Language/Central-khmer/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion
Hi Central Khmer learners! π
In this lesson, we will learn how to express opinions in Central Khmer. Giving opinions is an essential part of communication, whether it's about food, movies, or current events. We will cover five grammar points related to expressing opinions. After learning these grammar points, you will be able to share your thoughts and feelings like a pro!
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Present Tense & Using Prepositions.
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
Before we start with the grammar, let's cover some useful vocabulary to use when discussing opinions.
Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
αα·αααΎα | /kit kΚ°ΙΙ nΙΙw/ | In my opinion |
αααα»αα αΆαααααα»αααΆαααααΎααΆα | /kΚ°Ι²um cab kΚ°Ι²um Εaaj tΚ°wΙΙ kaΛ/ | I think |
αααα»αααΎααα | /kΚ°Ι²um mΙΙl tΙ¨w/ | I see |
αααα»αααααΌααα | /kΚ°Ι²um trΙΙv tae/ | I have to |
αααα»ααα·αααΆααααααα | /kΚ°Ι²um piΙt caΙstaeΕ/ | I am absolutely sure |
- In my opinion:
- Person 1: αα·αααΎα ααΆαααΆαααα»ααααααααα‘αΆαααααα½αα (/kit kΚ°ΙΙ nΙΙw mean raaΕkgumnei sralanh klaun/ - In my opinion, this group of friends is very interesting)
- Person 2: ααΎαααΆαααααααααααααΊαααα’αααΈαααα’αααααΆαααΉααα·αααΎααα·ααααααααααΆααα’ααα(/yΙΙng baan saevaeΕ rΙΙk chΙmΕoh nΙ¨Ι niΙng kΙ¨t kΚ°ΙΙ nΙΙw miΙn yolΙpΙt aasΙΙng/ - We have researched this disease, and in my opinion, you don't understand everything).
- I think:
- Person 1: αααα»αα αΆαααααα»αααΆαααααΎααΆαααΆαααα’α (/kΚ°Ι²um cab kΚ°Ι²um Εaaj tΚ°wΙΙ kaΛ baan laΙ¨/ - I think I did a good job.)
- Person 2: ααΌαα’ααααΎααααααα»αααΎαααΆα (/suΙm anjeΙng mΙk kΚ°Ι²um mΙΙl veΙ/ - Please show me.)
- I see:
- Person 1: αααα»αααΎααα αααααααααΎαααααΎααΆαααααααααααααΆαααααα»αααΎααα·αααΆααα·αααΎαα (/kΚ°Ι²um mΙΙl tΙ¨w teadaek yΙΙng tΚ°vΙΙ kaan nih krocheaar mΙΙn baa nΙ¨Ιng kΙ¨t kΚ°ΙΙ nΙΙw/ - I checked and I see that we didn't mention the group assignment.)
- Person 2: α’ααααΎαααααΎααααααααα (/anjeΙng rok mΙΙl mΙΙtdΙΕ tiΙ/ - Please look at it again.)
- I have to:
- Person 1: αααα»αααααΌαααα αΆααααααΆαα ααααΆαα (/kΚ°Ι²um trΙΙv tae cab yaek vaa tΙ¨w pisaar/ - I have to take it to the market.)
- Person 2: α’ααααΎαα αΆαααααααα»ααα α (/anjeΙng cab yaek kΚ°Ι²um tΙ¨w/ - Please take me with you.)
- I am absolutely sure:
- Person 1: αααα»ααα·αααΆαααααααααΆααΆαααα·αααΆαααααΎααΆααααΆαα αα ααΆααα (/kΚ°Ι²um piΙt caΙstaeΕ tΚ°aa kaadt mΙ¨Ιn baaΕ tvae kΚ°Ι²Ι/ - I am absolutely sure he didn't do anything wrong.)
