Speaking: Vocabulary for Speaking A2 - Lesson 3
Places in Town & Transportation
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to name common places in a town and describe how you travel between them.
Planning a Day in Siem Reap
To talk about your day, you need vocabulary for places and transportation. Let's look at someone's plan for a busy day in Siem Reap.
"Today, I have a busy day. First, I have to go to1 the bank2 to get some money. After that, I will meet my friend at a café3 near the river. We will take a tuk-tuk4 to Phsar Chas market5 to buy some food. I usually ride6 my moto7, but today is too hot. Finally, in the evening, we might walk8 to the park9."
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
Common Places in Town
- market | ផ្សារ ↩
- supermarket | ផ្សារទំនើប
- café | ហាងកាហ្វេ ↩
- restaurant | ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន
- school / university | សាលារៀន / សាកលវិទ្យាល័យ
- hospital | មន្ទីរពេទ្យ
- bank | ធនាគារ ↩
- park | សួនច្បារ ↩
Transportation & Verbs of Movement
- moto / motorcycle | ម៉ូតូ ↩
- bicycle | កង់
- car | ឡាន
- tuk-tuk | ម៉ូតូកង់បី ↩
- bus | ឡានក្រុង
- go to | ទៅ ↩
- ride / take | ជិះ ↩
- drive | បើកបរ
- walk | ដើរ ↩
Pronunciation Focus: Word Stress
Pay attention to the stress in these two-syllable words. The stress is usually on the first syllable.
- SU-per-mar-ket
- HOS-pi-tal
- MO-to
- TUK-tuk
- BI-cy-cle
Using Prepositions for Place & Transport
To connect your ideas, you need the correct prepositions.
Go to a [Place]
We use to when we talk about our destination.
- I need to go to the bank.
- She is going to school.
Go by [Transport]
We use by to say which method of transport we use.
- I go to work by moto.
- They travel by bus.
Important Exception: We do not say "by foot". We say "I walk" or "I go on foot."
Practice Your Vocabulary
Activity 1: Where are you going?
I will give you a reason. You say the name of the place.
- You need to get a lot of money. -> You go to the bank.
- You feel very sick. -> You go to the hospital.
- You want to sit, relax, and drink a coffee. -> You go to a café.
- You want to buy fresh vegetables and meat. -> You go to the market.
Activity 2: How do you get to school?
Work with a partner. Ask your partner, "How do you get to school?". Your partner should answer with a full sentence, for example, "I get to school by bicycle" or "My father drives me in his car."
Your Vocabulary Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to describe a journey.
Think about a journey you make often (e.g., from home to the market). Plan to describe it in 3-4 sentences. Use vocabulary for places, transportation, and verbs of movement. For example:
"First, I walk to the main road. Then, I take a tuk-tuk to Phsar Chas market..."