ވާތްފަރާތުގައި
“ވާތްފަރާތުގައި” (vaaiyfaraathugai) — to the left of in Maldivian. Preposition, level A1, topic — asking the way. Works like a postposition: what you count from stands first in the genitive — 'of the bank, at the left side'. Vaath is the left hand. In a live sentence: “ބޭންކުގެ ވާތްފަރާތުގައި ބޭސް ފިހާރައެއް” — To the left of the bank is the pharmacy. You can hear how it sounds right here. Written with the characters ވ, ާ, ތ, ް, ފ, ަ, ރ, ާ, ތ, ު, ގ, ަ.
In short
| Written in Maldivian | ވާތްފަރާތުގައި |
| Read in Latin letters | vaaiyfaraathugai |
| Translation | to the left of |
| Part of speech | preposition |
| Level | A1 |
- ވާތްފަރާތުގައިvaaiyfaraathugaito the left of
Why it looks that way
Works like a postposition: what you count from stands first in the genitive — 'of the bank, at the left side'. Vaath is the left hand
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.
- ބޭންކުގެ ވާތްފަރާތުގައި ބޭސް ފިހާރައެއްbeynkuge vaaiyfaraathugai beys fihaaraehTo the left of the bank is the pharmacy
Nearby words: asking the way
Right, left, straight on, how far. You ask the way rarely — and always at the moment when there is no time to work it out.
- ކޮބާ؟kobaa?where?Asked about a thing you're looking for: kobaa fen?, 'where is the water?'
- ކަނާތަށްkanaathahto the rightkanaath is 'the right hand', -ah the direction: literally 'toward the right hand'
- ވާތަށްvaathahto the leftVaath is 'the left hand' plus the same directional ending
- ސީދާseedhaastraight aheadOf a road, and of a person — 'straight, honest'
- ކައިރިkairicloseFrom it comes kaireegai, 'near' — the most frequent place phrase in the course
- ދުރުdhurufarPartner to kairi. 'Is it far?' is dhuruthaa?
- މިތާmithaahereMi, 'this', plus thaa, 'place'. Partner to ethaa, 'there'
- އެތާethaathereE, 'that', plus thaa, 'place'. Further from the speaker than mithaa
- މަގުmagustreet, roadStreet, road and way. In Malé addresses it's the second word: Majeedhee magu
- ކިހިނެއް ދާނީkihineh dhaaneehow do I get there?Literally 'how will I go'. To a stranger on the street you ask politely, with the -thoa particle
Test yourself
Five questions from the same set — “asking the way”. Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than knowing a familiar word on sight, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “to the left of” in Maldivian?
Works like a postposition: what you count from stands first in the genitive — 'of the bank, at the left side'. Vaath is the left hand
- How do you say “here” in Maldivian?
Mi, 'this', plus thaa, 'place'. Partner to ethaa, 'there'
- How do you say “to the left” in Maldivian?
Vaath is 'the left hand' plus the same directional ending
- How do you say “how do I get there?” in Maldivian?
Literally 'how will I go'. To a stranger on the street you ask politely, with the -thoa particle
- How do you say “far” in Maldivian?
Partner to kairi. 'Is it far?' is dhuruthaa?
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 the left of” in Maldivian?
«ވާތްފަރާތުގައި», read “vaaiyfaraathugai”. In a live sentence: “ބޭންކުގެ ވާތްފަރާތުގައި ބޭސް ފިހާރައެއް” — To the left of the bank is the pharmacy. You can hear how it sounds right on this page. Preposition, level A1, from the set “asking the way”; written with the characters ވ, ާ, ތ, ް, ފ, ަ, ރ, ާ, ތ, ު, ގ, ަ.
How is “ވާތްފަރާތުގައި” written in Latin letters?
vaaiyfaraathugai. 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?
Works like a postposition: what you count from stands first in the genitive — 'of the bank, at the left side'. Vaath is the left hand. 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.