A Possessor Inside a Word

Level 3

Qalbi means my heart; qalbek means your heart; qalbha means her heart.

How It Works

Possessive suffixes occur especially with body parts and family relationships. Their availability belongs to particular nouns; they are not freely usable endings for every noun. Other nouns commonly use a separate possessive word, as in il-kelb tiegħi, “my dog.”

The heart series is qalbi, qalbek, qalbu, qalbha, qalbna, qalbkom, qalbhom: my, your singular, his, her, our, your plural and their heart. Plural possessors do not themselves make the possessed noun plural. Learn each noun’s own possessive forms rather than transferring the heart pattern mechanically.

Agreement describes the possessed noun. In Idi kiesħa, “My hand is cold,” the adjective is feminine because id is feminine. In Wiċċek aħmar, “Your face is red,” the adjective is masculine because wiċċ is masculine. Neither adjective identifies the possessor's gender. Preserve these ordinary written forms even when pronunciation changes in connected speech.

Examples (3)

  1. Qalbi tħabbat malajr.

    My heart beats quickly.

    The suffix identifies the speaker as possessor; the feminine verb agrees with qalb.

  2. Idi kiesħa.

    My hand is cold.

    The adjective agrees with the feminine possessed noun.

  3. Wiċċek aħmar.

    Your face is red.

    The suffix identifies one addressee; the adjective describes the masculine noun wiċċ.

How It Connects

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

A Possessor Inside a WordLevel 3

Learn This First

Teach suffixes as possessor reference available on particular nouns, using the complete qalb series and the lexical forms idi and wiċċek. Keep the possessor's number separate from the possessed noun's number and agreement.

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