Language/Central-khmer/Grammar/Present-Tense

Central Khmer → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses → Present Tense

The present tense is used to talk about actions that are happening now or are ongoing. In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the present tense in Central Khmer.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Negation & Basic Word Order.

Forming the Present Tense

To form the present tense in Central Khmer, you need to use the base form of the verb. For regular verbs, you simply add the suffix "-ប់" (-bâ) to the end of the verb root. For example:

Central Khmer	Pronunciation	English
ជិត	cýt	to sit
បន្ទុក	bântuk	to stand
ចង់	cɔng	to want
អាច	âc	to be able to, can

To form the present tense of irregular verbs, you need to memorize the conjugation. Here are some common irregular verbs and their present tense forms:

Central Khmer	Pronunciation	English
ជើង	cə̆ng	to eat
និយាយ	niyɨh	to speak
ម៉ោង	maɔng	to come
ទៅ	tɔ̆w	to go

Note that the pronunciation of the verbs might change in the present tense, so it's important to practice the pronunciation with a native speaker or teacher.

Using the Present Tense

The present tense in Central Khmer is used to talk about actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, emotional states, and general truths.

For actions that are currently happening, you can use the present tense with the adverb "ឥឡូវ" (ɨləw), meaning "now". For example:

• ខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើការឥឡូវ។ (khnŭm kɑmpuət tvlœŋ kaː ɨləw) - I am working now.

For habitual actions or states, you can use the present tense without any additional adverbs. For example:

• ខ្ញុំក្រៅតែពិត។ (khnŭm krɔv taː pɨt) - I always tell the truth.

For emotional states, you can use the present tense with adjectives that describe emotions. For example:

• ខ្ញុំមានភាពឃើញ។ (khnŭm mien phaəh kəyɨŋ) - I feel happy.

For general truths or facts, you can also use the present tense. For example:

• ដើម្បីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាធ្វើអំពើពុកម្នាក់។ (dɑm bəybɑt prɑteih kampuciː tvlœŋ ɑmplɨːv pʰɔk mɨnea) - To develop Cambodia, everyone needs to work hard.

Negating the Present Tense

To negate the present tense in Central Khmer, you need to use the word "មិន" (min) before the verb. For example:

• ខ្ញុំមិនធ្វើការណាមួយ។ (khnŭm min tvlœŋ kaː nɑmŭə) - I am not doing anything.

Asking Questions in the Present Tense

To ask yes/no questions in the present tense, you can use the question particle "ឬ" (ə) at the end of the sentence. For example:

• ខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើការឥឡូវឬ? (khnŭm kɑmpuət tvlœŋ kaː ɨləw ə) - Are you working now?

To ask information questions, you can use the question words "អ្វី" (ʔɑvəy) for "what", "តើអ្នក" (tou nɨk) for "do you", "ទេព្រមទាំងអ្វី" (tɔypremtaŋ ʔɑvəy) for "how is everything", and so on. For example:

• អ្នកមានការងារយ៉ាងណា? (nɨk mien kaː ngaː jəɑnă) - What is your job?

Pronunciation Tips

To properly pronounce the present tense in Central Khmer, it's important to stress the second syllable of the verb, and to make sure to use the right tone. Additionally, some verbs change pronunciation in the present tense, so it's important to practice with a native speaker or teacher to get the pronunciation right.

Here are some specific tips for pronouncing the present tense:

• For verbs with a final "ង" (ng) consonant, add an extra syllable between the base verb and the present tense suffix "-ប់" (-bâ), so that the final "ង" (ng) becomes an initial "អ" (ʔɑ). For example, "ចង់" (cɔng) becomes "អាចប់" (ʔaac-bâ).
• For verbs with a final "ដ" (d) consonant, add an extra syllable with the middle tone between the base verb and the present tense suffix "-ប់" (-bâ), so that the final "ដ" (d) becomes an initial "ប" (b). For example, "ត្រជាក់" (trcɑk) becomes "ប្រត់ប់" (brâtbâ).

Practice

To practice forming and using the present tense in Central Khmer, try the following exercises:

• Conjugate the following present tense irregular verbs: "កែវ" (kaew) "to be delicious", "ដឹង" (dəŋ) "to know"
• Write three sentences using the present tense to describe actions that are happening now.
• Write three sentences using the present tense to describe habitual actions.
• Write three sentences using the present tense to describe emotional states.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you learned how to form and use the present tense in Central Khmer, including regular and irregular verbs, and proper pronunciation. With practice and exposure, you will be able to use the present tense fluently and naturally in conversations with Central Khmer speakers.

Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Give your Opinion & Past Tense.

Table of Contents - Central Khmer Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Greetings

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Sentence Structure

• Basic Word Order
• Yes/No Questions

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Counting from 1 to 100
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Status

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Central Khmer Customs and Traditions

• Greetings and Polite Behavior
• Festivals and Celebrations

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Describing Actions and States

  ---

Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons and Months

  ---

Central Khmer Literature and Arts

• Literature and Poetry
• Music and Dance

  ---

Shopping and Money

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Money and Currency

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Using Conjunctions

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

  ---

Central Khmer History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Features