Definiteness: what Divehi uses instead of an article
To tell "that very one" from "just any one", no article is needed — Divehi has none. Definiteness is shown by the bare word, indefiniteness by the ending -އެއް. For example: “ހުސް ކޮޓަރިއެއް އެބަހުރިތޯ؟” — Is there a free room?. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To tell "that very one" from "just any one", no article is needed — Divehi has none. Definiteness is shown by the bare word, indefiniteness by the ending -އެއް (-eh).
A word without the ending means "the one we are talking about": ކޮޓަރި ބަންދު (kotari bandhu) — "the room is closed". Add -އެއް and the thing becomes any of its kind: ހުސް ކޮޓަރިއެއް އެބަހުރިތޯ (hus kotarieh ebahurithoa) — "is there a free room?".
Sometimes the ending reshapes the end of the word: ތަށި (plate) gives ތައްޓެއް (thatteh), ފޮށި (suitcase) gives ފޮއްޓެއް (fotteh). Such pairs are learned whole.
Stronger than any article are މި (mi) and އެ (e). މި ފޮށި އަހަރެންގެ (mi foshi aharenge) — "this suitcase is mine". Where English says "that very one", Divehi most often puts އެ.
Table
| definite | indefinite | translation |
|---|---|---|
| ކޮޓަރި (kotari) | ކޮޓަރިއެއް (kotarieh) | room |
| މީހާ (meehaa) | މީހެއް (meeheh) | person |
| ތަށި (thashi) | ތައްޓެއް (thatteh) | plate |
| ކުލަ (kula) | ކުލައެއް (kulaeh) | color |
By example
- ހުސް ކޮޓަރިއެއް އެބަހުރިތޯ؟hus kotarieh ebahurithoa?Is there a free room?
- ކޮޓަރި ބަންދުkotari bandhuThe room (that very one) is closed
- މި ފޮށި އަހަރެންގެmi foshi aharengeThis suitcase is mine
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
Definiteness: how does it work in Maldivian?
To tell "that very one" from "just any one", no article is needed — Divehi has none. Definiteness is shown by the bare word, indefiniteness by the ending -އެއް.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ހުސް ކޮޓަރިއެއް އެބަހުރިތޯ؟” (hus kotarieh ebahurithoa?) — Is there a free room?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.