LingoflyThe description in front: the participle instead of "which"
To say "the person who sells", the word "who" is not needed — Divehi has none. The description folds up and stands in front of the noun: ވިއްކާ މީހާ (vikkaa meehaa), literally "selling person". For example: “ބޭންކުގައި (beynkugai) މަސައްކަތްކުރާ (masakkaiykuraa) މީހާ” (meehaa) — The person who works at the bank. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "the person who sells", the word "who" is not needed — Divehi has none. The description folds up and stands in front of the noun: ވިއްކާ މީހާ (vikkaa meehaa), literally "selling person".
Its time is visible in the verb ending. Now and in general — -ާ or -ޭ: ދިރިއުޅޭ ތަން (dhiriulhey than) ("a home"), ދައްކާ (dhakkaa) ތަން (than) ("the place where you pay"). Earlier — -ި: ރައްކާކުރި ފައިސާ (rakkaakuri faisaa) ("saved money"). Later — -ާނެ: ދާނެ (dhaane) މީހާ (meehaa) ("the one who will go").
Inside the group the order is the usual one: objects first, then the description, the noun last. ފައިސާ ދައްކާ ތަން (faisaa dhakkaa than) — "the cash desk", and nothing here can be moved.
Negation goes into the description with the prefix ނު-, not into the main verb. ފައިސާ (faisaa) ނުދައްކާ މީހާ (meehaa) (faisaa nudhakkaa meehaa) — "the person who does not pay".
Table
| tense | ending | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| present | -ާ / -ޭ | ދައްކާ (dhakkaa) ތަން (than) | the place where they pay |
| past | -ި | ރައްކާކުރި ފައިސާ (rakkaakuri faisaa) | saved-up money |
| future | -ާނެ | ދާނެ (dhaane) މީހާ (meehaa) | the one who will go |
| negation | ނު- + participle | ނުދައްކާ މީހާ (meehaa) | the one who does not pay |
By example
- ރައްކާކުރި ފައިސާ ބޭނުންކުރަން ޖެހިއްޖެrakkaakuri faisaa beynunkuran jehijjeThe saved-up money had to be spent
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
The description in front: how does it work in Maldivian?
To say "the person who sells", the word "who" is not needed — Divehi has none. The description folds up and stands in front of the noun: ވިއްކާ މީހާ (vikkaa meehaa), literally "selling person".
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ބޭންކުގައި (beynkugai) މަސައްކަތްކުރާ (masakkaiykuraa) މީހާ” (meehaa) (beynkugai masakkaiykuraa meehaa) — The person who works at the bank. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.