Locale Mt 001

Reference data for the Maltese locale — endonym Malti, written in the Latin script, left-to-right (LTR).

Identifiers

• BCP 47 tag: mt-001
• ISO 639-1: mt
• ISO 639-3: mlt
• Script: Latn (Latin)
• Region: 001 (World)
• Text direction: ltr — left-to-right (LTR)

Speakers (approximate)

• L1 (native): 520,000
• L2 (additional): 30,000
• L1+L2 (total): 550,000

Regional variants

This is the base/macro locale for Maltese. Region-specific variants in this dataset:

• Locale Mt Mt (Maltese (Malta))

Pluralization

CLDR plural categories for this locale: one, two, few, many, other (5 forms).

• one — n = 1 (e.g. 1)
• two — n = 2 (e.g. 2)
• few — n = 0 or n % 100 = 3..10 (e.g. 0, 3~10, 103~109, 1003, …)
• many — n % 100 = 11..19 (e.g. 11~19, 111~117, 1011, …)
• other — everything else (e.g. 20~35, 100, 1000, 10000, …)

See Unicode Messageformat for writing plural messages using these categories.

Translating into this locale

Maltese is a Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet with ċ, ġ, ħ, ż and the digraph għ, with many Romance (Sicilian, Italian) and English loanwords. The National Council for the Maltese Language (Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti) is the authority. See Locale Mt Mt.

Translate ideas, not words.

• Maltese has Semitic root-and-pattern word formation and Romance-origin vocabulary. Prefer established Maltese words over raw English borrowings, but accept English loans that are standard (kompjuter).
• Maltese is subject-verb-object but flexible. Use clitic pronouns attached to verbs and prepositions (ktibtu, miegħi, għalik).
• Re-express idioms by meaning.

Grammar that trips translators.

• Two genders. The definite article il- assimilates to the following consonant for "sun letters" (id-dar, ix-xemx, it-triq) and becomes l- before vowels (l-ajruport).
• Broken plurals follow patterns (ktieb, kotba); check a dictionary. A dual exists for some nouns (sentejn, jumejn). Plurals: one, few, many, and other. See Unicode Messageformat.
• Verbs conjugate by person, with a perfect and imperfect, using prefixes and suffixes.

Register.

• Maltese has int (you, informal singular) and intom (plural); there is no formal singular like the French "vous". Formality is expressed through vocabulary and phrasing (jekk jogħġbok).
• UI commands use the imperative (Salva) or the infinitive-like noun.

Orthography and typography.

• Use ċ, ġ, ħ, ż and għ; never replace them with c, g, h, z. Capital forms are Ċ, Ġ, Ħ, Ż.
• Quotation marks “…”; dates 17 ta' Ottubru 2026 (using ta'); euro; check CLDR mt for number format.

Common pitfalls

• Dropping Maltese letters.
• Missing the article assimilation (il-dar instead of id-dar).
• Using Italian or English syntax and word forms.

Learn more

• Locale for BCP 47 identifiers, locale-sensitive formatting, pluralization, and text-direction concepts that apply across all locales.
• Unicode Messageformat for writing plural/selection messages correctly for this locale's grammar.
• Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti, Taqsima tal-Ilsien Malti
• Microsoft Localization Style Guide, Maltese (https://aka.ms/maltese-styleguide)