LingoflyGreetings and goodbyes in Maldivian
9 words in Maldivian on the topic “greetings and goodbyes”: ސަލާމް (salaam) — hello, ކިހިނެއް؟ (kihineh) — how are you?, ކިހިނެއްތޯ؟ (kihinehthoa) — how are you (polite)?, ފަހުން (fahun) — 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 same root as in haveerugai, 'in the evening'. 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'
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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.
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 same root as in haveerugai, 'in the evening'. 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.
- Study spread over days wins 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» (salaam), 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?
The whole set on this page is 9 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
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.