ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީ
“ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީ” (thunbulhi baalanee) — to shave in Maldivian. Verb, level A1, topic — everyday life and routine. Literally 'take off the beard', as in Kazakh. The image coincided across languages. In a live sentence: “އަހަރެން ދެ ދުވަހުން އެއް ދުވަހު ތުނބުޅި ބާލަން” — I shave every other day. You can hear how it sounds right here. Written with the characters ތ, ު, ނ, ބ, ު, ޅ, ި, ބ, ާ, ލ, ަ, ނ.
In short
| Written in Maldivian | ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީ |
| Read in Latin letters | thunbulhi baalanee |
| Translation | to shave |
| Part of speech | verb |
| Level | A1 |
- ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީthunbulhi baalaneeto shave
Why it looks that way
Literally 'take off the beard', as in Kazakh. The image coincided across languages
A word with a story stays in memory longer than one learned as a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.
In a live sentence
A single word almost never appears alone in conversation. A sentence shows where it fits and what stands next to it.
- އަހަރެން ދެ ދުވަހުން އެއް ދުވަހު ތުނބުޅި ބާލަންaharen dhe dhuvahun eee dhuvahu thunbulhi baalaneeI shave every other day
Nearby words: everyday life and routine
Work, home, rest, errands. The words the answer to “how are things?” is made of.
- މަސައްކަތްmasakkaiyworkWritten with a doubled s, heard as 'masakkai'. The verb is masakkai kuranee
- މަސައްކަތްކުރަނީmasakkaiykuraneeto workMasakkaiy, 'work', plus kuranee, 'do'. Like every -nee form it doesn't change for person: 'I work' and 'he works' sound alike
- ހޭލަނީheylaneeto wake upFrom hey, 'consciousness, alertness'. To wake someone else is heylavanee
- ތެދުވަނީthedhuvaneeto get upFrom thedhu, 'straight'. To get up is to straighten up
- މޫނު ދޮންނަނީmoonu dhonnaneeto wash one's faceLiterally 'wash the face' — Dhivehi names what is washed, and so do Turkish and Armenian
- އިސްތަށިގަނޑު ރީތިކުރަނީisthashigandu reethikuraneeto fix one's hairLiterally 'make the hair beautiful'. There is no separate verb for combing oneself
- ހެދުން ލަނީhedhun laneeto get dressedLiterally 'put on clothes'. Lanee is 'to put', a heavily loaded verb
- ހެދުން ބާލަނީhedhun baalaneeto undressPartner to getting dressed: baalanee is 'to take off', the same word as in 'take off the beard'
- އިށީންނަނީisheennaneeto sit downBoth 'sit down' and 'sit'. The tense tells them apart, not the root
- އޮށޯންނަނީoshoannaneeto lie downBoth 'lie down' and 'lie'. Built like 'to sit down'
Test yourself
Five questions from the same set — “everyday life and routine”. Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than knowing a familiar word on sight, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “to shave” in Maldivian?
Literally 'take off the beard', as in Kazakh. The image coincided across languages
- How do you say “to get dressed” in Maldivian?
Literally 'put on clothes'. Lanee is 'to put', a heavily loaded verb
- How do you say “to wake up” in Maldivian?
From hey, 'consciousness, alertness'. To wake someone else is heylavanee
- How do you say “to lie down” in Maldivian?
Both 'lie down' and 'lie'. Built like 'to sit down'
- How do you say “to fix one's hair” in Maldivian?
Literally 'make the hair beautiful'. There is no separate verb for combing oneself
How not to forget this word
Reading a word and remembering it are different jobs. A day later, little survives of a single reading — and that is not bad memory, that is how memory works.
- This has been tested on foreign words too. The difference shows up most when you test yourself a few days later rather than straight away.checked many timesKim & Webb, 2022, Language Learning 72(2) · 48 experiments, 3,411 participants, 98 comparisons.
- 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.
- An answer you worked out yourself sticks better than one handed to you.checked many timesBertsch et al., 2007, Memory & Cognition 35(2) · 86 studies, 445 comparisons, d = 0.40.
Frequently asked
How do you say “to shave” in Maldivian?
«ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީ», read “thunbulhi baalanee”. In a live sentence: “އަހަރެން ދެ ދުވަހުން އެއް ދުވަހު ތުނބުޅި ބާލަން” — I shave every other day. You can hear how it sounds right on this page. Verb, level A1, from the set “everyday life and routine”; written with the characters ތ, ު, ނ, ބ, ު, ޅ, ި, ބ, ާ, ލ, ަ, ނ.
How is “ތުނބުޅި ބާލަނީ” written in Latin letters?
thunbulhi baalanee. This is a practical spelling — you need it to read aloud and be understood, not to meet an academic standard.
Why does this word look the way it does?
Literally 'take off the beard', as in Kazakh. The image coincided across languages. A word with a story stays in memory longer than a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.
Can I hear how it sounds?
Yes, right on this page: click the word and it will play. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.