Without a subject: I am cold, it is raining, it can be heard
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without an agent. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ, and the subject here is the rain itself, not an "it". "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with no "it" whatsoever. For example: “ބޭރުގައި ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ” — It is raining outside. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without an agent. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ (vaarey vehenee), and the subject here is the rain itself, not an "it". "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with no "it" whatsoever.
A person's state is built through the addressee in -އަށް (-ah): not "I am getting cold" but "to me it is getting cold" — އަހަންނަށް ފިނިވަނީ (ahannah finivanee). The same pattern in އަހަންނަށް ހީވަނީ ("it seems to me"), އަހަންނަށް އެނގޭ ("I can tell", literally "it is known to me"), އަހަންނަށް ލިބުނު ("I got, I received"). English renders them with personal verbs, and that misleads: in Divehi the person here does not act — the person receives.
Possibility and duty are impersonal too. ޖެހޭ ("it comes to"): ދާން ޖެހޭ (dhaan jehey) — "have to go"; who has to, the -އަށް will say. The form in -ެވޭ means "it manages, it works out": ނުޖެއްސޭ (nujessey) — "it does not switch on", ނުފެނޭ (nufeney) — "nothing is to be seen".
From this, a rule for a whole list of verbs: wherever English would say "I am cold" or "it seems to me", put -އަށް in Divehi and the verb without a person.
Table
| in English | in Divehi | literally | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am cold | -އަށް + ފިނިވަނީ | to me it is getting cold | އަހަންނަށް ފިނިވަނީ |
| it seems to me | -އަށް + ހީވަނީ | to me it appears | އަހަންނަށް ހީވަނީ |
| have to go | -ން + ޖެހޭ | to go it comes | ދާން ޖެހޭ |
| it does not switch on | ނު- + -ެވޭ | not switchable | ނުޖެއްސޭ |
By example
- ބޭރުގައި ވާރޭ ވެހެނީbeyrugai vaarey veheneeIt is raining outside
- އަހަންނަށް ފިނިވަނީahannah finivaneeI am cold
- މިތާ ނެޓްވޯކް ނެތް، ގުޅޭ ގޮތެއް ނުވިmithaa netvoak neiy, gulhey gotheh nuviThere is no signal here, the call did not go through
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
Without a subject: how does it work in Maldivian?
A whole layer of Divehi gets along without an agent. "It is raining" is ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ, and the subject here is the rain itself, not an "it". "It has got dark" is އަނދިރިވެއްޖެ, with no "it" whatsoever.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ބޭރުގައި ވާރޭ ވެހެނީ” (beyrugai vaarey vehenee) — It is raining outside. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.