LingoflySomeone else's words: the particle -ޯ, ކަމަށް and ގޮތުން
English passes someone else's speech with "that" and quotation marks. Divehi has neither: everything that reports words stands AFTER what is reported. For example: “ފާލަން (faalan) ބަންދުކުރަނީއޯ” — The pier, they say, is being closed. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English passes someone else's speech with "that" and quotation marks. Divehi has neither: everything that reports words stands AFTER what is reported.
The shortest is the tail -ޯ straight on the verb: ބަންދުކުރަނީއޯ (bandhukuraneeoa) — "they are closing it, so they say". One letter takes the responsibility off the speaker.
The content is introduced by ކަމަށް (kamah): ނާންނާނެ (naannaane) ކަމަށް (kamah) ބުނި (buni) (naannaane kamah buni) — "he said he would not come". Literally that is "in the sense that", and the verb of speaking comes after, at the very end.
The source is pointed at by ގޮތުން (gothun): ބުނާ ގޮތުން (bunaa gothun) — "as they say", އަޑުއިވުނު ގޮތުގައި (aduivunu gothugai) — "I heard that". A reported question keeps -ތޯ (-tho) at the end: ކޮންތާކުތޯ (konthaakuthoa) އެހި (ehi) (konthaakuthoa ehi) — "she asked where". The tense inside never shifts.
Table
| the device | where it goes | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ޯ | to the verb | ބަންދުކުރަނީއޯ | they say it is being closed |
| ކަމަށް (kamah) | after the content | ނާންނާނެ (naannaane) ކަމަށް (kamah) ބުނި (buni) | said he would not come |
| ގޮތުން (gothun) | after the source | ބުނާ ގޮތުން (bunaa gothun) | as they say |
| ގޮތުގައި (gothugai) | after the source | އަޑުއިވުނު ގޮތުގައި (aduivunu gothugai) | as I heard |
| -ތޯ | to the question word | ކޮންތާކުތޯ (konthaakuthoa) އެހި (ehi) | she asked where |
| -ކަން | to the clause | ނިމުނީ ކިހިނެއްކަން (nimunee kihinehkan) | how it all ended |
By example
- އަޑުއިވުނު ގޮތުގައި މާދަމާ ވިއްސާރަވާނެaduivunu gothugai maadhamaa vissaaravaaneI heard that tomorrow it will rain
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
Someone else's words: how does it work in Maldivian?
English passes someone else's speech with "that" and quotation marks. Divehi has neither: everything that reports words stands AFTER what is reported.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ފާލަން (faalan) ބަންދުކުރަނީއޯ” (faalan bandhukuraneeoa) — The pier, they say, is being closed. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.