This and is: the link -އަކީ and -އީ
Unit one gave the phrase ނަމަކީ — "my name is". There the tail -އަކީ slipped by as part of the word; at B1 it becomes the main tool of definition: without it one cannot say "a novel is a book", "the capital of the Maldives is Malé", "he is my childhood friend". For example: “ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިރަށަކީ މާލެ” — The capital of the Maldives is Malé. A rule from the Maldivian course: worked out on examples, not memorized…
How it works
Unit one gave the phrase ނަމަކީ (namakee) — "my name is". There the tail -އަކީ (-akee) slipped by as part of the word; at B1 it becomes the main tool of definition: without it one cannot say "a novel is a book", "the capital of the Maldives is Malé", "he is my childhood friend".
What it is. Divehi has no verb "to be" in the present. Instead, the subject takes the tail -އަކީ (or -އީ (-ee) after a long vowel), and the sentence reads "as for X, it is Y": ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިރަށއަކީ މާލެ — "the capital of the Maldives is Malé". The predicate follows and is marked by nothing.
How to choose -އަކީ or -އީ. After a consonant and a short vowel goes -އަކީ: ރަށް (rah) → ރަށއަކީ, މީހާ (meehaa) → މީހާއަކީ (meehaaakee), ފޮތް (foiy) → ފޮތއަކީ. After a long ީ and after the demonstratives the short -އީ steps in: އެއީ (eee) — "this is", މިއީ (miee) — "here is", އޭނާއީ (eynaaee) — "he is". In speech the difference almost disappears by ear, but in writing it is kept.
Why it is needed exactly here. Unit forty-three consists of definitions: genre, plot, role, author. All of them are pronounced with one formula. މި ފޮތއަކީ ވާހަކަ ފޮތެއް — this book is a novel. ވާހަކައިގެ ބަތަލއަކީ ޒުވާން މަސްވެރިއެއް — the hero of the book is a young fisherman. އޭނާއީ މަޝްހޫރު ޅެންވެރިޔާ (eynaaee mashhooru lhenveriyaa) — he is that very famous poet.
Negation and question. "Is not" is ނޫން (noon) at the end: އެއީ ކޮމެޑީއެއް ނޫން — this is not a comedy. The question is by the particle -ތަ or -ތޯ (-tho) in the same place: މިއީ ދެވަނަ ބައިތަ — is this the sequel? The word order does not change at all — and that is the main economy: the sentence does not have to be rebuilt.
One frequent mistake. The tail -އަކީ goes on the subject, not on the predicate. "Malé is the capital" and "the capital is Malé" look different in Divehi, and the marked word is always the one being defined.
Table
| form | when | example | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -އަކީ | after a consonant | ފޮތަކީ | a book is … |
| -އަކީ | after a short vowel | މީހާއަކީ | a person is … |
| -އީ | after a long vowel | އޭނާއީ | he is … |
| -އީ | with the demonstratives | އެއީ، މިއީ | this, here is |
| ނޫން | negation | އެއީ ކޮމެޑީއެއް ނޫން | this is not a comedy |
| -ތަ | the question | މިއީ ދެވަނަ ބައިތަ؟ | is this the sequel? |
By example
- ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިރަށަކީ މާލެdhivehiraajjeyge verirashakee maaleThe capital of the Maldives is Malé
- މި ފޮތަކީ ވާހަކަ ފޮތެއް، ކުރު ވާހަކައެއް ނޫންmi fothakee vaahaka fotheh, kuru vaahakaeh noonThis book is a novel, not a short story
- އޭނާއީ އަހަރެންގެ ކުޑައިރުގެ ރައްޓެހިޔާeynaaee aharenge kudairuge rattehiyaaHe is my childhood friend
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
Does Dhivehi have a verb to be?
Unit one gave the phrase ނަމަކީ — "my name is". There the tail -އަކީ slipped by as part of the word; at B1 it becomes the main tool of definition: without it one cannot say "a novel is a book", "the capital of the Maldives is Malé", "he is my childhood friend".
What the Dhivehi ending -akee means?
What it is. Divehi has no verb "to be" in the present. Instead, the subject takes the tail -އަކީ (or -އީ after a long vowel), and the sentence reads "as for X, it is Y": ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިރަށއަކީ މާލެ — "the capital of the Maldives is Malé". The predicate follows and is marked by nothing.
How to say this is that in Dhivehi?
How to choose -އަކީ or -އީ. After a consonant and a short vowel goes -އަކީ: ރަށް → ރަށއަކީ, މީހާ → މީހާއަކީ, ފޮތް → ފޮތއަކީ. After a long ީ and after the demonstratives the short -އީ steps in: އެއީ — "this is", މިއީ — "here is", އޭނާއީ — "he is". In speech the difference almost disappears by ear…
Dhivehi -akee vs -ee?
Why it is needed exactly here. Unit forty-three consists of definitions: genre, plot, role, author. All of them are pronounced with one formula. މި ފޮތއަކީ ވާހަކަ ފޮތެއް — this book is a novel. ވާހަކައިގެ ބަތަލއަކީ ޒުވާން މަސްވެރިއެއް — the hero of the book is a young fisherman. އޭނާއީ މަޝްހޫރު…
What does it look like in an example sentence Maldivian?
“ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ވެރިރަށަކީ މާލެ” (dhivehiraajjeyge verirashakee maale) — The capital of the Maldives is Malé. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.