Demonstratives and Descriptions

This unit introduces demonstratives and descriptions of classroom objects. Students learn to identify maps, charts, and books by location using directional phrases like /khaŋ-sdam/ (on the right), /khaŋ-chveeŋ/ (on the left), and /cit khdaa-khien/ (near the blackboard). The dialogue practices describing what objects are, what they are maps/charts of, and whether students plan to study certain materials. The grammar note covers noun and numeral substitutes.

Basic Dialogue

Cambodian (romanized)	English
phaen-tii khaŋ-sdam cia phaen-tii əy?	What is the map on the right a map of?
baat, phaen-tii srok khmae.	It’s a map of Cambodia.
coh aamuoy khaŋ-chveeŋ?	And the one on the left?
taam khñom smaan, cia phaen-tii tii-kroŋ phnum piñ.	I think it’s a map of the city of Phnom Penh.
coh phaen-tii əy niw-aenoh?	What is that map over there?
phaen-tii naa-muoy?	Which one?
aamuoy niw cit khdaa-khien.	The one near the blackboard.
ou, nuh min mɛɛn phaen-tii tee. cia kumnuu tee.	Oh, that’s not a map. That’s a chart.
kumnuu əy?	What kind of a chart?
cia kumnuu somrap boŋrien a?soo khmae.	It’s a chart for teaching the Khmer alphabet.
yeeŋ rien əyləw (rih)?	Are we going to study that now?
tee, ntec tiet baan yeeŋ rien.	No, we’re going to study it a little later.

Key Vocabulary

Cambodian	English
phaen-tii	map
khaŋ-sdam	on the right
khaŋ-chveeŋ	on the left
srok khmae	Cambodia
tii-kroŋ	city
phnum piñ	Phnom Penh
kumnuu	chart
khdaa-khien	blackboard
cit	near
somrap	for (purpose)
boŋrien	teach
a?soo	consonants, letters
smaan	think, guess
taam khñom smaan	I think, in my opinion
naa-muoy	which one
yeeŋ	we
ntec tiet	a little later
rih	question particle (tag)

Grammar Notes

Noun and Numeral Substitutes

Khmer does not have an obligatory singular-plural distinction in its nouns. The simplest device is to specify indefinite singular by the addition of /muoy/ ‘one’ and to specify indefinite plural by the addition of /khlah/ ‘some’:

Cambodian	English
siew-phiw	’book,’ ‘books,’ ‘the book,’ ‘the books’
siew-phiw muoy	’one book,’ ‘a book’ (never ‘the book’)
siew-phiw khlah	’some books,’ ‘books’ (never ‘the books’)

Determiners and Substitutes

Indeterminate	’Singular'	'Plural’
—	muoy ‘one’	khlah ‘some’
—	aamuoy ‘the one’	—
naa ‘which’	naa-muoy ‘which one’	naa-khlah ‘which ones’
əy ‘what’	—	əy-khlah ‘what ones’
aetiet ‘other(s)‘	muoy tiet ‘another’	khlah tiet ‘other ones’
—	tii-pemaan ‘which in a series’	—

Location Phrases

Cambodian	English
khaŋ-sdam	on the right
khaŋ-chveeŋ	on the left
niw kondaal	in the middle
niw cit khdaa-khien	near the blackboard
kraoy khnooŋ look	behind you
niw-aenoh	over there

Practice Drills

Drill A: Substitution — What are we studying?

Cambodian	English
yeeŋ rien siew-phiw əy?	What book are we studying?
yeeŋ rien siew-phiw əy-khlah?	What books are we studying?
yeeŋ rien siew-phiw naa-muoy?	Which book are we studying?
yeeŋ rien siew-phiw naa-khlah?	Which books are we studying?
yeeŋ rien tumpóa tii-pemaan?	What page are we studying?

Drill B: Identifying Charts and Maps

Cambodian	English
cia kumnuu somrap boŋrien a?soo khmae.	It’s a chart for teaching Khmer consonants.
cia kumnuu somrap boŋrien sra? khmae.	It’s a chart for teaching Khmer vowels.
cia kumnuu somrap boŋrien sra? oŋglee.	It’s a chart for teaching English vowels.
cia siew-phiw somrap boŋrien a?soo oŋglee.	It’s a book for teaching English consonants.

Drill C: Guessing What Something Is

Cambodian	English
taam khñom smaan, cia phaen-tii srok khmae.	I would guess it’s a map of Cambodia.
taam khñom smaan, cia phaen-tii tii-kroŋ phnum piñ.	I would guess it’s a map of the city of Phnom Penh.
taam khñom smaan, cia ruup thoot look kruu.	I would guess it’s a picture of the teacher.
taam khñom smaan, cia phaen-tii srok khmae.	I would guess it’s a map of Cambodia.