It was and it will be: the tenses of the Divehi verb
The unit about life is the only place in the course where the past and the future stand side by side, and here it is worth gathering them together. A Divehi verb has no dictionary form, so the tense is shown neither by a prefix nor by a word but by the ending on the verb itself. For example: “އަހަރެން އުފަންވީ އައްޑޫގައި” — I was born on Addu. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized…
How it works
The unit about life is the only place in the course where the past and the future stand side by side, and here it is worth gathering them together. A Divehi verb has no dictionary form, so the tense is shown neither by a prefix nor by a word but by the ending on the verb itself.
The past — the ending -ި or -ުނު: ދިޔައިން ("I went"), ފެނުނު ("it was seen"), ކުރިން ("I did"). The person is visible here too: -ިން for the first person, bare -ި for the third.
The future — the ending -ާނަން for oneself and -ާނެ for the rest: ދާނަން ("I will go"), ގުޅާނަން ("I will call"), އަންނާނެ ("he will come"). Neither "will" nor any other auxiliary word is needed.
The present — -ަނީ / -ެނީ: ދަނީ ("I go"), ހަނދާންވަނީ ("it is remembered"). This is the form in which all the verbs of the course cards are written — it is the closest thing to a dictionary form.
Apart stands -ެއްޖެ: not a tense but an aspect. ބަދަލުވެއްޖެ (badhaluvejje) means "has already changed", ދޭހަވެއްޖެ (dheyhavejje) — "now I understand", ލަސްވެއްޖެ (lasvejje) — "it is already too late". The English "already" and "now" in the translation are taken from here, not from a separate word.
The action noun in -ުން has no tense at all, and that is convenient: ދަތުރު ފަސްކުރުން (dhathuru faskurun) fits both the past and the future — the main verb at the end will say the time.
Table
| ending | the tense | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ި / -ުނު | the past | ދިޔައިން | I went |
| -ަނީ / -ެނީ | the present | ދަނީ | I go |
| -ާނަން / -ާނެ | the future | ގުޅާނަން | I will call |
| -ެއްޖެ | it has already happened | ދޭހަވެއްޖެ | now I understand |
By example
- އަހަރެން އުފަންވީ އައްޑޫގައިaharen ufanvee addoogaiI was born on Addu
- އަހަރެއް ފަހުން އެނބުރި އަންނާނަންahareh fahun enburi annaananIn a year I will come back
- ހުރިހާ ކަމެއް ބަދަލުވެއްޖެhurihaa kameh badhaluvejjeEverything has already changed
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
It was and it will be: how does it work in Maldivian?
The unit about life is the only place in the course where the past and the future stand side by side, and here it is worth gathering them together. A Divehi verb has no dictionary form, so the tense is shown neither by a prefix nor by a word but by the ending on the verb itself.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“އަހަރެން އުފަންވީ އައްޑޫގައި” (aharen ufanvee addoogai) — I was born on Addu. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.