Language/Central-khmer/Grammar/Describing-Actions-and-States

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Central Khmer → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Describing Actions and States

Central Khmer language is a tonal language spoken primarily in Cambodia. In this lesson, we will learn how to use adverbs in Central Khmer to describe actions and states. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use adverbs to describe actions and states, including proper usage, word order, and pronunciation.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Pronouns & Future Tense.

Adverbs

Adverbs in Central Khmer can be divided into several categories based on the type of words they modify:

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is done. Common adverbs of manner in Central Khmer include:

Central Khmer	Pronunciation	English
យ៉ាង	yang	very
មាន់ស្រអ	maensa-ra	slowly
វាលវឌ្ឍនឹង	veil vderng nung	quickly

Here are some examples of sentences using adverbs of manner:

• ខ្ញុំរត់ទឹកយ៉ាងហើយ។ (Knhom rot tuk yang hoy.) – I drive very carefully.
• ខ្ញុំលើកស្រលាញ់បាន។ ខ្ញុំលើកស្រលាញ់បានយ៉ាងមាន់ស្រអ។ (Knhom lok sralanh ban. Knhom lok sralanh ban yang maensa-ra.) – I can climb stairs. I can climb stairs slowly.

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time describe when an action takes place. Common adverbs of time in Central Khmer include:

Central Khmer	Pronunciation	English
ព្រឹក	preuk	morning
រសៀល	raseil	afternoon
យប់	yub	evening

Here are some examples of sentences using adverbs of time:

• ខ្ញុំចាប់ផ្តើមច្រើនក្នុងលើកវិច្ឆិកា។ យ៉ាងមាន់ស្រអ។ (Knhom chab phtum chranh kneyk vichheka. Yang maensa-ra.) – I wake up early in the morning. Slowly.
• ខ្ញុំមើលភ្លេចផ្នែកម្សិល្លើម្រាស់នៅរសៀល។ (Knhom meul phlech neak msiel loarmsar nov raseil.) – I watch TV in the afternoon.

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency describe how often an action takes place. Common adverbs of frequency in Central Khmer include:

Central Khmer	Pronunciation	English
មិនលើស	min loy	never
ម៉ូលីន	molin	sometimes
ញឹក	nyuk	always

Here are some examples of sentences using adverbs of frequency:

• ខ្ញុំមិនចង់ចូលវិញទេ។ ខ្ញុំមិនលើសទេ។ (Knhom min chong chol veng te. Knhom min loy te.) – I don't want to go back. I never go back.
• ខ្ញុំដឹងថាខ្ញុំមានកាលដែលខ្ញុំញឹក។ (Knhom deng thach knhom mean kal dal knhom nyuk.) – I know when I always eat.

Word Order

In Central Khmer, adverbs usually come before the verb, except for negative adverbs which come after the verb. Here are some examples:

• ខ្ញុំទិញអាវយ៉ាងដែលមាន់ស្រអ។ (Knhom tinh avy yang dal maensa-ra.) – I slowly buy a shirt.
• ខ្ញុំមិនទិញអាវជាងមកដល់ទេ។ (Knhom min tinh avy cheng mok dal te.) – I never buy clothes anymore.

If there are multiple adverbs, they usually follow a specific order. Here is the order of adverbs in Central Khmer:

1. Adverbs of manner 2. Adverbs of place 3. Adverbs of time 4. Adverbs of frequency

Here is an example:

• ខ្ញុំការពារផ្លែទាំងពីរនាក់ដែលស្រលាញ់នៅក្នុងផ្ទះភ្នែកចប់ក្នុងរសៀលក្រោយ។ (Knhom kar pear pleav tngai niak sralanh nov knung pteah phneah chab khmoch knung raseil kroh not) – I prepare two apples that I slowly eat inside the room at the back of the house in the afternoon.

Pronunciation

It is essential to be aware of the tonal aspect of the language when using adverbs in Central Khmer. Some adverbs are pronounced differently depending on the tone. For example:

• ច្រើន (chranh) - many - pronounced with high tone
• ញឹក (nyuk) - always - pronounced with low tone

In addition to tonality, it's essential to know how to pronounce adverbs properly to convey the correct meaning. For example:

• ដែលស្រអ (dal maensa) - slowly - pronounced with a downward inflection.
• វាលវឌ្ឍនឹង (veal vderng nung) - quickly - pronounced with an upward inflection.

Take the time to learn the proper pronunciation of adverbs to avoid miscommunications.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to use adverbs in Central Khmer to describe actions and states, including proper usage, word order, and pronunciation. Remember, different adverbs have different meanings, so it's vital to choose the right one to convey the message correctly. With practice, you'll be able to use adverbs effectively and efficiently in your conversations. Keep studying and practicing, and you will become more confident in using this beautiful language.

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

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Using Conjunctions

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Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

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Central Khmer History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Features

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Personal Pronouns
• How to Use Be
• Gender
• Basic Word Order
• Present Tense
• How to Use Have
• Possessive Pronouns
• Adjectives

Sources

• Central-khmer

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