Saying “I want X” — Cultural note


នៅហាងទំនិញផ្សេងនៅប្រទេសខ្មែរ ពេលដែលភ្ញៀវកំពុងដើរមើលអីវ៉ាន់ អ្នកលក់ច្រើនតែឈរនៅជិត បំណងចាំឆ្លើយសំណួរនៅពេលភ្ញៀវសួរ ប៉ុន្តែ ការដើរតាមភ្ញៀវគ្រប់ជំហានបែបនេះ ធ្វើឲ្យភ្ញៀវពិបាកនឹងដើរមើលទំនិញបានដោយសេរី

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KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
នៅ nɨv 1. in, at
2. to be located at, to live in or at, to reside, to stay, to be in
3. still, yet (pre-verbal marker of a durative or continuative aspect, as a final particle in the tag question ហើយឬនៅ it means 'yet' and as a reply to a question of this kind, it means 'not yet') {ញ៉ាំអីហើយនៅ? = Have you eaten already?}
ហាង haaŋ store, shop
ទំនិញ tumnɨɲ goods, merchandise
ផ្សេង pseeŋ to differ, to be different (from each other), to be separate
ប្រទេស prɑteeh country, nation
ខ្មែរ kmae Khmer, Cambodian
ពេល peel 1. time
2. moment, instant, period of time
ដែល dael 1. who, whom, which, where, when
2. of/to/in/at which/whom
3. the fact/reason that
4. ever, happened to, having done at least once, having been to, already, always, had occasion to, have ever {អត់ដែលដឹងសោះ = I’ve never known this!}
ភ្ញៀវ pɲiəv 1. guest, visitor
2. client, customer
កំពុង kɑmpuŋ to be in the process of (doing something)
ដើរ daə 1. to walk, to go, to move
2. (of machines) to run
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!}
អីវ៉ាន់ ʔəyvan objects, things, merchandise, goods, baggage
អ្នកលក់ neak lʊək seller
ច្រើនតែ craən tae mostly, usually, for the most part
ឈរ cʰɔɔ to stand (up)
ជិត cɨt 1. to be close, near
2. tight
3. close-set, dense, thick
4. closely, tightly
5. almost
6. about to, on the point of (doing something)
7. to cover completely, be completely/firmly covered
8. command used by elephant drivers to make an elephant to move closer
បំណង bɑmnɑɑŋ wish, desire, intention, aim
ចាំ cam 1. to wait (for)
2. to remember, to memorize, to know by heart
3. phrase-initial: I will [do ... for you very soon/now] {ចាំខ្ញុំយកឲ្យវិញបង = I’ll get it back for you} {ចាំខ្ញុំពន្យល់ពីរបៀបប្រើ = I’ll explain you how it works} {ចាំមើលណា = Let me see...}
ឆ្លើយ claəy to reply, to answer
សំណួរ sɑmnuə question
សួរ suə 1. to ask, question, enquire
2. to visit, come to see
ប៉ុន្តែ pontae but, however
Notes: ជើង ត; root: តែ
ការ kaa 1. commonly occurs as a nominalizing particle deriving abstract nouns or noun phrases from verbs or verb phrases
2. work, occupation
3. business, affair, matter
4. to protect, defend, prevent
5. to marry
6. marriage
7. wedding
8. interest (e.g., on a loan)
9. profit
10. usury
11. to wind (into a skein/bobbin/reel)
12. to spin (silk)
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}
គ្រប់ krup 1. all of, every
2. to be enough, complete, whole, entire
3. to rule, administer, govern
4. to manage
5. to take care of
6. to regulate
ជំហាន cumhien step, pace
បែប baep kind, sort, model, type, style, form, shape, method, way
នេះ nih 1. this, these
2. often serves simply to emphasize something already referred to or something nearby in time or space
ធ្វើឲ្យ tvəə ʔaoy 1. to cause, make (someone) do (something)
2. to do (something) for (someone) (often used to form causative compounds)
ពិបាក piʔbaak 1. difficult {ការទិញអីវ៉ាន់នៅខ្មែររៀងពិបាកបន្តិច = buying things in Cambodia is a bit difficult/not easy} {តែពិបាកត្រង់ ឆាប់ងងុយដេក = the problem is: I’m getting tired easily}
2. sad, poor, miserable
3. to suffer
នឹង nɨŋ with, by (means of), (attached) to
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)}
ដោយសេរី daoy seerǝy freely