LingoflyMeasuring a board in Maldivian
At a hardware shop in Malé they choose a board for a table: length, width, weight and price in Maldivian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «ސަލާމް (salaam). މޭޒަކަށް ފިލާ (filaa) ބޭނުން (beynun). ދިގުމިން (dhigumin) ކިހާ ވަރެއް؟» (kihaa vareh) — Hello. I need a board for a table. What is the length?; «ދެ މީޓަރު (meetaru)، ފުޅާމިން (fulhaamin) ފަންސާސް (fansaas) ސެންޓިމީޓަރު (sentimeetaru).» — Two meters, the width fifty centimeters. Every line can be played right on the page.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: at a hardware shop in Malé they choose a board for a table: length, width, weight and price. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- salaam. meyzakah filaa beynun. dhigumin kihaa vareh?Hello. I need a board for a table. What is the length?
- dhe meetaru, fulhaamin fansaas sentimeetaruTwo meters, the width fifty centimeters.
- ބަރުދަން ބޮޑުތަ؟ އެކަނި އުފުލޭނެތަ؟barudhan bodutha? ekani ufuleynetha?Is the weight big? Can I carry it alone?
- gaaiygandakah dhiha kiloa. fihaaraigai kiraneeAbout ten kilos. We will weigh it at the shop.
- noon. evrejkoh filaaakah satheyka fansaas rufiyaaNo. On average one hundred and fifty rufiyaa per board.
- funmin beynumeh noon, ekamaku usmin balan jeheyThe depth is not needed, but the height has to be checked.
- baraabarah fas sentimeetaru. baakee filaa husExactly five centimeters. The other boards ran out.
Lines one by one
| Maldivian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ސަލާމް (salaam). މޭޒަކަށް ފިލާ (filaa) ބޭނުން (beynun). ދިގުމިން (dhigumin) ކިހާ ވަރެއް؟ (kihaa vareh) | salaam. meyzakah filaa beynun. dhigumin kihaa vareh? | Hello. I need a board for a table. What is the length? |
| ދެ މީޓަރު (meetaru)، ފުޅާމިން (fulhaamin) ފަންސާސް (fansaas) ސެންޓިމީޓަރު (sentimeetaru). | dhe meetaru, fulhaamin fansaas sentimeetaru | Two meters, the width fifty centimeters. |
| ބަރުދަން (barudhan) ބޮޑުތަ؟ އެކަނި (ekani) އުފުލޭނެތަ؟ | barudhan bodutha? ekani ufuleynetha? | Is the weight big? Can I carry it alone? |
| ގާތްގަނޑަކަށް (gaaiygandakah) ދިހަ (dhiha) ކިލޯ (kiloa). ފިހާރައިގައި (fihaaraigai) ކިރަނީ (kiranee). | gaaiygandakah dhiha kiloa. fihaaraigai kiranee | About ten kilos. We will weigh it at the shop. |
| ދެ ފިލާ (filaa) ބޭނުން (beynun). ދެ ގުނަ (dhe guna) އަގު (agu) ބޮޑުވާނެތަ؟ | dhe filaa beynun. dhe guna agu boduvaanetha? | I need two boards. Will the price double? |
| ނޫން (noon). އެވްރެޖްކޮށް (evrejkoh) ފިލާއަކަށް ސަތޭކަ (satheyka) ފަންސާސް ރުފިޔާ (fansaas rufiyaa). | noon. evrejkoh filaaakah satheyka fansaas rufiyaa | No. On average one hundred and fifty rufiyaa per board. |
| ފުންމިން (funmin) ބޭނުމެއް ނޫން (beynumeh noon)، އެކަމަކު (ekamaku) އުސްމިން (usmin) ބަލަން (balan) ޖެހޭ (jehey). | funmin beynumeh noon, ekamaku usmin balan jehey | The depth is not needed, but the height has to be checked. |
| ބަރާބަރަށް (baraabarah) ފަސް (fas) ސެންޓިމީޓަރު (sentimeetaru). ބާކީ (baakee) ފިލާ (filaa) ހުސް (hus). | baraabarah fas sentimeetaru. baakee filaa hus | Exactly five centimeters. The other boards ran out. |
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?
“ސަލާމް (salaam). މޭޒަކަށް ފިލާ (filaa) ބޭނުން (beynun). ދިގުމިން (dhigumin) ކިހާ ވަރެއް؟” (kihaa vareh) (salaam. meyzakah filaa beynun. dhigumin kihaa vareh?) — Hello. I need a board for a table. What is the length? 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.