LingoflyWithout a subject: I am cold, it is raining, it can be heard
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without a doer. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee), where the rain itself is the subject. "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with nothing standing for "it". For example: “ބޭރުގައި ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ” (beyrugai vaarey vehenee) — It is raining outside. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without a doer. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee), where the rain itself is the subject. "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with nothing standing for "it".
A person's state is built through -އަށް (-ah): not "I am freezing" but "to me it is getting cold" — އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) ފިނިވަނީ (finivanee) (ahannah finivanee). The same in އަހަންނަށް ހީވަނީ (ahannah heevanee) ("it seems to me") and އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) ލިބުނު (libunu) ("I got it").
Possibility and duty go the same way. ޖެހޭ (jehey) ("it comes to"): ދާން (dhaan) ޖެހޭ (jehey) (dhaan jehey) — "have to go". The doer-less form in -ޭ or -ެވޭ means "it works out": ނުޖެއްސޭ (nujessey) — "it does not switch on".
Hence a rule for many verbs: where English says "I am cold", Divehi puts -އަށް and no person.
Table
| in English | in Divehi | literally | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am cold | -އަށް + ފިނިވަނީ (finivanee) | to me it is getting cold | އަހަންނަށް (ahannah) ފިނިވަނީ (finivanee) |
| it seems to me | -އަށް + ހީވަނީ (heevanee) | to me it appears | އަހަންނަށް ހީވަނީ (ahannah heevanee) |
| have to go | -ން + ޖެހޭ (jehey) | to go it comes | ދާން (dhaan) ޖެހޭ (jehey) |
| it does not switch on | ނު- + -ޭ | not switchable | ނުޖެއްސޭ (nujessey) |
By example
- މިތާ ނެޓްވޯކް ނެތް، ގުޅޭ ގޮތެއް ނުވިmithaa netvoak neiy, gulhey gotheh nuviThere is no signal here, the call did not go through
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
Without a subject: how does it work in Maldivian?
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without a doer. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee), where the rain itself is the subject. "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with nothing standing for "it".
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ބޭރުގައި ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ” (beyrugai vaarey vehenee) — It is raining outside. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.