A quality from a noun: -ވެރި, -ތެރި, -ގަދަ, -ކުޑަ
Divehi has few adjectives "from scratch": ބޮޑު, ކުޑަ, ދިގު, ކުރު, ރީތި — that is nearly the whole list. The other qualities are assembled from a noun plus an ending, and what you need to know is not the words but four endings. For example: “އޭނާއަކީ ވަރަށް ކެތްތެރި މީހެއް” — He is a very patient person. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Divehi has few adjectives "from scratch": ބޮޑު (bodu), ކުޑަ (kuda), ދިގު (dhigu), ކުރު (kuru), ރީތި (reethi) — that is nearly the whole list. The other qualities are assembled from a noun plus an ending, and what you need to know is not the words but four endings.
-ވެރި and -ތެރި mean "the bearer of what is named": ހަސަދަ ("envy") → ހަސަދަވެރި ("envious"), ކެތް ("patience") → ކެތްތެރި ("patient"), މަކަރު ("deceit") → މަކަރުވެރި ("cunning"). The difference between them is historical, not semantic: which ending a word takes has to be memorized with the word.
-ގަދަ ("strong") and -ކުޑަ ("small") give the measure: ރުޅިގަދަ ("angry"), ލޮނުގަދަ ("salty"), ގޮތްކުޑަ ("rude"), ސަމާލުކަން ކުޑަ ("absent-minded"). Here the second word may also stand separately — then it is not one word but a group: ފެންވަރު ރަނގަޅު ("of decent quality").
The reverse move exists too: -ކަން (-kan) turns a quality into a noun of quality. ރަޙްމަތްތެރި → ރަޙްމަތްތެރިކަން ("friendship"), އެކަނިވެރި (ekaniveri) → އެކަނިވެރިކަން ("loneliness"). The chain runs both ways, and the same word changes its part of speech twice on the way.
Table
| ending | what it does | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ވެރި / -ތެރި | the bearer of the quality | ދަހިވެތި | greedy |
| -ގަދަ | much of it | ރުޅިގަދަ | angry |
| -ކުޑަ | little of it | ގޮތްކުޑަ | rude |
| -ކަން | a noun of quality | އެކަނިވެރިކަން | loneliness |
By example
- އޭނާއަކީ ވަރަށް ކެތްތެރި މީހެއްeynaaakee varah keiytheri meehehHe is a very patient person
- ރުޅިގަދަ މީހަކާ ވާހަކަ ދައްކަން އުނދަގޫrulhigadha meehakaa vaahaka dhakkan undhagooIt is hard to talk with an angry person
- އަހަރެމެންގެ ރަޙްމަތްތެރިކަން ދިގުaharemenge rahmaiytherikan dhiguOur friendship is long
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 from a noun: how does it work in Maldivian?
Divehi has few adjectives "from scratch": ބޮޑު, ކުޑަ, ދިގު, ކުރު, ރީތި — that is nearly the whole list. The other qualities are assembled from a noun plus an ending, and what you need to know is not the words but four endings.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“އޭނާއަކީ ވަރަށް ކެތްތެރި މީހެއް” (eynaaakee varah keiytheri meeheh) — He is a very patient person. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.