Tomorrow: the future tense
To say "I will go", pick the ending not by the time but by the speaker. For example: “މާދަމާ އެއަރްޕޯޓަށް ދާނަން” — Tomorrow I will go to the airport. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "I will go", pick the ending not by the time but by the speaker.
About yourself — -ނަން (-nan): ދާނަން (I will go), ކުރާނަން (I will do). This is not just the future but a decision. About everything else — about him, the flight, the rain — -ނެ: ވެހޭނެ (it will rain), ލަސްވާނެ (it will be late).
An intention that is not yet a decision goes differently: the verb in -ން plus އުޅެނީ (ulhenee), literally "I go around doing". ދާން އުޅެނީ (dhaan ulhenee) — "I mean to go", said when the ticket is not bought.
And the commonest thing in live speech: next to a word of time the verb often stays in the present. މާދަމާ ދަނީ (maadhamaa dhanee) sounds no worse than މާދަމާ ދާނަން (maadhamaa dhaanan).
Table
| now | I will | he will | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ދަނީ (dhanee) | ދާނަން (dhaanan) | ދާނެ (dhaane) | to go |
| ކަނީ (kanee) | ކާނަން (kaanan) | ކާނެ (kaane) | to eat |
| ކުރަނީ (kuranee) | ކުރާނަން (kuraanan) | ކުރާނެ (kuraane) | to do |
| ވެހެނީ (vehenee) | — | ވެހޭނެ (veheyne) | to pour (of rain) |
By example
- މާދަމާ އެއަރްޕޯޓަށް ދާނަންmaadhamaa earpoatah dhaananTomorrow I will go to the airport
- ފްލައިޓު ލަސްވާނެflaitu lasvaaneThe flight will be delayed
- މިރޭ ފޮށި ތައްޔާރު ކުރާނަންmirey foshi thayyaaru kuraananIn the evening I will pack the suitcase
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
Tomorrow: how does it work in Maldivian?
To say "I will go", pick the ending not by the time but by the speaker.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“މާދަމާ އެއަރްޕޯޓަށް ދާނަން” (maadhamaa earpoatah dhaanan) — Tomorrow I will go to the airport. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.