- Person 2: αααααααα»ααα ααΎααααΈαααααΎαααααααααααα»αα αΌαααααΎαα·ααα·α αααααα (/baΕ bam pΙom tΙ¨w daeΙmbAe baΕkAe saΛdt dael kΚ°Ι²um cul bruΙnΙ¨ΙΙ² nhΙ¨ΙnhluΙklΙh/ - You need to create some animals that I can use and play with.)
Grammar[edit | edit source]
Grammar Point 1: Verb + ααΆααΆα[edit | edit source]
The first way to express opinion in Khmer is to use ααΆααΆα (taa raang) which is a structure that translates to, "I think that." To use it, you first use a verb followed by ααΆ (taa), then follow it with the rest of your opinion. The verb can be in any tense or form.
For singular subjects, you use αααα»α (kβnom - I) as the subject. For plural subjects, you use ααΎα (yΕΙng - We) as the subject.
Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
αααα»αααΆααΆαααΆααα’ααααΆαααααα»αααααΌααα | /kΚ°Ι²um taa raang tam aasaa mΙ¨Ιn proeut juumΙ¨t/ | I think everyone has a big dream. |
αααα»αααΆααΆαααΆαααα»ααααα»αα’αΆαααα ααααΈαα½αα α·ααααααααΎαααΈαα | /kΚ°Ι²um taa raang taa kΚ°Ι²Ιm puok aΚnik se1k tΙ¨ΙΙ cΙΙt brΙΙhΙ tae/ | I think I am currently reading a speech about creating peace. |
ααΎαααΆααα’ααααΆαααΆααααααααααΆαααΆαααααΈαααα·ααααααΆαααααααΆαααα»ααααααααα | /yΕΙng tam aasaa mΙ¨Ιn kaaj saevaeΕ rok kaatrivaat tviok mirath diel baaΕ klΙΕkaat mΙn tΚ°ngai nih/ | We all think about looking for a previous job experience before today. |
Grammar Point 2: Verb + ααΊ[edit | edit source]
The second way to express opinions in Khmer is to use the verb plus ααΊ (koo), which gives the meaning of "to be." ααΊ (koo) is added to the main verb of the sentence. In this construction, the verb is always in present tense, and the verb ααΊ (koo) is placed after the subject.
Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
αααα»αα αΆααα α»αααααΎαα‘αΎααα ααΈαααααΊαααααααααΆααααααΆαα | /kΚ°Ι²um cab joh samneΙr leΙΕ niΙv tii nih koo krahb brohtbrataaneisantΙΙfnΙΙn/ | I am applying for the position here, and I think I am well qualified. |
αααα»αα αΆααααααααααααΌααααααααααααα ααΆαααΆααΈααΊααΆαααααααααα αααααααα»αα | /kΚ°Ι²um cab sah se1k kmaaree baaΕriΙn kmae nih reaheitheanei koo mΙ¨Ιn proeutchaomnhΙ¨ΙΕ cΙmpΙh kΚ°Ι²Ιm/ | I am writing a Khmer instructional manual in Cambodia and find it useful for me. |
αααα»ααα·αααΆααΆααΆαα ααααΈαααΆααΆααΆααα’αααα αα αΆαα·ααααΆααααααααΈαα α·αααααΆαααα’. | /kΚ°Ι²um piΙt caΙstaeΕ taa kaachong rikhaasaatey tam aasaa nih mΚ°eachveatealiΙng diel rikchit baa nΙ¨Ιng laΙ¨/ | I am certain that studying all languages at university is really good. |
Grammar Point 3: Verb + αααα[edit | edit source]
When you want to express an opinion with a bit of doubt, you can use αααα (klah) which means "maybe" or "sometimes." It's placed after the verb, and the sentence is usually followed by a question word.
Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
αααα»αααΉααααα»αααααΆααααααααΆαα½ααα·αααααααααααα αααα»αααααααΆααΆαααα»αααα | /kΚ°Ι²um nΙ¨Ιng kΙmpuok
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
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