LingoflyA measure from a quality: -މިން, -ދަން and multiples
A measure in Divehi is almost never a separate word: it is assembled from a quality with the tail -މިން ("a size"). For example: “ކޮޓަރީގެ ދިގުމިން ފަސް މީޓަރު” (kotareege dhigumin fas meetaru) — The length of the room is five meters. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A measure in Divehi is almost never a separate word: it is assembled from a quality with the tail -މިން ("a size").
ދިގު (dhigu) (long) gives ދިގުމިން (dhigumin) (length), ފުޅާ (fulhaa) (wide) gives ފުޅާމިން (fulhaamin) (width), އުސް (us) (tall) gives އުސްމިން (usmin) (height), ފުން (fun) (deep) gives ފުންމިން (funmin) (depth). The quality itself stays: ފުޅާ (fulhaa) މަގު (magu) (fulhaa magu) — "a wide street", ފުޅާމިން (fulhaamin) — "its width".
Weight falls out of the row: it has its own tail -ދަން (-dhan), and ބަރުދަން (barudhan) is easier to learn whole.
A unit after a number does not change at all: ފަސް (fas) މީޓަރު (meetaru) (fas meetaru) — "five meters", ދެ މީޓަރު (meetaru) (dhe meetaru) — "two meters". Multiples come from the word ގުނަ (guna) in front of what has grown: ދެ ގުނަ (dhe guna) ބޮޑު (bodu) (dhe guna bodu) — "twice as big".
Table
By example
- falhuge funmin gaaiygandakah thin meetaruThe depth of the lagoon is about three meters
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 measure from a quality: how does it work in Maldivian?
A measure in Divehi is almost never a separate word: it is assembled from a quality with the tail -މިން ("a size").
What does it look like in a Maldivian example sentence?
“ކޮޓަރީގެ ދިގުމިން ފަސް މީޓަރު” (kotareege dhigumin fas meetaru) — The length of the room is five meters. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.