Yesterday: the past tense
To talk about yesterday, the verb changes its whole tail, not just the ending. ދަނީ ("go") gives ދިޔަ ("went"), ބޮނީ ("drink") gives ބުއި ("drank"). Learn such pairs whole. For example: “އިއްޔެ ވާރޭ ވެހުނު” — Yesterday it rained. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To talk about yesterday, the verb changes its whole tail, not just the ending. ދަނީ ("go") gives ދިޔަ ("went"), ބޮނީ ("drink") gives ބުއި ("drank"). Learn such pairs whole.
About yourself, add -ން to the past: ދިޔަ — "went", ދިޔައިން (dhiyain) — "I went"; ބުއި — "drank", ބުއިން (buin) — "I drank". About other people this tail is absent.
Apart stands the form in -އްޖެ. It says the result is here now: ހަލާކުވެއްޖެ (halaakuvejje) — "it broke and is dead", ލަސްވެއްޖެ (lasvejje) — "it is already late".
Time words — އިއްޔެ (yesterday), މިދިޔަ އަހަރު (last year) — go to the front and leave the verb alone.
Table
| now | past | translation |
|---|---|---|
| ދަނީ (dhanee) | ދިޔަ (dhiya) | to go |
| ކަނީ (kanee) | ކެއި (kei) | to eat |
| ބޮނީ (bonee) | ބުއި (bui) | to drink |
| ވެހެނީ (vehenee) | ވެހުނު (vehunu) | to pour (of rain) |
By example
- އިއްޔެ ވާރޭ ވެހުނުiyye vaarey vehunuYesterday it rained
- ފެރީ ދިޔަferee dhiyaThe ferry has left
- މިއަދު ހެނދުނު ސައި ބުއިންmiadhu hendhunu sai buinThis morning I drank tea
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
Yesterday: how does it work in Maldivian?
To talk about yesterday, the verb changes its whole tail, not just the ending. ދަނީ ("go") gives ދިޔަ ("went"), ބޮނީ ("drink") gives ބުއި ("drank"). Learn such pairs whole.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“އިއްޔެ ވާރޭ ވެހުނު” (iyye vaarey vehunu) — Yesterday it rained. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.