Asking “What is this?” — Dialogue 3


ធារីពិសិដ្ឋ! អីហ្នឹង?
ពិសិដ្ឋវចនានុក្រមអេឡិចត្រូនិចហ្នឹងណា!
ធារីអូ! ខ្ញុំស្មានតែអីគេវចនានុក្រមអេឡិចត្រូនិចសោះមើលដំបូង / ពីចម្ងាយអត់ស្គាល់

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KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
ធារី tʰierii female Cambodian name
ពិសិដ្ឋ piʔsət male Cambodian name
អី ʔəy 1. what? {អីហ្នឹង?/អីគេ?/អីគេហ្នឹង? = what is this?/what?} {កាន់អីនៅនឹងដៃហ្នឹង? = What are [you] holding in [your] hand?}
2. something, anything {មានអីអត់ = Are you all right?/Is everything ok?/Did anything happen?} {ខ្ញុំទៅក្រៅញ៉ាំអី = I’m going out to eat something}
Notes: variant of អ្វី
ហ្នឹង nɨŋ this, that, right here, right now (colloquial form of នេះ = this, that)
វចនានុក្រម veaʔcaʔnaanuʔkrɑm dictionary
អេឡិចត្រូនិច eeləttrounɨt electronic
Notes: also written អេឡិចត្រូនិក; neither in Headley nor Chuon
ហ្នឹងណា nɨŋ naa 1. just
2. it's just, it's just that
Notes: BCF; colloquial
អូ ʔou oh, aha (exclamation expressing sudden realization, or loss of doubt)
ខ្ញុំ kɲom I
ស្មាន smaan 1. to guess, to approximate, to suppose, to think, to assume
2. to suspect
3. to seem, to appear
តែ tae 1. but, however
2. only, just
3. tea
អីគេ ʔəy kee 1. what {អីគេ? = Pardon?/What?} {អីគេហ្នឹង? = What is this?} {ជប់លៀងអីគេ វុទ្ធី? = What party, វុទ្ធី?}
2. something, anything {តែដូចភ្លេចអីគេម្យ៉ាង … = But it’s as if I’ve forgotten something …}
Notes: colloquial
សោះ sɑh 1. final particle: (in negative clauses) at all, in the least, completely, utterly, absolutely, finally
2. to be completely out of
3. to be empty, devoid of content
4. to be tasteless, insipid, flavorless, lifeless
5. tired, exhausted
6. pale, anemic
7. it’s just … {សំឡេងទូរស័ព្ទសោះ = it’s just the sound of the phone}
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!}
ដំបូង dɑmbouŋ 1. first, first of all, before
2. at first, in the beginning
ពី pii from, since, of, about, at
ចម្ងាយ cɑmŋaay distance
Notes: root: ឆ្ងាយ; also written ចំងាយ
អត់ ʔɑt 1. no, not
2. to be without, lacking
3. to restrain oneself, abstain from
4. particle to form yes/no questions
ស្គាល់ skoal 1. to know (someone), recognize, have seen before
2. to be familiar with