LingoflyA quality from a noun: -ވެރި, -ތެރި, -ގަދަ, -ކުޑަ
Divehi has few qualities "from scratch": ބޮޑު (bodu), ކުޑަ (kuda), ދިގު (dhigu), ކުރު (kuru), ރީތި (reethi) — that is nearly the whole list. The rest are assembled from a noun plus an ending, so learn the endings, not the words. For example: “އޭނާއަކީ (eynaaakee) ވަރަށް (varah) ކެތްތެރި (keiytheri) މީހެއް” (meeheh) — He is a very patient person. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Divehi has few qualities "from scratch": ބޮޑު (bodu), ކުޑަ (kuda), ދިގު (dhigu), ކުރު (kuru), ރީތި (reethi) — that is nearly the whole list. The rest are assembled from a noun plus an ending, so learn the endings, not the words.
-ވެރި and -ތެރި mean "carrying what is named": ހަސަދަ (hasadha) ("envy") gives ހަސަދަވެރި ("envious"), ކެތް ("patience") gives ކެތްތެރި (keiytheri) ("patient"). Which of the two a word takes is learned with the word.
-ގަދަ ("strong") and -ކުޑަ ("small") give the measure: ރުޅިގަދަ (rulhigadha) ("angry"), ލޮނުގަދަ (lonugadha) ("salty"), ގޮތްކުޑަ (goiykuda) ("rude").
The way back exists too: -ކަން (-kan) makes a noun of quality out of a quality. ރަޙްމަތްތެރި gives ރަޙްމަތްތެރިކަން (rahmaiytherikan) ("friendship"), އެކަނިވެރި (ekaniveri) gives އެކަނިވެރިކަން (ekaniverikan) ("loneliness").
Table
| ending | what it does | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ވެރި / -ތެރި | the bearer of the quality | ދަހިވެތި (dhahivethi) | greedy |
| -ގަދަ | much of it | ރުޅިގަދަ (rulhigadha) | angry |
| -ކުޑަ | little of it | ގޮތްކުޑަ (goiykuda) | rude |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | އެކަނިވެރިކަން (ekaniverikan) | loneliness |
By example
- rulhigadha meehakaa vaahaka dhakkan undhagooIt is hard to talk with an angry person
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
A quality from a noun: how does it work in Maldivian?
Divehi has few qualities "from scratch": ބޮޑު (bodu), ކުޑަ (kuda), ދިގު (dhigu), ކުރު (kuru), ރީތި (reethi) — that is nearly the whole list. The rest are assembled from a noun plus an ending, so learn the endings, not the words.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“އޭނާއަކީ (eynaaakee) ވަރަށް (varah) ކެތްތެރި (keiytheri) މީހެއް” (meeheh) (eynaaakee varah keiytheri meeheh) — He is a very patient person. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.