School and Studying

This unit introduces reading and studying activities in the classroom. You will learn vocabulary related to books, flags, designs, and classroom instructions. The unit also covers pre-verbal modifiers used in commands and statements.

Basic Dialogue

Cambodian (romanized)	English
ɛylow yeeŋ niŋ cap mɔel. soum baek siew-phiw khiew.	Now we are going to start reading. Open your blue books.
ruup ɛy niw lee króop siew-phiw nih? túŋ ciat khmaɛJ?	What’s the picture on the cover of this book? Is it the Khmer national flag?
tee, min-mɛɛn túŋ ciat tee. krón-taɛ cia kumnuu tee.	No, that’s not the flag. It’s just a design.
ou, ɛñceŋ?	Oh, is that so?
soum baek tumpóa tii-muoy. yeeŋ niŋ cap rien mɔel.	Open to page one. We are going to begin learning to read.
yeeŋ cap rien sosee daɛJ?	Are we going to start learning to write too?
tee, min tón tee. krón-taɛ mɔel tee.	No, not yet. Only to read.
sosee lee siew-phiw baan tee?	May I write in the book?
kom sosee lee siew-phiw. prae krodah pseeŋ tiw.	Don’t write in the book. Use a separate (sheet of) paper.
prae dooŋ pakaa baan tee?	Can we use a pen?
kom prae dooŋ pakaa. prae khmaw-day sruol ciaŋ.	Don’t use a pen. It’s better to use pencil.

Key Vocabulary

Cambodian	English
cap	to begin, start
mɔel	to read, to look at
rien	to study, to learn
sosee	to write
baek	to open
tumpóa	page
króop	cover
túŋ ciat	national flag
kumnuu	design, chart
krodah	paper
pseeŋ	other, different
soum	please
kom	don’t
krón-taɛ	only
min tón	not yet
cap rien	to start learning
prae	to use
sruol ciaŋ	better, easier
niŋ	will
lee	on, in (writing surface)

Grammar Notes

Pre-Verbal Modifiers

Khmer uses pre-verbal modifiers that belong to specific positions relative to the main verb:

1. Before Verb (Class 1): soum ‘please’, kom ‘don’t’, khom ‘try to’, cam ‘wait and’
2. Before or After Verb (Class 2): niŋ ‘will’, cap ‘begin’, kit ‘intend’, aoy ‘to let, have’
3. After Verb (Class 3): baan ‘can’, haey ‘already’, daɛ ‘also’

These are mutually exclusive within each class. When two or more from Class 2 occur together, they follow the order: niŋ cap, niŋ aoy, kit aoy, etc.

The Modifier /min tón/ ‘not yet’

The modifier min tón ‘not yet’ can occur before or after a main verb and indicates that the action has not yet begun or been completed. It is the opposite of haey ‘already.‘

Practice Drills

Drill A. Identification

Cambodian	English
nih cia túŋ ciat khmaɛJ?	Is this the Cambodian flag (or what)?
nih cia kumnuu somrap boŋrien aʔsoo J?	Is this a chart for teaching the alphabet?
nih cia ruup thoot look kruuJ?	Is this the teacher’s picture?
nih cia phaɛn-tii srok khmaɛJ?	Is this a map of Cambodia?
nih cia siew-phiw onglee J?	Is this an English book?
nih cia túŋ ciat onglee J?	Is this the English flag?

Drill B. Fluency Expansion

Cambodian	English
yeeŋ niŋ mɔel.	We’re going to read.
yeeŋ niŋ cap mɔel.	We’re going to start reading.
ɛylow yeeŋ niŋ cap mɔel.	Now we’re going to start reading.
ɛylow yeeŋ niŋ cap mɔel mee-rien tii-18.	Now we’re going to start reading Lesson 18.
ɛylow yeeŋ niŋ cap rien mɔel mee-rien tii-18.	Now we’re going to start learning to read Lesson 18.
ɛylow yeeŋ niŋ cap rien mɔel mee-rien tii-18, mɛɛn tee?	Now we’re going to start learning to read Lesson 18, aren’t we?