Reading: Reading for Inference & Implied Meaning: B2 Lesson 3: Understanding Figurative Language (metaphors, idioms)

Reading B2

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Figurative Language

ការស្វែងយល់ពីរចនាបថភាសា (ភាសាប្រៀបធៀប)

Authors don't always mean exactly what they write. To reach a B2 level, you must read between the lines to find the hidden meaning.

អ្នកនិពន្ធមិនមែនតែងតែសរសេរអ្វីដែលត្រង់ៗនោះទេ។ ដើម្បីអានអត្ថបទកម្រិតខ្ពស់បាន អ្នកត្រូវចេះអានយកអត្ថន័យបង្កប់។

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Metaphors

រូបារម្មណ៍ / ការប្រៀបធៀបដោយផ្ទាល់

Saying one thing IS another thing.

(ការប្រៀបធៀបរបស់ម្យ៉ាងទៅនឹងរបស់ម្យ៉ាងទៀតដោយផ្ទាល់ ដោយមិនប្រើពាក្យ "ដូច"។)

Time is money.

ពេលវេលាគឺជាមាសប្រាក់។

Meaning: Time is very valuable.

He has a heart of stone.

គាត់មានបេះដូងថ្ម។

Meaning: He does not show emotion or sympathy.

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Similes

ឧបមា / ការប្រៀបធៀបដោយប្រើពាក្យ "ដូច"

Comparing things using "like" or "as".

(ការប្រៀបធៀបដោយប្រើពាក្យ like ឬ as ដើម្បីបង្ហាញភាពស្រដៀងគ្នា។)

As brave as a lion.

ក្លាហានដូចសត្វតោ។

Meaning: Very courageous.

They fight like cats and dogs.

ពួកគេឈ្លោះគ្នាដូចឆ្មានិងឆ្កែ។

Meaning: They argue constantly.

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Idioms

សំនួនវោហារស័ព្ទ

Phrases where the meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words.

(ឃ្លាដែលអត្ថន័យពិតប្រាកដ ខុសស្រឡះពីអត្ថន័យពាក្យនីមួយៗបូកបញ្ចូលគ្នា។)

Bite the bullet

ខាំគ្រាប់កាំភ្លើង (ន័យត្រង់)

Meaning: To force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant. (ស៊ូទ្រាំធ្វើរឿងលំបាក)

Hit the roof

បុកដំបូល (ន័យត្រង់)

Meaning: To become extremely angry. (ខឹងខ្លាំងមែនទែន)

The Literal Trap! ❌

Translating Word-for-Word

(ការបកប្រែចំៗតាមពាក្យនីមួយៗ)

If you read "it costs an arm and a leg" and think someone is selling their body parts, you've fallen into the trap!

បើសិនអ្នកអានជួបសំនួនវោហារស័ព្ទ ហើយបកប្រែវាតាមន័យត្រង់ អ្នកនឹងយល់ខុសអត្ថន័យទាំងស្រុងនៃអត្ថបទ។

The Solution: Context Clues

How to guess unknown idioms?

(តើត្រូវទាយអត្ថន័យសំនួនវោហារស័ព្ទដែលយើងមិនធ្លាប់ស្គាល់ដោយរបៀបណា?)

Look at the sentences before and after the idiom. They usually explain the situation.

ឧទាហរណ៍៖ "He lost his job, his car broke down, and he feels under the weather." (តាមរយៈបរិបទ គាត់កំពុងជួបរឿងអាក្រក់ ដូច្នេះ under the weather មិនមែនជារឿងល្អទេ គឺមានន័យថា ឈឺ។)

Figurative Reading 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain how to spot metaphors and idioms in complex texts. Train your brain to see beyond the literal meaning!

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Knowledge Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង ⚡

Identify the Type

"The city is a concrete jungle."

(តើប្រយោគនេះជាអ្វី?)

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Reading Comprehension

If a story says a character "hit the roof" when he saw his broken window, what does it mean?

(តើឃ្លានេះមានន័យយ៉ាងម៉េចក្នុងបរិបទនេះ?)

CONTEXT CLUES 🔍

"I don't want to wake up at 5 AM, but I have to bite the bullet and go to work." What does it mean?

(តាមរយៈបរិបទ តើវាមានន័យដូចម្តេច?)

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Metaphor vs Literal

Which sentence is a metaphor?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាជារូបារម្មណ៍ប្រៀបធៀប?)

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Reading Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Song Analysis 🎵 Find the lyrics to your favorite English song. Find one Metaphor or Simile used in it.

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Reading Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Use an Idiom 💬 Write a short paragraph about your day and include one idiom from this lesson (e.g., piece of cake, under the weather).

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Reading Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Cultural Translation 🇰🇭 Think of a popular Khmer idiom. How would you explain its meaning (not the literal words) to an English speaker?

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Chanda 3 hours ago

Teacher, how do I know if a sentence is literal or an idiom if I have never seen it before?

Reply 👍 15

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Chanda! That's the challenge of B2 reading! The best way is to look at the logic. If someone says "It's raining cats and dogs," and you look outside and see water (not animals), your brain should immediately say: "Aha! This must be an idiom." Always use the surrounding context! 📖✨