Prepositions are words that convey the relationship between different parts of phrases or sentences. They usually express location, time, direction, or possession. In Khmer, prepositions are known as “thnah chhmoh” and are placed before a noun or pronoun to modify or describe its function within a sentence.
Similarly, in the Khmer language, prepositions play a crucial role in defining relationships between elements within a sentence. You should learn these prepositions to master the language and express ideas accurately. In this article, you’ll explore Khmer prepositions, their usage, and their significance in the Khmer language.
Introduction To Khmer Prepositions
- Khmer has a set of core prepositions, and their total count is around 70.
- In Khmer, prepositions are typically placed before nouns or pronouns, but there may be exceptions in certain contexts.
- In Khmer culture, prepositions can be used to add nuances of respect and politeness into a sentence. For example, using the appropriate preposition when referring to someone’s house can show respect for their property.
- Prepositions can be a part of idiomatic expressions and proverbs in Khmer. You can learn these expressions to deepen your understanding of the language and gain insight into Cambodian culture.
How To Use Khmer Prepositions In A Sentence?
To use Khmer prepositions in a sentence, you can follow this pattern:
Subject + Preposition + Noun + Verb/Adjective/Adverb
For example, the preposition នៅលើ (nɨlɨə), meaning “on”. In a sentence, it would look like this:
I placed the book on the table. – ខ្ញុំសួរភ្ញៀវនៅលើម៉ាស៊ីន។ (Knhom suoy phneav nɨlɨə masin.)
This pattern applies to various Khmer prepositions to make relationships between elements in a sentence clear.
Khmer Prepositions
Khmer prepositions are important words for clear communication and proper sentence construction. Proper usage of prepositions allows speakers to convey precise meanings and prevent ambiguity in their messages. Whether written or spoken, using the right prepositions enhances language fluency and makes conversations more engaging.
| English Preposition | Khmer Correspondence | Khmer Pronunciation | Example Sentence In Khmer |
|---|---|---|---|
| about | អំពី | អំពី | អំពីលោកអ្នកកាន់អ្នកម្នាក់ក្រុមនេះ។ (About the party, tell him to invite more people.) |
| above | ខាងលើ | ខាងលើ | ព្រះអាទិត្យនៅខាងលើក្រឡាច។ (The sun is above the mountain.) |
| against | ប្រឆាំង /ទប់ទល់នឹង | ប្រឆាំង /ទប់ទល់នឹង | ខ្ញុំអាចរៀបរាប់បន្ទាប់ប្រឆាំងលោកលោកអ្នក។ (I can compete against you.) |
| among | រវាង | រវាង | មិនមានទេក្រុមគ្រួសាររវាងគ្រួសារនេះ។ (There is no unity among this family.) |
| around | ជុំវិញ / ប្រហែល | ជុំវិញ / ប្រហែល | ខ្ញុំពិតថាមានជុំវិញនឹងមានរហូតដល់ដោយទិសដៅ។ (I believe in karma, what goes around comes around.) |
| as | ដូចដែល / ដូចជា | ដូចដែល / ដូចជា | ជូនមើលទូលាយទូលាយដូចដែលសម្រាប់សត្វជម្នាគួរជួយ។ (Observing and imitating animals is beneficial for children.) |
| at | នៅឯ | នៅឯ | ខ្ញុំនៅឯកតានៅបណ្តាញរដ្ឋបាល។ (I work at the government office.) |
| behind | ខាងក្រោយ | ខាងក្រោយ | ស្លាកនៅខាងក្រោយបង្កើតជួរដែលបានឆ្លងតាមរួចហើយ។ (The ladder is placed behind the wall that has been built.) |
| below | ខាងក្រោម | ខាងក្រោម | ទីតាំងផ្ទះមួយនេះនៅខាងក្រោមទំហំភាគច្រើន។ (The location of this house is below the hilltop.) |
| beneath | ខាងក្រោម | ខាងក្រោម | កង់របស់ខ្ញុំបានត្រូវបានទប់ផ្លូវនៅខាងក្រោមតំបន់ផ្សេង។ (My bike got stuck beneath the big tree.) |
