LingoflyNo gender, no articles
Nouns have no gender, and there are no articles. އޭނާ (eynaa) means both "he" and "she". For example: “އޭނާ (eynaa) ރައްޓެހި” (rattehi) — He (she) is a friend. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Nouns have no gender, and there are no articles. އޭނާ (eynaa) means both "he" and "she".
"Some, a certain" is passed by the ending -އެއް (-eh): ފޮތް (foiy) is "a book in general", ފޮތެއް (fotheh) is "some book or other".
The plural is often not marked at all. When the talk already makes it clear that there are many things, the word keeps its basic form.
By example
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
Does Dhivehi have gender?
Nouns have no gender, and there are no articles. އޭނާ (eynaa) means both "he" and "she".
Does Dhivehi have articles?
Nouns have no gender, and there are no articles. އޭނާ (eynaa) means both "he" and "she".
The Dhivehi ending eh for a or some?
"Some, a certain" is passed by the ending -އެއް (-eh): ފޮތް (foiy) is "a book in general", ފޮތެއް (fotheh) is "some book or other".
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“އޭނާ (eynaa) ރައްޓެހި” (rattehi) (eynaa rattehi) — He (she) is a friend. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.