Someone else's words: ކަމަށް and the question without a question mark
Reported speech is assembled in the mirror image of English. English says "he said" first and "that…" after; in Divehi the thought itself comes first, then the closing ކަމަށް, and only at the very end the verb of speaking: އޭނާ ބުނީ ފުރާނެ ކަމަށް. Literally — "he said: will leave — so". For example: “ނޫސްވެރިޔާ ބުނީ ޚަބަރު ތެދު ކަމަށް” — The journalist said the news was true. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked…
How it works
Reported speech is assembled in the mirror image of English. English says "he said" first and "that…" after; in Divehi the thought itself comes first, then the closing ކަމަށް (kamah), and only at the very end the verb of speaking: އޭނާ ބުނީ ފުރާނެ ކަމަށް (eynaa bunee furaane kamah). Literally — "he said: will leave — so".
The tenses do not shift. English demands "he said he would come", changing the form; Divehi keeps exactly the tense the direct speech had. ބުނީ އަންނާނެ ކަމަށް (bunee annaane kamah) is both "he said he would come" and "he said: I will come".
A word-for-word quotation is closed by the particle -އޭ on the verb itself: މާދަމާ އަންނާނަމޭ ބުނި ("said: I will come tomorrow"). This is the only way to make quotation marks audible.
The indirect question keeps the question particle -ތޯ (-tho) and loses the question mark: އޭނާ އެއްސެވީ ފުރާނީ ކޮންއިރަކުތޯ ("he asked when the departure is"). The question word stays in its place — at the end, in front of the particle.
The indirect command is the verb in -ން plus a word of speaking: މަޑުކުރަން ބުނި ("they told us to wait"). No ކަމަށް here: an order is not a thought but an action.
Table
| what we report | what closes it | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a statement | ކަމަށް (kamah) | އަންނާނެ ކަމަށް ބުނި | said he would come |
| a word-for-word quote | -އޭ on the verb | އަންނާނަމޭ ބުނި | said: "I will come" |
| a question | -ތޯ | ކޮންއިރަކުތޯ އެއްސެވި | asked when |
| an order | -ން + ބުނި | މަޑުކުރަން ބުނި | told to wait |
By example
- ނޫސްވެރިޔާ ބުނީ ޚަބަރު ތެދު ކަމަށްnoosveriyaa bunee khabaru thedhu kamahThe journalist said the news was true
- އޭނާ އެއްސެވީ ފުރާނީ ކޮންއިރަކުތޯeynaa essevee furaanee konirakuthoaHe asked when the departure is
- ފުލުހުން މަޑުކުރަން ބުނިfuluhun madukuran buniThe police told us to wait
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
Someone else's words: how does it work in Maldivian?
Reported speech is assembled in the mirror image of English. English says "he said" first and "that…" after; in Divehi the thought itself comes first, then the closing ކަމަށް, and only at the very end the verb of speaking: އޭނާ ބުނީ ފުރާނެ ކަމަށް. Literally — "he said: will leave — so".
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ނޫސްވެރިޔާ ބުނީ ޚަބަރު ތެދު ކަމަށް” (noosveriyaa bunee khabaru thedhu kamah) — The journalist said the news was true. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.