ta' + noun
Of or Belonging to
A noun can be followed by ta' and a nominal expression explaining its relation.
How It Works
Ta' links a noun with a following nominal expression. Before an articleless consonant-initial expression, write it separately with its apostrophe. The relation depends on the nouns and construction. Before a vowel, the shortened form t' is documented, as in t'Anna, ‘of Anna’.
Lukanda ta' lussu describes quality; tifla ta' ħames snin describes age. In age expressions, numeral constructions still select the noun form: ħames snin has a plural noun, while ħdax-il sena has a singular noun.
Compare kamra ta' lussu, ‘a luxury room’, with il-kamra tas-segretarja, ‘the secretary’s room’. When the following phrase carries an article, ta' contracts with it. Person-based possessives such as tiegħi instead use their established pronominal forms.
Examples (3)
- lukanda ta' lussu
a luxury hotel
Noun-phrase fragment expressing quality.
- tifla ta' ħames snin
a five-year-old girl
Noun-phrase fragment expressing age with plural snin.
- tifel ta' ħdax-il sena
an eleven-year-old boy
Noun-phrase fragment expressing age with a teen numeral and singular sena.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce the relation expressed by the whole phrase through quality and age examples. Treat their numeral forms as local examples rather than prerequisites that cannot yet be selected.
Related Patterns
- tal- + nounBelonging to Someone or Something
Explains contraction with an article-bearing noun phrase.
Level 1 - tiegħi / tiegħekMine and Yours
Provides person-based possessive forms.
Level 1 - Teen Number Constructions
Explains the teen numeral construction.
Level 2 - A Noun After a Number
Develops noun forms selected in quantity expressions.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice ta' + noun in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Maltese lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
