LingoflyRain, wind and sun: ވެހުން, ޖެހުން, ދިނުން
English gives each kind of weather its own verb: rain falls, the wind blows, the sun shines. Divehi does the same, but with three verbs of its own, and the wrong one makes nonsense. 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
English gives each kind of weather its own verb: rain falls, the wind blows, the sun shines. Divehi does the same, but with three verbs of its own, and the wrong one makes nonsense.
ވެހުން (vehun) — "to fall from above", only about rain and snow: ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee) ("it is raining"). Neither wind nor sun goes with it.
ޖެހުން (jehun) — "to strike", about the wind and everything that sweeps in: ވައި (vai) ޖެހެނީ (jehenee) ("the wind blows"), ގުގުރި ޖަހަނީ (guguri jahanee) ("thunder rolls"). Hence ވަޔެއް ނުޖެހޭ (vayeh nujehey) ("it is stuffy"), literally "no wind strikes".
ދިނުން (dhinun) — "to give", about light: އަވިދޭ (avidhey) ("it is sunny"), ހަނދުވަރު ދޭ ("the moon shines"). A weather quality goes with no verb at all: ވިލާ ބޯ (vilaa boa) ("overcast").
Table
| verb | about what | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ވެހުން (vehun) | precipitation | ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee) | it is raining |
| ޖެހުން (jehun) | wind, thunder | ވައި (vai) ޖެހެނީ (jehenee) | the wind blows |
| ދިނުން (dhinun) | light | އަވިދޭ (avidhey) | it is sunny |
| no verb | a quality | ވިލާ ބޯ (vilaa boa) | overcast |
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
Rain, wind and sun: how does it work in Maldivian?
English gives each kind of weather its own verb: rain falls, the wind blows, the sun shines. Divehi does the same, but with three verbs of its own, and the wrong one makes nonsense.
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.