Greetings and goodbyes in Maldivian
9 words Maldivian words on the topic “greetings and goodbyes”: ސަލާމް — hello, ކިހިނެއް؟ — how are you?, ކިހިނެއްތޯ؟ — how are you (polite)?, ފަހުން — see you later. 9 words can be played from recordings.
9 words on the topic
- ސަލާމްsalaamhelloAn all-purpose greeting for any time of day
- ކިހިނެއް؟kihineh?how are you?The ؟ sign is mirrored, because Thaana runs right to left. Literally just 'how?'; the standard answer is rangalhu
- ކިހިނެއްތޯ؟kihinehthoa?how are you (polite)?The polite upgrade: the particle -thoa raises the register. Among peers people simply say kihineh
- ފަހުންfahunsee you laterLiterally 'later'. When parting, Maldivians more often say dhanee ('I'm off') or fahun ('later') than any long farewell
- ހެނދުނުގެ ސަލާމްhendhunuge salaamgood morningThe island greets with salaam at any hour and needs no morning greeting; 'morning's salaam' is what sounds on the radio, on stage and in letters
- ދެން ދަނީdhen dhaneegoodbyePeople leave with an act, not a phrase: 'well, I'm off', and the answer comes back. On the radio and on paper the Arabic assalaamu alaykum closes the conversation
- ބާއްޖަވެރި މެންދުރެއްbaajjaveri mendhurehgood afternoonbaajjaveri is 'propitious', mendhuru is 'noon', and the tail -eh means 'a …': you wish a good noon. The morning gets the same treatment
- ބާއްޖަވެރި ހަވީރެއްbaajjaveri haveerehgood eveninghaveeru is the evening before sunset, the one you know from haveerugai. After sunset and before sleep people wish baajjaveri reygandeh
- ބާއްޖަވެރި ރޭގަނޑެއްbaajjaveri reygandehgood nightreygandu is the night, known from reygandugai. It's said when parting for the night; settling in, people add a wish for 'joyful sleep'
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- ސަލާމް، އަހަރެންގެ ނަމަކީ އަލީsalaam, aharenge namakee AleeHello, my name is Ali
- ސަލާމް، ކިހިނެއް؟salaam, kihineh?Hello, how are you?
- ތިޔަ ބޭފުޅާ ކިހިނެއްތޯ؟thiya beyfulhaa kihinehthoa?How are you doing?
- ފަހުން ބައްދަލުވާނެfahun baddhaluvaaneSee you later
- ހެނދުނުގެ ސަލާމް، ކިހިނެއް؟hendhunuge salaam, kihineh?Good morning, how are you?
- ދެން ދަނީ، ފަހުން ބައްދަލުވާނެdhen dhanee, fahun baddhaluvaaneGoodbye, see you again
What is worth knowing about these words
ސަލާމް (salaam) — hello. An Arabic loanword meaning 'peace' — the same word you hear in as-salamu alaykum. One word covers both hi and hello, neutral in politeness
ކިހިނެއް؟ (kihineh?) — how are you?. The ؟ sign is mirrored, because Thaana runs right to left. Literally just 'how?'; the standard answer is rangalhu
ކިހިނެއްތޯ؟ (kihinehthoa?) — how are you (polite)?. The polite upgrade: the particle -thoa raises the register. Among peers people simply say kihineh
ފަހުން (fahun) — see you later. Literally 'later'. When parting, Maldivians more often say dhanee ('I'm off') or fahun ('later') than any long farewell
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is ސަލާމް (salaam) — hello.
- What is this word?
It is ބާއްޖަވެރި ހަވީރެއް (baajjaveri haveereh) — good evening.
- What is this word?
It is ދެން ދަނީ (dhen dhanee) — goodbye.
- What is this word?
It is ފަހުން (fahun) — see you later.
- What is this word?
It is ކިހިނެއް؟ (kihineh?) — how are you?.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “hello” in Maldivian?
An Arabic loanword meaning 'peace' — the same word you hear in as-salamu alaykum. One word covers both hi and hello, neutral in politeness
- How do you say “good evening” in Maldivian?
haveeru is the evening before sunset, the one you know from haveerugai. After sunset and before sleep people wish baajjaveri reygandeh
- How do you say “goodbye” in Maldivian?
People leave with an act, not a phrase: 'well, I'm off', and the answer comes back. On the radio and on paper the Arabic assalaamu alaykum closes the conversation
- How do you say “see you later” in Maldivian?
Literally 'later'. When parting, Maldivians more often say dhanee ('I'm off') or fahun ('later') than any long farewell
- How do you say “how are you?” in Maldivian?
The ؟ sign is mirrored, because Thaana runs right to left. Literally just 'how?'; the standard answer is rangalhu
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Every conversation starts here, and so does every first impression: say hello in the local language and you stop being a stranger in about a second.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “hello” in Maldivian?
«ސަލާމް», read “salaam”. An all-purpose greeting for any time of day. It is one of 9 words in the set “greetings and goodbyes” — the rest are in the table above.
How many greetings do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 9 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 9 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.