LingoflyWhat a person is like: -ތެރި, -ވެރި, -ކަން and turns instead of words
A quality of a person is most often assembled from a noun with a tail. For example: “ރަށުގެ މީހުން އެހީތެރި (rashuge meehun eheetheri)، އެކަމަކު (ekamaku) ބޯހަރު” (boaharu) — The people on the island are responsive, but stubborn. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A quality of a person is most often assembled from a noun with a tail.
-ތެރި gives "full of something": އެހީ (ehee) (help) gives އެހީތެރި (eheetheri) (responsive), ކެތް (patience) gives ކެތްތެރި (keiytheri) (patient).
-ވެރި gives "possessing": ކުށް (kuh) (fault) gives ކުށްވެރި (kuhveri) (guilty), މަކަރު (makaru) (deceit) gives މަކަރުވެރި (makaruveri) (cunning). The difference is fine: ވެރި is about having, ތެރި about being full.
-ކަން (-kan) brings the noun back: ކަންނެތް (kanneiy) (lazy) gives ކަންނެތްކަން (kannethkan) (laziness), ބޯހަރު (boaharu) (stubborn) gives ބޯހަރުކަން (boaharukan) (stubbornness). And what has no word has none: for "composure" one says ނަފުސު ހިފެހެއްޓުން (nafusu hifehettun) — "the holding of oneself".
Table
| the tail | what it does | from what | what came out |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ތެރި | full of something | އެހީ (ehee) — help | އެހީތެރި (eheetheri) — responsive |
| -ތެރި | full of something | ކެތް — patience | ކެތްތެރި (keiytheri) — patient |
| -ވެރި | possessing | ކުށް (kuh) — fault | ކުށްވެރި (kuhveri) — guilty |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ކަންނެތް (kanneiy) — lazy | ކަންނެތްކަން (kannethkan) — laziness |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ބޯހަރު (boaharu) — stubborn | ބޯހަރުކަން (boaharukan) — stubbornness |
| a turn | there is no word | ނަފުސު (nafusu) — oneself | ނަފުސު ހިފެހެއްޓުން (nafusu hifehettun) — composure |
By example
- އަމާނާތްތެރިކަމާއެކު މަސައްކަތްކުރިamaanaaiytherikamaaeku masakkaiykuriHe worked with honesty
- eee reethi kameh noon, ekamaku gasdhugaeh noonIt is not nice, but he did not mean harm
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
What a person is like: how does it work in Maldivian?
A quality of a person is most often assembled from a noun with a tail.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ރަށުގެ މީހުން އެހީތެރި (rashuge meehun eheetheri)، އެކަމަކު (ekamaku) ބޯހަރު” (boaharu) (rashuge meehun eheetheri, ekamaku boaharu) — The people on the island are responsive, but stubborn. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.