għadu / għadha

Still in a State or Activity

Level 4

Use għadu for masculine singular and għadha for feminine singular; qed + imperfect expresses continuing activity.

How It Works

Għadu and għadha express “still” with masculine and feminine singular subjects respectively. They belong to a subject-related għad- construction rather than behaving simply as an unchanging adverb. Before qed and an imperfect, they highlight continuation of an ongoing activity. The finite action verb also agrees with the actor: għadu qed jaħsel, “he is still washing”; għadha qed taħsel, “she is still washing”.

First-person għadni can introduce a continuing location. Compare Toni qed jaħsel, “Toni is washing”, with Toni għadu qed jaħsel: the second connects the activity with an earlier point without predicting its end. Keep għadha distinct from għada, “tomorrow”. Adding kemm and a perfect creates the separate “has just” construction.

Examples (3)

  1. Toni għadu qed jaħsel il-karozza.

    Toni is still washing the car.

    Masculine singular għadu highlights continuing activity.

  2. Rita għadha qed taħsel il-karozza.

    Rita is still washing the car.

    Għadha and taħsel identify a feminine singular actor.

  3. Jien għadni d-dar; Rita se tasal dalwaqt.

    I am still at home; Rita will arrive soon.

    Għadni identifies a first-person singular continuing location.

How It Connects

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

għadu / għadhaLevel 4Still in a State or Activity

Learn This First

Introduce subject-related continuation through masculine għadu, feminine għadha and first-person għadni. Continuing activity and continuing location connect the present situation to an earlier point without predicting its endpoint.