Where it is: place words and the ending -ގައި
To explain the way is to place one location relative to another, and here Divehi parts ways with English twice. For example: “ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައި” — The shop is opposite the bank. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To explain the way is to place one location relative to another, and here Divehi parts ways with English twice.
First, there are no prepositions in Divehi: there are postpositions. The place word stands not before the noun but after it: ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައި ("opposite the bank"), ސްކޫލުގެ ފަހަތުގައި ("behind the school"). In the course "opposite" and "behind" are tagged prep, and the tag is about the English word, not the Divehi one.
Second, the landmark takes the ending -ގެ (-ge), that is, it becomes "someone's": not "opposite the bank" but "at the bank's opposite". The place word itself stands in the form in -ގައި ("in, on"), and in speech it is often shortened to -ގަ: ކަންމަތީގަ ("at the corner").
Three endings divide between themselves all the work of the English prepositions: -ގައި — where (މަގުގައި (magugai), "on the street"), -އަށް (-ah) — where to (މަގަށް, "onto the street"), -ުން — where from (މަގުން (magun), "from the street"). The place words take them too: ސްޓޮޕުން ފޭބުން ("to get off at the stop"), މަގުގެ ކޮޅަށް ("to the end of the street").
Directions in Divehi are tied to the body, not to the compass: ކަނާތަށް ("to the right", from ކަނާތް — "the right hand"), ވާތަށް ("to the left"). The compass points are no good for getting around a city at all.
Table
| ending | the question | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ގައި | where | ކަންމަތީގައި | at the corner |
| -އަށް | where to | މަގުގެ ކޮޅަށް | to the end of the street |
| -ުން | where from | މިތަނުން | from here |
| -ގެ + a place word | relative to what | ބޭންކުގެ ފަހަތުގައި | behind the bank |
By example
- ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައިfihaara hunnanee beynkuge kurimatheegaiThe shop is opposite the bank
- ހަތަރު އަނގޮޅިން ކަނާތަށް ދޭhatharu angolhin kanaathah dheyAt the intersection turn right
- ދެން އޮތް ސްޓޮޕުން ފައިބާdhen oiy stopun faibaaGet off at the next stop
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
Where it is: how does it work in Maldivian?
To explain the way is to place one location relative to another, and here Divehi parts ways with English twice.
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ފިހާރަ ހުންނަނީ ބޭންކުގެ ކުރިމަތީގައި” (fihaara hunnanee beynkuge kurimatheegai) — The shop is opposite the bank. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.