What a person is like: -ތެރި, -ވެރި, -ކަން and turns instead of words
Unit fifty-nine is the last in the course, and it is assembled from the same bricks as unit forty. The difference is that there the suffixes made out of a noun a person, and here they make out of a noun a quality — and back. For example: “ރަށުގެ މީހުން އެހީތެރި، އެކަމަކު ބޯހަރު” — The people on the island are responsive, but stubborn. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a…
How it works
Unit fifty-nine is the last in the course, and it is assembled from the same bricks as unit forty. The difference is that there the suffixes made out of a noun a person, and here they make out of a noun a quality — and back.
-ތެރި makes the quality "full of something". އެހީ (help) → އެހީތެރި (responsive), ކެތް (patience) → ކެތްތެރި (patient), އަމާނާތް (entrusted) → އަމާނާތްތެރި (decent), ރައްކާ (safety) → ރައްކާތެރި (safe).
-ވެރި makes the quality "possessing". މަކަރު (deceit) → މަކަރުވެރި (cunning), ކުށް (fault) → ކުށްވެރި (guilty), ފަން (skill) → ފަންނުވެރި (masterful). The difference from -ތެރި is fine: ވެރި is about possession, ތެރި about being filled with something.
-ކަން (-kan) returns the noun. އެހީތެރި → އެހީތެރިކަން (responsiveness), ކެތްތެރި → ކެތްތެރިކަން (patience), ކަންނެތް (kanneiy) → ކަންނެތްކަން (laziness), ބޯހަރު (boaharu) → ބޯހަރުކަން (stubbornness). A chain of three tails in a row — އަމާނާތް-ތެރި-ކަން — is an ordinary thing for Divehi.
And what does not exist, does not exist. "Composure" has no word of its own: one says ނަފުސު ހިފެހެއްޓުން (nafusu hifehettun) — "the holding of oneself". "Curiosity" too: އެނގެން ބޭނުންވުން (engen beynunvun) — "the desire to know". "Touchy" and "pliable" are built with participles: އަވަހަށް ހިތުގައި ޖެހޭ (avahah hithugai jehey), ފަސޭހައިން އެއްބަސްވާ (faseyhain ehbasvaa). This is not a gap to be filled with a loanword — this is what a person will really say, and the card has to teach exactly this.
And the last thing, about acts. The judgment in Divehi more often goes through ކަން (kan): ރީތި ކަމެއް ނޫން (reethi kameh noon) — "it is not nice", ހެޔޮ ނިޔަތުގައި (heyo niyathugai) — "out of good intentions", ގަސްދުގައެއް ނޫން (gasdhugaeh noon) — "not on purpose". English puts an adverb; Divehi puts a noun of the deed with a quality, and the order is always one: the quality on the left, ކަން on the right.
Table
| the tail | what it does | from what | what came out |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ތެރި | full of something | އެހީ — help | އެހީތެރި — responsive |
| -ތެރި | full of something | ކެތް — patience | ކެތްތެރި — patient |
| -ވެރި | possessing | ކުށް — fault | ކުށްވެރި — guilty |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ކަންނެތް — lazy | ކަންނެތްކަން — laziness |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | ބޯހަރު — stubborn | ބޯހަރުކަން — stubbornness |
| a turn | there is no word | ނަފުސު — oneself | ނަފުސު ހިފެހެއްޓުން — composure |
By example
- ރަށުގެ މީހުން އެހީތެރި، އެކަމަކު ބޯހަރުrashuge meehun eheetheri, ekamaku boaharuThe people on the island are responsive, but stubborn
- އަމާނާތްތެރިކަމާއެކު މަސައްކަތްކުރިamaanaaiytherikamaaeku masakkaiykuriHe worked with honesty
- އެއީ ރީތި ކަމެއް ނޫން، އެކަމަކު ގަސްދުގައެއް ނޫންeee reethi kameh noon, ekamaku gasdhugaeh noonIt is not nice, but he did not mean harm
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
What a person is like: how does it work in Maldivian?
Unit fifty-nine is the last in the course, and it is assembled from the same bricks as unit forty. The difference is that there the suffixes made out of a noun a person, and here they make out of a noun a quality — and back.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ރަށުގެ މީހުން އެހީތެރި، އެކަމަކު ބޯހަރު” (rashuge meehun eheetheri, ekamaku boaharu) — The people on the island are responsive, but stubborn. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.