LingoflyThe interview in Maldivian
An office room: a talk with a candidate in Maldivian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «އަމިއްލަ (amilla) ވާހަކަ (vaahaka) ކިޔައިދެއްވާ» (kiyaidhevvaa) — Tell us about yourself; «އަހަރެން (aharen) ފަސް (fas) އަހަރު (aharu) ބޭންކުގައި (beynkugai) މަސައްކަތްކުރިން» — I worked at a bank for five years. Every line can be played right on the page.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: an office room: a talk with a candidate. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- probeyshan muddhathu thin mas. rangalhuthoa?The probation is three months. Does that suit you?
- ރަނގަޅު. ސެޓްފިކެޓުތައް ފޮނުވާނަންrangalhu. setfiketuthah fonuvaananGood. I will send the certificates.
Lines one by one
| Maldivian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| އަމިއްލަ (amilla) ވާހަކަ (vaahaka) ކިޔައިދެއްވާ (kiyaidhevvaa) | amilla vaahaka kiyaidhevvaa | Tell us about yourself. |
| އަހަރެން (aharen) ފަސް (fas) އަހަރު (aharu) ބޭންކުގައި (beynkugai) މަސައްކަތްކުރިން | aharen fas aharu beynkugai masakkaiykurin | I worked at a bank for five years. |
| ކީއްވެ (keevve) ވަޒީފާ (vazeefaa) ބަދަލުކުރަނީ (badhalukuranee)؟ | keehve vazeefaa badhalukuranee? | Why are you changing jobs? |
| އިތުރު (ithuru) ތަޖުރިބާ (thajuribaa) ބޭނުންވާތީ | ithuru thajuribaa beynunvaathee | Because new experience is needed. |
| މުސާރައިގެ (musaaraige) ގޮތުން (gothun) ކިހާ ވަރެއް (kihaa vareh) ބޭނުން (beynun)؟ | musaaraige gothun kihaa vareh beynun? | What salary do you want? |
| މަހަކު (mahaku) ސާދަ (saadha) ހާސް (haas) ރުފިޔާ (rufiyaa) | mahaku saadha haas rufiyaa | Fourteen thousand a month. |
| ޕްރޮބޭޝަން މުއްދަތު ތިން މަސް (probeyshan muddhathu thin mas). ރަނގަޅުތޯ (rangalhuthoa)؟ | probeyshan muddhathu thin mas. rangalhuthoa? | The probation is three months. Does that suit you? |
| ރަނގަޅު (rangalhu). ސެޓްފިކެޓުތައް ފޮނުވާނަން (fonuvaanan) | rangalhu. setfiketuthah fonuvaanan | Good. I will send the certificates. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Maldivian in this situation?
“އަމިއްލަ (amilla) ވާހަކަ (vaahaka) ކިޔައިދެއްވާ” (kiyaidhevvaa) (amilla vaahaka kiyaidhevvaa) — Tell us about yourself. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.