Bigger, smaller and "than"
To say "more expensive", first name the thing you compare with. It takes the ending -އަށްވުރެ ("than"), and the quality comes last. For example: “މި ފިހާރަ އެ ފިހާރައަށްވުރެ އަގުބޮޑު” — This shop is more expensive than that one. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "more expensive", first name the thing you compare with. It takes the ending -އަށްވުރެ ("than"), and the quality comes last.
So it runs back to front: މި ފިހާރަ އެ ފިހާރައަށްވުރެ އަގުބޮޑު (mi fihaara e fihaaraahvure agubodu) — literally "this shop, than that shop, expensive".
English keeps "than" as a separate word in front of the second thing. In Divehi it is an ending, welded to what you compare with.
The quality itself never changes: އަގުބޮޑު (agubodu) is both "expensive" and "more expensive". The highest degree comes from the separate word އެންމެ ("most") in front of it.
Table
| in English | Divehi | how it reads |
|---|---|---|
| expensive | އަގުބޮޑު | agubodu |
| more expensive than this | މީތަށްވުރެ އަގުބޮޑު | meethah vure agubodu |
| the most expensive | އެންމެ އަގުބޮޑު | enme agubodu |
| bigger / smaller | ބޮޑަށް / ކުޑަކޮށް | bodah / kudakoh |
By example
- މި ފިހާރަ އެ ފިހާރައަށްވުރެ އަގުބޮޑުmi fihaara e fihaaraahvure aguboduThis shop is more expensive than that one
- މަސް ކުކުޅަށްވުރެ ތާޒާmas kukulhahvure thaazaaFish is fresher than chicken
- އެންމެ އަގުހެޔޮ ފިހާރަenme aguheyo fihaaraThe cheapest shop
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Bigger, smaller and "than": how does it work in Maldivian?
To say "more expensive", first name the thing you compare with. It takes the ending -އަށްވުރެ ("than"), and the quality comes last.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“މި ފިހާރަ އެ ފިހާރައަށްވުރެ އަގުބޮޑު” (mi fihaara e fihaaraahvure agubodu) — This shop is more expensive than that one. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.