| beside | ចំហៀង | ចំហៀង | នេះគឺជាក្រុមទាំងអស់ចំហៀងគ្នានេះ។ (These are all the objects beside each other.) |
| between | ចន្លោះ / រវាង | ចន្លោះ / រវាង | ត្រូវបានមានពាក្យគ្រប់ចន្លោះរវាងពួកគេ។ (There should be words between the paragraphs.) |
| beyond | លើសលប់ / ហួសពី | លើសលប់ / ហួសពី | អាកាសលើសលប់ជាងលោកលោកអ្នក។ (The view is beyond what you can see.) |
| down | ចុះក្រោម | ចុះក្រោម | កង់ក្រោយគេត្រូវបានចុះក្រោមដោយខ្សែរ៉ឺកែម៉ាឡេ។ (The kite goes down when the string is released.) |
| during | ក្នុងកំឡុងពេល | ក្នុងកំឡុងពេល | ក្នុងកំឡុងពេលសកលវិស័យកំពុងបាត់បង់នេះ។ (During the pandemic, the economy is declining.) |
| for | សម្រាប់ / ចំពោះ | សម្រាប់ / ចំពោះ | សម្រាប់ការសិក្សានេះប្រសិនបើអ្នកមិនព្យាយាមទិញប្រើទុក។ (For this lesson, you don’t need to buy a notebook.) |
| from | ពី / មកពី | ពី / មកពី | ពីការងារមកពីស្រុកនេះមានប្រាក់ចំណាយ។ (From the work in the village, you have expenses.) |
| in | ក្នុង | ក្នុង | ក្នុងពេលព្រឹកនេះគឺជាថ្ងៃបញ្ចប់នៃអាទិភាពជោគជ័យ។ (In the morning, it is the end of the successful life.) |
| inside | ខាងក្នុង | ខាងក្នុង | នេះគឺជាទីក្នុងអាស្រ័យ។ (This is a place inside a temple.) |
| into | ខាងក្នុង | ខាងក្នុង | អ្នកត្រូវបញ្ចូលប្រាក់នៅក្នុងប្រាសាក់។ (You need to put money into the wallet.) |
| near | ជិត | ជិត | ទីតាំងផ្ទះគេជិតនៅជិតភ្នំធ្លី។ (The location of their house is near the mountain.) |
| next | បន្ទាប់ | បន្ទាប់ | បន្ទាប់មកគេនឹងអនុវត្តភាពនៃម៉ាត់ស៊ី។ (Next, they will celebrate the birthday party.) |
| of | នៃ / របស់ | នៃ / របស់ | ខ្ញុំចាប់ផ្តើមសិក្សារបស់ខ្ញុំនៅសាលានេះ។ (I started my studies at this school.) |
| on | អំពី | អំពី | សំណួរមិនទាន់បានជ្រើសរើសលើសប្រចាំប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ (The question hasn’t been chosen yet.) |
| opposite | ទល់មុខ | ទល់មុខ | ខ្ញុំបានមកពីទល់មុខរបស់អ្នក។ (I come from the opposite side of you.) |
| through | តាមដាន / តាមការ | តាមដាន / តាមការ | សួរការស្នេហ៍តាមដានផ្លូវនេះ។ (Ask for directions through this street.) |
| to | ទៅ / ដើម្បី | ទៅ / ដើម្បី | អ្នកត្រូវការចំណាយពីទំព័រនេះទៅកាន់ទំព័រកន្លែងមួយ។ (You need to navigate from this page to another location.) |
| toward | ទៅក្រោយ | ទៅក្រោយ | មានសំណួរមួយទៅក្រោយចំពោះសិស្សនិស្ស។ (There’s a question toward the students.) |
| under | ក្រោម | ក្រោម | ស្លាកនេះនៅក្រោមទិសដៅ។ (This ladder is under the direction.) |
| until | ដល់ខែ / រហូតដល់ | ដល់ខែ / រហូតដល់ | ខ្ញុំនឹងជួយអ្នកដល់ខែកាលដើម្បីទាន់សម័យ។ (I will assist you until the end of the month.) |
| up | ឡើងលើ | ឡើងលើ | អ្នកអាចកើតឡើងលើសំណើរនេះ។ (You can climb up this ladder.) |
| upon | អស់លើស | អស់លើស | ខ្ញុំចូលដំណាក់អស់លើសគឺត្រូវបានជួយស៊ី១០។ (Entering the competition, he got help from his friend.) |
| with | ជាមួយ | ជាមួយ | ទោះបីជាមួយស្មារតីគេនឹងអនុវត្តបន្ត។ (Although with his family, he’s still lonely.) |
| within | ក្នុងរយៈពេល | ក្នុងរយៈពេល | នៅក្នុងរយៈពេលចំងាយ។ (Within a short time.) |
| without | មិនមានទេរកទិស | មិនមានទេរកទិស | មិនមានទេរកទិសបន្ទាប់មកគ្មានការលើស។ (Without a plan, there is no progress.) |
Khmer prepositions are essential components of the Cambodian language, allowing speakers to articulate precise relationships between objects, locations, and time. Understanding their usage is fundamental for effective communication and fluency in Khmer. By practicing and immersing themselves in the language, learners can master these prepositions and enhance their overall language skills.
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