Language/Central-khmer/Grammar/Yes/No-Questions
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Central Khmer is a fascinating language with a rich cultural background. In this lesson, we will learn about Yes/No questions in Central Khmer. Proper intonation and question particles are essential components in forming questions in Central Khmer. So, let's dive into the details and learn how to form Yes/No Questions in Central Khmer.
Basic Sentence Structure in Central Khmer
Before we start learning about Yes/No questions, let's refresh our memory about the basic sentence structure in Central Khmer. Like most languages, Central Khmer follows the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order. Here is an example:
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| ខ្ញុំ (khnhoum) | /kʰɲom/ | I |
| ស្រី (srey) | /sraɪ̯/ | sister |
| បាតុកកិច្ច (batʊkkik) | /baːtuk ki/ | study |
| ជាតិមួយ (caatmuy) | /cʰɑt.muj/ | at university |
| ស៊ី (si) | /siː/ | question particle |
Translation: I study at university, sister. (The particle "si" indicates a statement, like a period in English.)
The example above follows the SVO word order. So, the subject "I" comes first, followed by the verb "study," and finally, the object "at university."
Yes/No Questions in Central Khmer
In Central Khmer, Yes/No questions can be expressed by both intonation and question particles. Most of the time, you can form a Yes/No question by adding a question particle to the end of a sentence. These question particles either indicate that the speaker is seeking confirmation or clarification about what was previously said.
Here is an example of a Yes/No question in Central Khmer:
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| ខ្ញុំ (khnhoum) | /kʰɲom/ | I |
| ចង់ (cngaa) | /cŋɑː/ | want |
| ទៅ (dtwaa) | /tʰuːə/ | to go |
| ទេ? (te?) | /tĭː/ | question particle |
Translation: Do I want to go?
As you can see, the sentence structure for Yes/No questions is the same as for statements, except for the addition of the question particle "te?" at the end of the sentence.
Intonation in Yes/No Questions
In addition to the question particles mentioned earlier, intonation plays a vital role in distinguishing Yes/No questions from statements. When asking a question in Central Khmer, the pitch rises towards the end of a sentence. Central Khmer speakers also lengthen the final vowels in the last word of the sentence.
Here is an example:
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| អ្នក្នង (naengkong) | /naeŋ koŋ/ | You |
| ទៅ (dtoo) | /tʰuː/ | to go |
| ទេ? (te?) | /tĭ:/ | question particle |
Translation: Are you going?
When asking this question in Central Khmer, the voice pitch goes up on the last syllable ("dtoo") before the question particle "te?" to indicate that it's a question.
Summary
In summary, Yes/No questions in Central Khmer can be formed by adding a question particle to the end of a statement. Additionally, intonation plays a vital role. The speaker raises the pitch at the end of the sentence while lengthening the final vowel in the last word of the sentence. You can use these tips to practice forming Yes/No questions in Central Khmer. It may be challenging at first, but with practice, you can master it.
At this point of the course, you should be able to form simple sentences and express Yes/No questions. In the next lesson, we will learn about counting numbers from 1 to 100 in Central Khmer to enable you to communicate about time, age, and other essential numerical information.
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