif nasal.
Translation: OK, I think it will be around six in the evening when I arrive.
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ok | OK | Loanword |
| naħseb | I think | First-person singular |
| ikunu | will be | Plural future (referring to the time) |
| xi | about; around | Adverb |
| s-sitta | six | is-sitta (six) |
| ta' flgħaxija | in the evening | Printed flgħaxija; standard spelling filgħaxija |
| kif nasal | when I arrive | kif (when) + nasal (I arrive, first-person singular) |
8. Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent)
Malti: Tajjeb, ikun hawn jien dak il-ħin.
Translation: Fine, I will be here at that time.
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tajjeb | fine | Adjective |
| ikun hawn jien | I will be here | ikun (will be) + hawn (here) + jien (I) |
| dak il-ħin | at that time | dak (that) + il-ħin (time) |
9. Carmen (Customer)
Malti: Sewwa wisq, mela narak il-Ġimgħa fis-sitta ta' flgħaxija. Grazzi!
Translation: Excellent, then I'll see you on Friday at six in the evening. Thank you!
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sewwa wisq | excellent | sewwa (correct) + wisq (very) |
| mela | then | Discourse marker |
| narak | I'll see you | nara + -k (you) |
| il-Ġimgħa | Friday | With the definite article |
| fis-sitta | at six | Contracted f' + is-sitta |
| ta' flgħaxija | in the evening | See above |
| Grazzi | thank you | Polite expression |
10. Tal-karozzi (Car-Hire Agent)
Malti: Grazzi lilek, saħħa!
Translation: Thank you, bye!
| Maltese | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grazzi lilek | thank you | grazzi (thanks) + lilek (to you) |
| saħħa | bye; take care | Literally "health"; common farewell |