Lingofly"Give me": the addressee in -އަށް
To say "to me", "to you", "to him", the pronoun takes -އަށް. It is the same ending that turns ރަށް (rah) (island) into ރަށަށް (rashah) ("to the island"). Direction and addressee are one thing here. For example: “އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) މެނޫ ދެއްވާ” (menoo dhevvaa) — Give me the menu. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "to me", "to you", "to him", the pronoun takes -އަށް (-ah). It is the same ending that turns ރަށް (rah) (island) into ރަށަށް (rashah) ("to the island"). Direction and addressee are one thing here.
އަހަރެން (aharen) has an irregular form, easier to learn whole: އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) — "to me". The rest stack up neatly: ކަލެއަށް (kaleah), އޭނާއަށް (eynaaah), އަހަރެމެންނަށް.
The word order stays Divehi: addressee first, then the thing, the verb last. އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) މެނޫ ދެއްވާ (menoo dhevvaa) (ahannah menoo dhevvaa) — literally "to me menu give".
"Tell someone" stands apart. Here -އަށް will not do: one says ގާތު (gaathu) ("near"), އޭނާ (eynaa) ގާތު (gaathu) ބުނޭ (buney) (eynaa gaathu buney) — "tell him", literally "speak near him".
Table
| who | to whom | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| އަހަރެން (aharen) | އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) | އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) ދިން (dhin) | gave to me |
| ކަލޭ (kaley) | ކަލެއަށް (kaleah) (kaleyah) | ކަލެއަށް (kaleah) ދިން (dhin) | gave to you |
| އޭނާ (eynaa) | އޭނާއަށް (eynaaah) (eynaa-ah) | އޭނާއަށް (eynaaah) ދިން (dhin) | gave to him |
| އަހަރެމެން (aharemen) | އަހަރެމެންނަށް (aharemennah) | އަހަރެމެންނަށް ދިން (dhin) | gave to us |
By example
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
"Give me": how does it work in Maldivian?
To say "to me", "to you", "to him", the pronoun takes -އަށް. It is the same ending that turns ރަށް (rah) (island) into ރަށަށް (rashah) ("to the island"). Direction and addressee are one thing here.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) މެނޫ ދެއްވާ” (menoo dhevvaa) (ahannah menoo dhevvaa) — Give me the menu. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.