Speaking: Vocabulary for Speaking C1 - Lesson 3: Understanding & Using Figurative Language (Metaphors)

Vocabulary C1

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The Art of Metaphor

សិល្បៈនៃការប្រើប្រាស់ពាក្យប្រៀបធៀប (Metaphor)

Metaphors paint pictures with words by saying one thing is another. This makes your English sound native and sophisticated.

ការប្រើប្រាស់ពាក្យប្រៀបធៀប ធ្វើឱ្យការនិយាយរបស់អ្នកស្តាប់ទៅដូចជនជាតិដើម និងមានភាពទាក់ទាញ។ វាប្រៀបដូចជាការគូរគំនូរដោយប្រើពាក្យសម្តី។

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Concept 1

Time is Money

ពេលវេលាជាមាសប្រាក់

Spend time To use time on something ចំណាយពេលវេលា

Waste time To use time badly ខ្ជះខ្ជាយពេលវេលា

Invest time To put time into something valuable វិនិយោគពេលវេលា

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Concept 2

Life as a Journey

ជីវិតគឺជាការធ្វើដំណើរ

At a crossroads Having to make an important choice ផ្លូវបំបែក (ត្រូវធ្វើការសម្រេចចិត្តសំខាន់)

Smooth sailing Making progress without problems រលូនគ្មានឧបសគ្គ (ដូចអុំទូកតាមខ្យល់)

A bumpy ride A difficult period with many problems ដំណើរដ៏លំបាក / ជួបភាពរដិបរដុបច្រើន

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Concept 3

Success & Failure

ជោគជ័យ និងបរាជ័យ

Climb the ladder To become more successful in a career ឡើងតំណែង / ឈានទៅរកភាពជោគជ័យ

Hit a wall To reach a point where you cannot make progress ជួបឧបសគ្គធំ / ទាល់ច្រក

Back to square one To start all over again ត្រឡប់ទៅចំណុចចាប់ផ្តើមវិញ / ចាប់ផ្តើមសារជាថ្មី

warning Metaphor vs. Simile!

Do not confuse them!

(កុំច្រឡំរវាង Metaphor និង Simile! Simile ប្រើពាក្យ "like" ឬ "as" ចំណែក Metaphor គឺនិយាយត្រង់ៗថារបស់នោះ *គឺជា* អ្វីមួយតែម្តង។)

Simile (ការប្រៀបធៀបដោយប្រើ Like/As)

"He is like a lion."

Metaphor (ការប្រៀបធៀបត្រង់ៗ)

"He is a lion."

Speaking in Metaphors movie

Watch Teacher Sopheak use metaphors in a C1-level business meeting. Notice how it makes her ideas more powerful and memorable!

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Quick Check bolt

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យរហ័ស

Meaning Check

If someone says "We hit a wall", it means...

(ប្រសិនបើនរណាម្នាក់និយាយថា "We hit a wall" វាមានន័យថា...)

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Fill in the blank

"It's been smooth ___ since we fixed the bug."

(ដំណើរការរលូនល្អ តាំងពីយើងជួសជុលបញ្ហារួច។)

error METAPHOR OR SIMILE?

"Time is like a thief."

(តើប្រយោគនេះជា Metaphor ឬ Simile?)

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Matching

Being "at a crossroads" means...

(ពាក្យថា "at a crossroads" មានន័យថា...)

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

person The Poet (Describe your job or studies using a metaphor. For example, "My job is a rollercoaster.")

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

search Idiom Detective (Find one metaphor in an English news article or song, and write down what you think it means.)

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

mic Voice Note (Record yourself saying: "We hit a wall, but we are back on track and it's smooth sailing now.")

Ask a Question front_hand

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Sovan 2 hours ago

Teacher, do native speakers really use these every day?

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Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Sovan! Yes, absolutely! We use them constantly without even realizing it. Phrases like "Time is money" or "Hit a wall" are so common that they feel completely literal to native speakers. forum

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Vireak 5 hours ago

Is "It's raining cats and dogs" a metaphor?

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Sopheak Pich Teacher 4 hours ago

It's an idiom (and arguably a metaphor), but it's a bit old-fashioned! You don't hear it much in modern English. At C1 level, it's better to focus on *conceptual* metaphors like "Life is a journey" or "Time is money". lightbulb

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Nita 8 hours ago

How can I sound natural using them?

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Sopheak Pich Teacher 7 hours ago

The key is not to force them! Learn the common word pairings (collocations), like *investing* time, or facing a *roadblock*. When you use the natural verbs that go with the concept, it sounds effortless! check_circle