Phrases that save you in Maldivian
17 words Maldivian words on the topic “phrases that save you”: ނޭނގޭ — I don't understand, މަޑުމަޑުން — slowly, އަނެއްކާ ބުނޭ — please say it again, އެހީ — help. 17 words can be played from recordings.
17 words on the topic
- ނޭނގޭneyngeyI don't understandAn impersonal shape: literally 'it is not understood'. The same word says 'I don't know' — the full version comes later in the course
- މަޑުމަޑުންmadumadunslowlyA doubled stem madu ('quiet, soft') makes the adverb. hinfinfini, 'cool', is built the same way
- އަނެއްކާ ބުނޭanekkaa buneyplease say it againLiterally 'say once more'. The fuller polite version is anekkaa vidaalhuvehdhehvaa
- އެހީeheehelpFrom it come ehiveedhey ('help!') and the word for 'helper'
- މިނިޓެއް މަޑުކުރޭminiteh madukureywait a minuteMadukurey is 'hold on, wait', from madu, 'quiet, slow' — the same root as 'slowly' from unit one
- އަހަންނަށް ނުހުޅުވުނުahannah nuhulhuvunuI can't open itAhannah is 'to me', the shape of 'I'. In Dhivehi 'I couldn't' is built as 'it didn't open to me'
- އެމްބިއުލާންސްembiulaansambulanceEnglish ambulance. The ambulance number in Malé is 102
- އަހަންނަށް ޑޮކްޓަރެއް ބޭނުންahannah doktareh beynunI need a doctorThe familiar 'need' plus 'to me'. The ending on 'doctor' makes it 'some doctor or other'
- ސަމާލުވޭsamaaluveycareful!Arabic 'attention'. Literally 'be attentive' — road signs are worded exactly so
- ނުރައްކާnurakkaadanger!Danger and dangerous are one word. The double sign lengthens the kk: nu-rak-kaa
- ފުލުހުންނަށް ގުޅާfuluhunnah gulhaacall the police!Fuluhun is 'the police' (a plural), gulhaa is 'call'. Literally 'call the police officers'
- އަހަރެންގެ ޕާސްޕޯޓު ގެއްލިއްޖެaharenge paaspoatu gellijjeI lost my passportThe verb is 'it got lost'. In Dhivehi the thing gets lost; the person doesn't lose it
- އަހަންނަށް ރަނގަޅެއް ނޫންahannah rangalheh noonI feel unwellLiterally 'to me not good'. The negation stands last — the predicate always closes the sentence
- އަތް ނުލާaiy nulaadon't touch!Literally 'don't put the hand': the hand plus the negative form of 'to put'
- އެހީވެދޭehiveedheyhelp!Literally 'give help': ehee is 'help', vedhey is 'do'. To a stranger the politer shape is ehivehdhehvaa
- އަހަރެން މަގުއޮޅިއްޖެaharen maguolhijjeI'm lostLiterally 'my road has tangled': magu is 'road', olihje is 'got tangled'. The -je tail says it has already happened
- އިނގިރޭސިން ވާހަކަދައްކަންތޯ؟ingireysin vaahakadhakkanthoa?do you speak English?The ending -in on a language name means 'in it': ingireysin, 'in English'; dhivehin, 'in Dhivehi'. The particle -thoa lifts the question into the polite register
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.
- މާފުކުރޭ، ނޭނގޭmaafukurey, neyngeySorry, I don't understand
- މަޑުމަޑުން ވާހަކަދައްކާmadumadun vaahakadhakkaaSpeak slowly
- މާފުކުރޭ، އަނެއްކާ ބުނޭmaafukurey, anekkaa buneyExcuse me, please say that again
- އެހީއެއް ބޭނުންeheeeh beynunI need help
- މިނިޓެއް މަޑުކުރޭ، އަންނަނީminiteh madukurey, annaneeWait a minute, I'm coming
- ދޮރު އަހަންނަށް ނުހުޅުވުނުdhoru ahannah nuhulhuvunuI can't open the door
What is worth knowing about these words
ނޭނގޭ (neyngey) — I don't understand. An impersonal shape: literally 'it is not understood'. The same word says 'I don't know' — the full version comes later in the course
މަޑުމަޑުން (madumadun) — slowly. A doubled stem madu ('quiet, soft') makes the adverb. hinfinfini, 'cool', is built the same way
އަނެއްކާ ބުނޭ (anekkaa buney) — please say it again. Literally 'say once more'. The fuller polite version is anekkaa vidaalhuvehdhehvaa
އެހީ (ehee) — help. From it come ehiveedhey ('help!') and the word for 'helper'
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 ނޭނގޭ (neyngey) — I don't understand.
- What is this word?
It is އަހަންނަށް ޑޮކްޓަރެއް ބޭނުން (ahannah doktareh beynun) — I need a doctor.
- What is this word?
It is އެހީވެދޭ (ehiveedhey) — help!.
- What is this word?
It is މިނިޓެއް މަޑުކުރޭ (miniteh madukurey) — wait a minute.
- What is this word?
It is އަހަރެންގެ ޕާސްޕޯޓު ގެއްލިއްޖެ (aharenge paaspoatu gellijje) — I lost my passport.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I don't understand” in Maldivian?
An impersonal shape: literally 'it is not understood'. The same word says 'I don't know' — the full version comes later in the course
- How do you say “I need a doctor” in Maldivian?
The familiar 'need' plus 'to me'. The ending on 'doctor' makes it 'some doctor or other'
- How do you say “help!” in Maldivian?
Literally 'give help': ehee is 'help', vedhey is 'do'. To a stranger the politer shape is ehivehdhehvaa
- How do you say “wait a minute” in Maldivian?
Madukurey is 'hold on, wait', from madu, 'quiet, slow' — the same root as 'slowly' from unit one
- How do you say “I lost my passport” in Maldivian?
The verb is 'it got lost'. In Dhivehi the thing gets lost; the person doesn't lose it
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
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 “I don't understand” in Maldivian?
«ނޭނގޭ», read “neyngey”. An impersonal shape: literally 'it is not understood'. The same word says 'I don't know' — the full version comes later in the course. It is one of 17 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 17 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, 17 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.