LingoflyVery, too, a little: degree and judgment
Degree in Divehi comes from separate words in front of the quality, not from endings. ވަރަށް (varah) ("very") is the commonest: ވަރަށް ރީތި (varah reethi), ވަރަށް (varah) ބޮޑު (bodu). For example: “މި ފިލްމު (filmu) ވަރަށް (varah) ޝައުގުވެރި” (shauguveri) — This film is very interesting. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Degree in Divehi comes from separate words in front of the quality, not from endings. ވަރަށް (varah) ("very") is the commonest: ވަރަށް ރީތި (varah reethi), ވަރަށް (varah) ބޮޑު (bodu) (varah bodu).
މާ (maa) means "too" and always carries a reproach: މާ ބޮޑު (maa bodu) is not "very big" but "too big, it will not do". Confusing it with ވަރަށް (varah) is not allowed: one praises, the other complains.
ކުޑަކޮށް (kudakoh) ("a little") plays it down: ކުޑަކޮށް (kudakoh) ކުޅި (kulhi) ("slightly hot"). It also softens a request — ކުޑަކޮށް (kudakoh) މަޑުކުރޭ (madukurey) ("wait a bit").
An adverb is made from a quality with -ކޮށް or -އަށް (-ah). ރަނގަޅު (rangalhu) gives ރަނގަޅަށް (rangalhah) ("well"), ހޫނު (hoonu) gives ހޫނުކޮށް (hoonukoh) ("while hot"), އަވަސް (avas) gives އަވަހަށް (avahah) ("fast").
Table
| meaning | word | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| very | ވަރަށް (varah) | ވަރަށް ރީތި (varah reethi) | very beautiful |
| too | މާ (maa) | މާ ބޮޑު (maa bodu) | too big, it will not do |
| a little | ކުޑަކޮށް (kudakoh) | ކުޑަކޮށް (kudakoh) ކުޅި (kulhi) | slightly hot |
| than (comparison) | ވުރެ (vure) | މިއަށްވުރެ ބޮޑު (bodu) | bigger than this |
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
Very, too, a little: how does it work in Maldivian?
Degree in Divehi comes from separate words in front of the quality, not from endings. ވަރަށް (varah) ("very") is the commonest: ވަރަށް ރީތި (varah reethi), ވަރަށް (varah) ބޮޑު (bodu).
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“މި ފިލްމު (filmu) ވަރަށް (varah) ޝައުގުވެރި” (shauguveri) (mi filmu varah shauguveri) — This film is very interesting. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.