Narration: Maps and Charts

Unit 15 is a narration and review unit centered on classroom objects, maps, and charts. The connected narrative describes a classroom scene where the teacher and students discuss what objects are present — pencils, books, maps, charts, pictures — their colors, quantities, and purposes. This unit reviews demonstratives, equational sentences, colors, comparatives, and counting from Units 11–14. No new grammar is introduced; instead, students practice converting dialogues into narrative form and answering comprehension questions.

Narration

Cambodian (romanized)	English
1. kee niyiey ompii reboh khlah niw khnoŋ bontup rien.	They are talking about things in the classroom.
2. kruu suo tiw koun seh niw somnuo khlah, douccia: aanih s?əy?	The teacher asks the students various questions, such as: ‘What’s this?‘
3. kruu boŋhaañ khmaw-day tiw koun seh.	The teacher shows pencils to the students.
4. koun seh mənέ? chlaəy somnuo kruu.	One of the students answers the teacher’s question.
5. kee thaa: nih cia khmaw-day.	He says: ‘These are pencils.‘
6. kruu coŋ?ol tiw siew-phiw, haəy suo thaa: coh aanuh?	The teacher points to a book and asks: ‘And what about that?‘
7. koun seh mənέ? tiet kraok chóo, haəy chlaəy thaa: nuh cia siew-phiw.	Another student stands up and replies: ‘That’s a book.‘
8. mian reboh khlah tiet dael kee niyiey khnia niw khnoŋ bontup rien.	There are other things which they talk about in the classroom.
9. s?əy niw ciñcéŋ, kruu suo tiw koun seh.	‘What’s on the wall?’ the teacher asks the students.
10. koun seh mənέ? chlaəy thaa niw ciñcéŋ mian ruup thoot pram, haəy niŋ phaen-tii muoy.	One of the students answers that on the wall there are five pictures and one map.
11. haəy kruu suo tiet thaa: phaen-tii srok əy?	Then the teacher asks further: ‘A map of what country?‘
12. koun seh tii-muoy chlaəy thaa: phaen-tii srok khmae.	The first student answers: ‘It’s a map of Cambodia.‘
13. kee chlaəy trəw, pontae kót coŋ deŋ ompii ruup muoy tiet dael niw khaŋ-chveeŋ.	The answer is correct, but he wants to know about another map which is to the left.
14. koun seh nuh ko prap tiw kruu thaa, cia phaen-tii tii-kroŋ phnum piñ.	So the student tells him that it’s a map of the city of Phnom Penh.
15. tae mian kumnuu muoy tiet niw cit khdaa khien.	But there is another chart near the blackboard.
16. kruu coŋ deŋ thaa, tae kumnuu nuh somrap thvəə ovəy?	The teacher wants to know what the purpose of the chart is.
17. koun seh mənέ? chlaəy thaa: kumnuu nuh somrap boŋrien a?soo khmae.	A student answers: ‘That chart is for teaching the Khmer alphabet.‘
18. koun seh mənέ? tiet suo tiw kruu thaa: tae kee rien sose a?soo əyləw niŋ?	Another student asks the teacher whether they are going to learn to write right away.
19. kruu ko prap tiw kee thaa: ntec tiet baan yeeŋ rien.	But the teacher tells him, ‘It’ll be a while before we study that.‘
20. haəy koun seh koo chup suo.	Then the students stop asking questions.

Narration (continued)

Cambodian (romanized)	English
21. kruu kan khmaw-day niw day, haəy suo tiw koun seh.	The teacher holds some pencils in his hand and questions the students.
22. kót suo tiw kee thaa: khñom mian khmaw-day pemaan?	He asks them: ‘How many pencils do I have?‘
23. koun seh mənέ? chlaəy thaa: look kruu mian khmaw-day bey.	A student answers: ‘You have three pencils, teacher.‘
24. mədooŋ nih kee niyiey ompii póa.	This time they talk about colors.
25. khmaw-day khaŋ-chveeŋ póa əy?	‘What color is the pencil on the left?‘
26. koun seh mənέ? chlaəy thaa: póa lieŋ.	A student replies: ‘It’s yellow.‘
27. kraoy móo?, kruu suo tiw kee tiet thaa:	Later, the teacher asks them further as follows:
28. muoy niw khaŋ-sdam haəy niŋ niw kondaal póa əy?	‘What color are the one on the right and the one in the middle?‘
29. kee chlaəy thaa: muoy niw khaŋ-sdam póa khiew, muoy niw kondaal póa krohoom.	They answer: ‘The one on the right is blue, and the one in the middle is red.‘
30. ruoc haəy, kee niyiey khnia ompii dooŋ pakaa, haəy niŋ póa ney dooŋ pakaa téŋ-oh nuh.	When that’s over, they talk about fountain pens and the colors of the pens.

Key Vocabulary

Cambodian	English
niyiey	talk, speak
ompii	about
bontup rien	classroom
boŋhaañ	show, demonstrate
coŋ?ol	point to
kraok chóo	stand up
coŋ deŋ	want to know
pontae	but
kót	he (formal/literary)
ko	so, then
chup	stop
kan	hold
day	hand
srok	country

Grammar Notes

Review: Equational Sentences

This unit reviews equational sentences from Unit 13. In equational sentences the predicate is a noun expression with no verb:

• nih cia khmaw-day. — This is a pencil.
• nuh cia siew-phiw. — That’s a book.
• cia phaen-tii srok khmae. — It’s a map of Cambodia.

Review: Demonstratives and Location

Cambodian	English
nih	this (near speaker)
nuh	that (away from speaker)
khaŋ-sdam	on the right
khaŋ-chveeŋ	on the left
niw kondaal	in the middle
niw cit khdaa-khien	near the blackboard

Review: Colors

Cambodian	English
póa lieŋ	yellow
póa khiew	blue
póa krohoom	red
póa khmaw	black

Narrative Style vs. Dialogue Style

The narration converts direct dialogue into reported speech. Compare:

Dialogue	Narration
əyləw soum bət siew-phiw mədooŋ tiet.	kruu boŋrien prap aoy koun seh bət siew-phiw mədooŋ tiet.
(Now please close your books again.)	(The teacher tells the students to close their books again.)

Practice Drills

Drill: Comprehension Questions

Answer in Cambodian based on the narration:

Question	Expected Answer
kee niyiey ompii ovəy?	kee niyiey ompii reboh khnoŋ bontup rien.
kruu boŋhaañ ovəy tiw koun seh?	kruu boŋhaañ khmaw-day tiw koun seh.
niw ciñcéŋ mian ovəy?	niw ciñcéŋ mian ruup thoot pram haəy niŋ phaen-tii muoy.
phaen-tii srok ovəy?	phaen-tii srok khmae.
kumnuu niw cit khdaa-khien somrap ovəy?	somrap boŋrien a?soo khmae.
kruu mian khmaw-day pemaan?	kruu mian khmaw-day bey.
khmaw-day khaŋ-chveeŋ póa əy?	póa lieŋ.
khmaw-day khaŋ-sdam póa əy?	póa khiew.
khmaw-day niw kondaal póa əy?	póa krohoom.