Language/Central-khmer/Grammar/Describing-People-and-Things
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Introduction
Adjectives and adverbs are important parts of speech in any language, including Central Khmer. They allow us to add more detail and description to our sentences, making them more interesting and informative. In this lesson, we will learn how to use adjectives in Central Khmer to describe people, places, and things. We will cover proper usage, word order, and pronunciation. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use adjectives correctly and effectively in your speech and writing.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Future Tense & How to Use Be.
Adjectives in Central Khmer
In Central Khmer, adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide additional information about the noun in question. For example:
- ត្រីក្រូច = small dog
- ផ្ទៃក្រឡាចាស់ = old bridge
- កំពស់គេង = tall mountain
As we can see from these examples, adjectives in Central Khmer come after the noun they modify, unlike in English where they come before. Adjectives can also be used without a noun. In this case, they usually come at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb "គិត" (to be) or "មាន" (to have).
For example:
- ខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់ស្រលាញ់។ = I am very happy.
- ទូរស័ព្ទខ្ញុំថ្ងៃនេះលើសពីពេលកន្លងទៅ។ = My phone has been ringing since yesterday.
Word Order of Adjectives
As mentioned before, in Central Khmer, adjectives come after the noun they describe. However, when multiple adjectives are used to describe the same noun, they follow a specific order. The order is:
- ប្រភេទ (type)
- ទំហំ (size)
- ហេតុ (quality)
- ផ្លែឈើ (color)
For example:
- ប៉ូលីទី១ជាអ្នកចម្បងមួយដែលធំ។ = Polar bear number 1 is a big one.
- យកពេជ្រមួយខ្សែមានផ្ទៃកែធំទៀត។ = I took a red dress with a very big size.
Pronunciation of Adjectives
It is important to note that the pronunciation of adjectives in Central Khmer can be tricky for non-native speakers. Some adjectives have different tones, depending on the meaning. For example:
- កំពស់ (kɑm pʊəh) = tall
- កំណាព្យ (kam neɛp) = short
As we can see from these examples, the difference in tone can significantly alter the meaning of the adjective. Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to the tone when learning and using adjectives in Central Khmer.
Practice
Now that we have learned about adjectives in Central Khmer, it's time to practice using them in sentences. Here are some examples:
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ស្រស់ស្តង់ | srasdɑng | quiet city |
| យកឱ្យចិត្តទៅ | juɔy cəc ti:w | let him go |
| ស្រលាញ់ត្រង់ | srlɑɲ tʰraŋ | happy child |
Using the examples above as a guide, try writing your own sentences using adjectives in Central Khmer. Remember to pay attention to the word order and pronunciation!
Conclusion
Adjectives are an essential part of any language, including Central Khmer. They allow us to describe our world in more detail, making our communication clearer and more effective. In this lesson, we learned about the proper usage, word order, and pronunciation of adjectives in Central Khmer. By practicing these skills, you will be able to use adjectives with confidence in your speech and writing.
Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Questions & Using Prepositions.
Other Lessons
- Using Conjunctions
- Plurals
- Give your Opinion
- Past Tense
- Possessive Pronouns
- Future Tense
- Adjectives
- Present Tense
- Negation
- Pronouns
Sources
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