Vocabulary: Collocations & Idiomatic Language (B2) - Lesson 2: Strong vs. Weak Collocations

Vocabulary B2

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Magnetic Words

ពាក្យដែលឆក់ទាញគ្នា (Collocations)

In English, some words are like magnets. They naturally stick together!

ពាក្យខ្លះប្រៀបដូចជាមេដែក វាមានភាពទាក់ទាញ និងត្រូវតែប្រើជាមួយគ្នាជានិច្ច ដើម្បីស្តាប់ទៅដូចជនជាតិដើមនិយាយ។

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Weak Collocations link

ចំណងខ្សោយ (ប្រើប្រាស់បានទូលំទូលាយ)

Big link (Many Nouns)

Weak collocations use very common adjectives or verbs. They can pair with hundreds of words.

A big house / car / mistake ផ្ទះធំ / ឡានធំ / កំហុសធំ

A good book / idea / friend សៀវភៅល្អ / គំនិតល្អ / មិត្តល្អ

local_fire_department

Strong Collocations local_fire_department

ចំណងរឹងមាំ (ពាក្យជាក់លាក់)

Heavy link Rain

Strong collocations are highly specific. The words are tightly bound and very hard to replace.

Heavy rain ភ្លៀងខ្លាំង (មិនមែន Strong rain ទេ)

Bitterly cold ត្រជាក់ខ្លាំងណាស់ (ត្រជាក់ញាក់សាច់)

Express a wish បង្ហាញពីបំណងប្រាថ្នា

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Fast vs. Quick compare_arrows

ភាពខុសគ្នានៃការប្រើប្រាស់ពាក្យមានន័យដូចគ្នា

Even synonyms have different "magnets".

Fast car / train / lane ឡានលឿន / រថភ្លើងលឿន / គន្លងលឿន (សម្រាប់យានជំនិះ)

Quick meal / shower / glance អាហាររហ័ស / ងូតទឹករហ័ស (សម្រាប់សកម្មភាពខ្លីៗ)

*We don't say "a quick car" or "a fast meal".

warning The Synonym Trap!

Don't just translate word-for-word!

(ទោះបីពាក្យមានន័យដូចគ្នា ក៏មិនប្រាកដថាអាចប្រើជំនួសគ្នាបានដែរ នៅក្នុង Collocation!)

Make a picture cancel

Take a picture check_circle

Do a mistake cancel

Make a mistake check_circle

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Quick Check bolt

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យរហ័ស

Concept Check

Which of these is a STRONG collocation?

(តើមួយណាជាការចាប់គូពាក្យដែលតឹងរ៉ឹង/Strong?)

water_drop

Fill in the blank

"It's pouring outside. We are having ___ rain."

(យើងកំពុងមានភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ខ្លាំង។)

warning GRAMMAR TRAP!

I am so sorry. I ___ a mistake.

(ខ្ញុំសុំទោស ខ្ញុំបានបង្កើតកំហុស។)

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Vocabulary Hunt search (Read an English news article today. Can you spot at least 2 strong collocations?)

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Write it down edit (Write one sentence using "heavy rain" and one using "fast car" in your notebook.)

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Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Fix the Translation build (Stop translating word-for-word! Remind yourself that "do a mistake" is wrong. It is "make a mistake".)

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Word Magnetism

មើល និងស្តាប់ការពន្យល់

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain why learning collocations is the fastest way to stop translating and start speaking English naturally!

Ask a Question front_hand

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Somnang 2 hours ago

Teacher, how do I know if a collocation is strong or weak? Do I have to memorize all of them?

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Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Somnang! You don't have to memorize them all at once! The best way is to learn them naturally by reading and listening. When you learn a new word, always check its example sentences in the dictionary to see its "friends". linkmenu_book