LingoflyA wish and a plea to heaven: އެދެން and the tail -ށި
To wish somebody something — a good trip, success, health — Divehi picks the form by the addressee. For example: “ރަނގަޅު (rangalhu) ދަތުރަކަށް އެދެން” (edhen) — I wish you a good trip. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To wish somebody something — a good trip, success, health — Divehi picks the form by the addressee.
To a person: what you wish for takes -އަށް (-ah), and އެދެން (edhen) ("I wish") closes the phrase. ރަނގަޅު (rangalhu) ދަތުރަކަށް އެދެން (edhen) (rangalhu dhathurakah edhen) — "I wish you a good trip", ކާމިޔާބު (kaamiyaabu) ލިބުމަށް އެދެން (edhen) — "I wish you success".
To God: the verb takes the tail -ށި. ދުޅަހެޔޮކަން ދެއްވާށި (dhulhaheyokan dhevvaashi) — "may health be granted". Between people this is not said: you hear it in illness, at funerals and at the end of a sermon.
A letter is closed with the ready formula ހެޔޮ (heyo) އެދުންތައް ("good wishes"). And a verb for "congratulate" does not exist: one says ތަހުނިޔާ (thahuniyaa) ކިޔަން (kiyan) (thahuniyaa kiyan) — "I pronounce a congratulation".
Table
| the form | addressed to whom | example | when |
|---|---|---|---|
| ...އަށް (ah) އެދެން (edhen) | to a person | ކާމިޔާބު (kaamiyaabu) ލިބުމަށް އެދެން (edhen) | a postcard, a conversation |
| -ށި | to God | ދެއްވާށި | illness, funerals, a sermon |
| ހެޔޮ (heyo) އެދުންތައް | a formula | ހެޔޮ (heyo) އެދުންތައް ފޮނުވަން (fonuvan) | the end of a letter |
| ތަހުނިޔާ (thahuniyaa) ކިޔަން (kiyan) | to a person | ތަހުނިޔާ (thahuniyaa) ކިޔަން (kiyan) | instead of "congratulations" |
By example
- ދުޅަހެޔޮކަން ދެއްވާށިdhulhaheyokan dhevvaashiMay health be granted
- ހެޔޮ އެދުންތައް ފޮނުވަންheyo edhunthah fonuvanSending my best wishes
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 wish and a plea to heaven: how does it work in Maldivian?
To wish somebody something — a good trip, success, health — Divehi picks the form by the addressee.
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ރަނގަޅު (rangalhu) ދަތުރަކަށް އެދެން” (edhen) (rangalhu dhathurakah edhen) — I wish you a good trip. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.