adjective stem + -a

A Common Feminine Adjective Form

Level 1

sabiħ → sabiħa; kiesaħ → kiesħa; aħmar → ħamra.

How It Works

Many adjectives have a feminine singular form ending in -a. In sabiħ → sabiħa, the masculine stem remains intact. In kiesaħ → kiesħa, an internal vowel disappears. Aħmar → ħamra changes the internal arrangement. Learn the linked forms rather than adding a letter mechanically.

Compare ġelat kiesaħ, “cold ice cream,” with kamra kiesħa, “a cold room.” The noun's gender selects the adjective form while the description remains “cold.” These are ordinary spellings, including their Maltese letters.

Invariant adjectives such as interessanti do not add -a. A final -a does not always identify feminine singular: morda is a plural adjective, and selected adjectives permit an -a-shaped variant with plural nouns. Such patterns have lexical limits; the feminine form cannot serve as a general replacement for every plural.

Examples (3)

  1. kamra sabiħa

    a beautiful room

    Feminine -a preserves the stem of sabiħ; noun-phrase fragment.

  2. kamra kiesħa

    a cold room

    Kiesħa loses an internal vowel relative to kiesaħ; fragment.

  3. ċavetta ħamra

    a red key

    Ħamra is the feminine corresponding to aħmar; fragment.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

adjective stem + -aLevel 1A Common Feminine Adjective Form

Learn This First

Compare sabiħ/sabiħa, kiesaħ/kiesħa and aħmar/ħamra as complete linked forms. The established agreement relation motivates feminine selection, while lexical changes and invariant adjectives prevent a mechanical add-a rule.