LingoflyIt was and it will be: the tenses of the Divehi verb
A Divehi verb has no dictionary form. The tense sits in the ending on the verb, with no "was" or "will" beside it. For example: “އަހަރެން އުފަންވީ އައްޑޫގައި” (aharen ufanvee addoogai) — I was born on Addu. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A Divehi verb has no dictionary form. The tense sits in the ending on the verb, with no "was" or "will" beside it.
The past is -ި or -ުނު: ދިޔައިން (dhiyain) ("I went"), ފެނުނު (fenunu) ("it was seen"). The speaker shows here: -ިން about yourself, bare -ި about others.
The future is -ާނަން about yourself and -ާނެ about everyone else: ގުޅާނަން (gulhaanan) ("I will call"), އަންނާނެ (annaane) ("he will come"). The present is -ަނީ or -ެނީ: ދަނީ (dhanee) ("I go").
Apart stands -ެއްޖެ: not a tense but "already". ބަދަލުވެއްޖެ (badhaluvejje) — "has already changed", ދޭހަވެއްޖެ (dheyhavejje) — "now I understand". The English "already" comes from here, not from a separate word.
Table
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
It was and it will be: how does it work in Maldivian?
A Divehi verb has no dictionary form. The tense sits in the ending on the verb, with no "was" or "will" beside it.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“އަހަރެން އުފަންވީ އައްޑޫގައި” (aharen ufanvee addoogai) — I was born on Addu. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.