No gender, no articles
Nouns are not split into genders, and there are no articles. އޭނާ means both "he" and "she" at once. For example: “އޭނާ ރައްޓެހި” — He (she) is a friend. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Nouns are not split into genders, and there are no articles. އޭނާ (eynaa) means both "he" and "she" at once.
"Something" is passed by the ending -އެއް (-eh): ފޮތް (foiy) is "a book (in general)", ފޮތެއް (fotheh) is "some book or other".
The plural is often not marked at all: if the context makes it clear there are many things, the word stays in its basic form.
By example
- އޭނާ ރައްޓެހިeynaa rattehiHe (she) is a friend
- ފެން ބޭނުންfen beynunWater is needed
- އެހީއެއް ބޭނުންeheeeh beynunHelp is needed (some kind of help)
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
Does Dhivehi have gender?
Nouns are not split into genders, and there are no articles. އޭނާ means both "he" and "she" at once.
Does Dhivehi have articles?
"Something" is passed by the ending -އެއް (-eh): ފޮތް is "a book (in general)", ފޮތެއް is "some book or other".
The Dhivehi ending eh for a or some?
The plural is often not marked at all: if the context makes it clear there are many things, the word stays in its basic form.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“އޭނާ ރައްޓެހި” (eynaa rattehi) — He (she) is a friend. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.