A quality and a noun of quality: -ކަން, -ކޮށް, -ވުން, -ކުރުން
Unit fifty gives twenty qualities of a thing, and half of them need not be learned separately — they can be assembled. Divehi turns a quality with four tails, and all four are met at every step in this wave. For example: “ފޮތި ބޯ، ފޮތީގެ ބޯކަން އިހުސާސްވޭ” — The fabric is dense, its density can be felt. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Unit fifty gives twenty qualities of a thing, and half of them need not be learned separately — they can be assembled. Divehi turns a quality with four tails, and all four are met at every step in this wave.
The quality stands before the noun and does not change. ބޯ ފޮތި (boa fothi) — dense fabric, ތޫނު ވަޅި (thoonu valhi) — a sharp knife, ތަނަވަސް ކޮޓަރި (thanavas kotari) — a roomy room. Neither gender, nor number, nor anything else changes in the quality: it glues to the noun on the left and stays as it is. The same word also stands at the end of the sentence: ފޮތި ބޯ (fothi boa) — "the fabric is dense".
-ކަން (-kan) turns a quality into a noun. ބަރު (heavy) → ބަރުކަން (weight), ތަނަވަސް (roomy) → ތަނަވަސްކަން (spaciousness), ސީދާ (exact) → ސީދާކަން (precision), ދަތި (hard) → ދަތިކަން (dhathikan). This is the most frequent way to get an abstract noun, and half of unit fifty-four rests on it.
-ކޮށް turns a quality into an adverb. ކުރު (short) → ކުރުކޮށް (briefly), އޮމާން (smooth) → އޮމާންކޮށް (smoothly), ފުން (deep) → ފުންކޮށް (deeply), ފުސް (murky) → ފުސްކޮށް (dimly). English builds an adverb with "-ly"; Divehi with a separate tail, and it is the same one in a hundred words.
-ވުން (-vun) and -ކުރުން (-kurun) part "became" and "made". ދަށްވުން (dhahvun) — to go down, ދަށްކުރުން — to bring down; އިތުރުވުން (ithuruvun) — to increase by itself, އިތުރުކުރުން (ithurukurun) — to increase; ގޯސްވުން — to get worse, ގޯސްކުރުން — to spoil. One pair of tails replaces the English pair of verbs, and there is exactly one rule to memorize: -ވުން about what happened by itself, -ކުރުން about what was done.
Negation with the prefix ނު-. ވިދާ (shiny) → ނުވިދާ (matte), އެނގޭ (known) → ނޭނގޭ (unknown). Divehi has no fewer prefixed qualities than unprefixed ones, and "matte" is exactly that case: there is no word of its own, but the negation works.
Table
| the tail | what it does | from what | what came out |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ބަރު — heavy | ބަރުކަން — weight |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ސީދާ — exact | ސީދާކަން — precision |
| -ކޮށް | an adverb | ކުރު — short | ކުރުކޮށް — briefly |
| -ކޮށް | an adverb | އޮމާން — smooth | އޮމާންކޮށް — smoothly |
| -ވުން | became by itself | ދަށް — low | ދަށްވުން — to go down |
| -ކުރުން | was done | ދަށް — low | ދަށްކުރުން — to bring down |
| ނު- | negation | ވިދާ — shiny | ނުވިދާ — matte |
By example
- ފޮތި ބޯ، ފޮތީގެ ބޯކަން އިހުސާސްވޭfothi boa, fotheege boakan ihusaasveyThe fabric is dense, its density can be felt
- އަގު ދަށްވި، އެކަމަކު ފިހާރައިން ދަށްކުރީ ނޫންagu dhahvi, ekamaku fihaarain dhahkuree noonThe price went down, but the shop did not bring it down
- ކުރުކޮށް ބުނާނަމަ، ދަވާދު ނުވިދާkurukoh bunaanama, dhavaadhu nuvidhaaTo put it briefly, the paint is matte
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 quality and a noun of quality: how does it work in Maldivian?
Unit fifty gives twenty qualities of a thing, and half of them need not be learned separately — they can be assembled. Divehi turns a quality with four tails, and all four are met at every step in this wave.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ފޮތި ބޯ، ފޮތީގެ ބޯކަން އިހުސާސްވޭ” (fothi boa, fotheege boakan ihusaasvey) — The fabric is dense, its density can be felt. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.