Social, political, legal: the tail -ީ
To say "political", "legal", "medical", Divehi takes a noun and puts a long -ީ on the end. For example: “ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީއަކާ ގުޅުނު” — He joined a political party. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "political", "legal", "medical", Divehi takes a noun and puts a long -ީ on the end.
ސިޔާސަތު (politics) gives ސިޔާސީ (siyaasee), ގާނޫނު (law) gives ގާނޫނީ (gaanoonee), ސިއްހަތު (health) gives ސިއްހީ (sihhee), ގައުމު (a country) gives ގައުމީ (gaumee). The ending of the noun is cut off.
The quality stands before the noun, as always: ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީ (siyaasee paatee) — a political party, ސަލާމަތީ ޚިދުމަތް (salaamathee khidhumaiy) — a security service. It speaks of relation, not of amount: ސިއްހީ means "medical", not "healthy".
One trap. Not every word ending in -ީ is a quality: ދިވެހީ, ފެރީ (feree), ކޮމެޑީ (komedee) end the same way but name things. Watch the place in the sentence, not the last letter.
Table
| the noun | the quality | in English | in a phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| ސިޔާސަތު — politics | ސިޔާސީ | political | ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީ |
| ގާނޫނު — law | ގާނޫނީ | legal | ގާނޫނީ ގޮތުން |
| ސަލާމަތް — safety | ސަލާމަތީ | of security | ސަލާމަތީ ޚިދުމަތް |
| ސިއްހަތު — health | ސިއްހީ | medical | ސިއްހީ މަރުކަޒު |
| ގައުމު — a country | ގައުމީ | national | ގައުމީ މުބާރާތް |
| ޚިޔާލު — a thought | ޚިޔާލީ | imaginary | ޚިޔާލީ ބާރު |
By example
- ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީއަކާ ގުޅުނުsiyaasee paateeakaa gulhunuHe joined a political party
- ސަލާމަތީ ގަވާއިދު ކިޔައިދިނީ ފުރަތަމަ ދުވަހުsalaamathee gavaaidhu kiyaidhinee furathama dhuvahuThe safety rules were explained on the first day
- ގާނޫނީ ގޮތުން އެއީ ގައުމީ މައްސަލައެއްgaanoonee gothun eee gaumee massalaehLegally it is a national matter
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
Social, political, legal: how does it work in Maldivian?
To say "political", "legal", "medical", Divehi takes a noun and puts a long -ީ on the end.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީއަކާ ގުޅުނު” (siyaasee paateeakaa gulhunu) — He joined a political party. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.