Superlatives and Quantity

This unit introduces superlatives and quantity comparison. Students compare classroom objects (pencils, pens) by size and learn the comparative marker /ciaŋ/ (more than) and the superlative construction /ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh/ (more than all of them). The dialogue involves identifying which pencil is longest, shortest, and comparing colors. Location vocabulary is reinforced with /niw kondaal/ (in the middle), /niw troŋnaa/ (where).

Basic Dialogue

Cambodian (romanized)	English
khmaw-day naa-muoy veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh?	Which pencil is the longest?
khmaw-day póa lieŋ.	The yellow pencil.
khmaw-day naa-muoy khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh?	Which pencil is the shortest?
póa khiew.	The blue one.
coh khmaw-day póa krohoom?	And the red pencil?
khmaw-day póa krohoom veeŋ ciaŋ khmaw-day póa khiew, tae khley ciaŋ khmaw day póa lieŋ.	The red pencil is larger than the green one, but shorter than the yellow one.
coh dooŋ pakaa haəy niŋ khmaw-day póa khiew, aanaa veeŋ ciaŋ?	Which is larger, the pen or the blue pencil?
khmaw-day veeŋ ciaŋ.	The pencil is larger.
khmaw-day póa krohoom niw troŋnaa?	Where is the red pencil?
niw kondaal khmaw-day pii tiet.	Between the other two pencils.
haəy khmaw-day póa lieŋ niw troŋnaa?	And where is the yellow pencil?
niw khaŋ-chveeŋ.	It’s on the left.
muoy khaŋ-sdam póa əy?	What color is the one on the right?
póa khiew.	It’s blue.

Key Vocabulary

Cambodian	English
veeŋ	long, tall
khley	short
ciaŋ	more (comparative marker)
kee boŋ-oh	all of them
veeŋ ciaŋ	longer/taller (comparative)
khley ciaŋ	shorter (comparative)
veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh	longest (superlative)
khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh	shortest (superlative)
tae	but
troŋnaa	where
kondaal	middle, between
mun	before
kraoy	after

Adjectives That Can Be Compared

Cambodian	English
l?oo	good
sruol	easy
pibaa?	hard
ŋiey	easy
khlaŋ	strong, loud
tec	little, soft
ñóp	fast
yɨɨt	slow

Grammar Notes

Comparison of Adjectives

One set of adjective modifiers in Khmer corresponds closely to the English comparative and superlative. The Khmer forms are /ciaŋ/ ‘more’ and /boŋhot/ ‘most,’ but the latter is usually replaced in colloquial speech by the phrase ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh ‘more than all of them (others).’

Form	Pattern	Example
Base	veeŋ ‘long’	khmaw-day nih veeŋ. (This pencil is long.)
Comparative	veeŋ ciaŋ ‘longer’	khmaw-day nih veeŋ ciaŋ. (This pencil is longer.)
Comparative + standard	veeŋ ciaŋ X ‘longer than X’	khmaw-day nih veeŋ ciaŋ khmaw-day nuh. (This pencil is longer than that one.)
Superlative	veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh ‘longest of all’	khmaw-day nih veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh. (This pencil is the longest.)

The same pattern applies to /khley/ (short):

• khley ciaŋ — shorter
• khley ciaŋ X — shorter than X
• khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh — shortest of all

Ordinal Expressions with /kee boŋ-oh/

Note that /kee/ cannot be omitted in adjective expressions as it can in ‘first’ and ‘last’:

• mun (kee) boŋ-oh — first of all
• kraoy (kee) boŋ-oh — last of all

Practice Drills

Drill A: Superlative Questions

Teacher	Student
khmaw-day naa-muoy khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh? (póa khiew)	khmaw-day póa khiew khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.
dooŋ pakaa naa-muoy khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh? (póa khmaw)	dooŋ pakaa póa khmaw khley ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.
khmaw-day naa-muoy veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh? (póa lieŋ)	khmaw-day póa lieŋ veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.
dooŋ pakaa naa-muoy veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh? (póa krohoom)	dooŋ pakaa póa krohoom veeŋ ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.

Drill B: Comparative Statements

Cambodian	English
khmaw-day póa krohoom veeŋ ciaŋ khmaw-day póa khiew.	The red pencil is longer than the blue pencil.
khmaw-day póa khiew khley ciaŋ khmaw-day póa lieŋ.	The blue pencil is shorter than the yellow pencil.
mee-rien tii-muoy sruol ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.	The first lesson is the easiest.
khlia tii-pmmuoy pibaa? ciaŋ kee boŋ-oh.	The sixth sentence is the hardest.