LingoflyWhere it is: place words and the ending -ގައި
To explain the way, put the place word after the landmark, not in front of it. ބޭންކުގެ (beynkuge) ކުރިމަތީގައި (kurimatheegai) — "opposite the bank", literally "the bank's front-in". For example: “ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައި” (fihaara hunnanee beynkuge kurimatheegai) — The shop is opposite the bank. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To explain the way, put the place word after the landmark, not in front of it. ބޭންކުގެ (beynkuge) ކުރިމަތީގައި (kurimatheegai) (beynkuge kurimatheegai) — "opposite the bank", literally "the bank's front-in".
The landmark takes -ގެ (-ge), that is, it becomes "somebody's". The place word itself stands in the form in -ގައި ("in, on"), shortened in speech to -ގަ: ކަންމަތީގަ.
All the work of English prepositions is split between three endings. -ގައި — where: މަގުގައި (magugai) ("on the street"). -އަށް (-ah) — where to: މަގުގެ ކޮޅަށް (maguge kolhah) ("to the end of the street"). -ުން — where from: މިތަނުން (mithanun) ("from here").
Directions are tied to the body, not to the compass: ކަނާތަށް (kanaathah) — "to the right", ވާތަށް (vaathah) — "to the left".
Table
| ending | the question | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ގައި | where | ކަންމަތީގައި (kanmatheegai) | at the corner |
| -އަށް | where to | މަގުގެ ކޮޅަށް (maguge kolhah) | to the end of the street |
| -ުން | where from | މިތަނުން (mithanun) | from here |
| -ގެ + a place word | relative to what | ބޭންކުގެ (beynkuge) ފަހަތުގައި (fahathugai) | behind the bank |
By example
- ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައިfihaara hunnanee beynkuge kurimatheegaiThe shop is opposite the bank
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
Where it is: how does it work in Maldivian?
To explain the way, put the place word after the landmark, not in front of it. ބޭންކުގެ (beynkuge) ކުރިމަތީގައި (kurimatheegai) — "opposite the bank", literally "the bank's front-in".
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައި” (fihaara hunnanee beynkuge kurimatheegai) — The shop is opposite 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.