Saying “I don’t understand” — Additional dialogue


កញ្ញាធារី លំហាត់នេះ 2 + 2 x 3 ម៉េចក៏ស្មើនឹង 8 អីចឹង? មិនមែនស្មើ 12 ទេហ?
ធារីមើល! អូ បើមានសញ្ញាបូក ហើយសញ្ញាគុណអីចឹង យើងត្រូវធ្វើវិធីគុណមុន
កញ្ញាអត់យល់!
ធារីមានន័យថា យើងត្រូវយក 2 គុណនឹង 3 មុនអីចឹងវាមិនស្មើនឹង 6? រួចហើយ បានយកទៅបូកនឹង 2 តាមក្រោយអីចឹង 6 បូកនឹង 2 វាមិនស្មើនឹង 8?
កញ្ញាអូ អីចឹងទេ! យល់ហើយ!

Link to overview page
Link to dictionary

KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
កញ្ញា kaɲɲaa female Cambodian name
ធារី tʰierii female Cambodian name
លំហាត់ lumhat 1. exercise, drill
2. homework
នេះ nih 1. this, these
2. often serves simply to emphasize something already referred to or something nearby in time or space
ម៉េចក៏ məc kɑɑ how come, how is it that, why is it that, why
Notes: colloquial
ស្មើនឹង smaǝ nɨŋ the same as, idential to, equal to
អីចឹង ʔəycəŋ 1. like this, like that, in that way, then {គិតម៉េចទៅអីចឹង? = What are you going to do next?} {ធ្វើមុខអីអីចឹង? = Why are you making such a face?}
2. really?
Notes: variant: អ៊ីចឹង
មិនមែន mɨn mɛɛn no, not, is not
ស្មើ smaə 1. to be equal, comparable, alike, the same
2. even, impartial
ទេហ tee hɑɑ colloquial form of ទេឬ = isn’t it?
Notes: colloquial
មើល məəl 1. to look at, to watch, to watch for, to observe
2. to read (to oneself), to review (a lesson)
3. to examine, survey, inspect
4. to observe
5. to treat (medically)
6. to care for, take care of
7. to consider, regard
8. particle: come on, give it a try
9. let me see!
10. phrase-final: softens a command or request {ជួយបង្ហាញតិចមើល = Please show me!}
អូ ʔou oh, aha (exclamation expressing sudden realization, or loss of doubt)
បើ baə 1. if, may be
2. although
មាន mien 1. to have, possess, own
2. to exist, there is, there are
3. to be rich, own property
4. indicates the accomplishment of an action, to happen to, to have occasion to
Notes: in spoken Khmer, negated មាន (មិនមាន or គ្មាន) can be contracted into មាន, e.g., មានអ្នកណាចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there's nobody who wants to meet you’ — contrast this with the affirmative: មានគេចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there’s somebody who wants to meet you’
សញ្ញាបូក saɲɲaa bouk plus sign (+)
ហើយ haǝy 1. to be finished, ended, completed
2. enough!
3. final particle indicating completed action, already, by now
4. in a future context indicates action that will be completed at some future time
5. and, afterwards, next, then, after that
សញ្ញាគុណ saɲɲaa kun multiplication sign (x)
យើង yəəŋ 1. we
2. I (familiar)
3. in final position used to refer to 'our Cambodian ...' {ទុរេនកំពតយើងមែន? = Kampot durian (from our country, Cambodia), right?}
ត្រូវ trəv 1. must, have to
2. to be correct, right, proper, exact, accurate
3. to concern, have to do with, to agree/jibe with, coincide with
4. to be affected with/by, to suffer, undergo (ត្រូវ + CLAUSE marks a passive-like construction in which the subject of the clause introduced by ត្រូវ is translated as the agent in the passive construction)
ធ្វើ tvəə 1. to do, to make, to work, to prepare
2. to cultivate (a field) {ធ្វើស្រែ = to work in a rice field, be a farmer, grow rice}
វិធី viʔtʰii 1. method, style, arrangement
2. ceremony, ritual
គុណ kun 1. merit, good deed, favor, kindness, virtue, something worthy of remembrance
2. to multiply, increase
3. class, stage
4. quality, value
5. aspect
6. progress
មុន mun 1. previous(ly), former(ly) {ខែមុន = last month}
2. first, before {ញ៉ាំមុនចុះ = Go ahead and eat first!}
អត់ ʔɑt 1. no, not
2. to be without, lacking
3. to restrain oneself, abstain from
4. particle to form yes/no questions
យល់ yʊəl 1. to understand, comprehend
2. to learn
3. to see, perceive
4. recognize, know
5. to favor, be partial to
មានន័យ mien ney to mean
ថា tʰaa 1. to say, tell, pronounce
2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse)
3. I've [just] said, [...]
យក yɔɔk 1. to take (in one's hand or with oneself), hold
2. when ordering: I’ll take, I’ll have {យកបបរគ្រឿងសាច់ជ្រូកម៉ាចាន = I’ll have a bowl of pork porridge}
3. to take (away)
4. to steal
5. to bring
6. to borrow
7. to get, obtain, achieve
នឹង nɨŋ with, by (means of), (attached) to
វា vie 1. it (of animals, things, or very young children)
2. he, she, they (familiar or contemptuous)
មិន mɨn negative particle not, non- (usually requires the final particle ទេ)
រួច ruəc 1. to finish, end, achieve, complete
2. indicates the possibility of completing the action of the main verb, to be able
3. already, then, after that
បាន baan 1. to have completed/done something
2. to intend to complete something
3. marker of completed action
4. to get, obtain, acquire, to achieve, have been able to, to get/have the opportunity to do something
5. to get someone or something to do something (often translated by the English passive in this sense)
6. to be able to
7. not ... until, then and only then
8. to pass to someone through inheritance
9. to be OK, fine, all right
10. [spoken language] however, though, in contrast {ម្សិលមិញបានក្ដៅខ្លាំង = yesterday, however, it was very hot}
11. {បានហើយ = I'm done, I give up, I'm finished (depending on the context)}
ទៅ tɨv 1. to go (away from the speaker in space or time), to go to/towards, go on, continue, advance, go away
2. towards
3. from now on, from then on (often used as a particle indicating that the action began at some point in the past or present and continued on into the future or that the action is directed away from the speaker)
4. imperative particle, go ahead and ...! {ញ៉ាំទៅ = Go ahead and eat/drink!}
បូក bouk 1. to add (numbers)
2. to add up, to mix together
3. sum, total
4. hump
5. to plaster, to smear
តាម taam 1. to follow, to agree, to go along {ដើរតាមភ្ញៀវគ្រប់ជំហាន = to follow the customer’s every step}
2. according to, in accordance with, following, along, by, through {តាមអាយុ = according to age} {តាមសម្រួល = take it easy/take your time}
3. on, in, along {ជិះម៉ូតូតាមផ្លូវ = to ride a motorbike on the street} {ជិះតាមផ្លូវតូចៗ = to drive on small roads} {នៅតាមខេត្ត = in/throughout the province} {លក់នៅតាមផ្សារ = to sell in the market}
ក្រោយ kraoy 1. to be next, behind, after
2. back
3. later, next
4. in the future
ទេ tee 1. particle: negative particle occurring in phrase final position especially after មិន, ពុំ, etc.
2. interrogative particle occurring in phrase final position, often in the combination ឬទេ
3. neutral/positive particle to add emphasis {ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយទេ = I'm fine!} {យកតែមួយទេ = I’ll take only one!}