Lesson 15: Common Adjectives (Colors)
Describing Your World
We have learned about nouns (things) and verbs (actions). Now, let's learn how to describe things! Words that describe nouns are called adjectives1. The first adjectives everyone learns are colors2. Look around you—colors are everywhere!
Word Bank: Common Colors
| Color | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Red3 | (red) | ក្រហម | The color of a chili or a stop sign. Example: "She is wearing a red dress." |
| 🔵 Blue4 | (bloo) | ខៀវ | The color of the sky on a sunny day. Example: "My pen is blue." |
| 🟡 Yellow5 | (yel-oh) | លឿង | The color of a banana or the sun. Example: "The tuk-tuk is yellow." |
| 🟢 Green6 | (green) | បៃតង | The color of leaves and grass. Example: "My notebook is green." |
| ⚫ Black7 | (blak) | ខ្មៅ | The color of the night sky. Example: "He has black hair." |
| ⚪ White8 | (wyt) | ស | The color of rice or clouds. Example: "I am wearing a white shirt." |
Usage Note: Where to Put the Adjective
This is a very important grammar rule in English! The adjective (the describing word) almost always comes before the noun (the thing).
Correct Structure: Adjective + Noun
- a red book (Correct)
- a book red (Incorrect)
- the green sofa (Correct)
- the sofa green (Incorrect)
In Conversation
Srey and Bora are at the Old Market in Siem Reap.
Srey: Look at all the beautiful shirts!
Bora: I like that blue shirt over there.
Srey: I like the yellow one. Yellow is my favorite color.
Bora: I need a new pen. Do you see any?
Srey: Yes, here. There is a black pen and a red pen.
Bora: I will take the black one. Oh, and I want a white notebook, please.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. What color is a banana?
- a) Red
- b) Yellow
- c) Blue
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Yellow
2. Choose the correct English sentence.
- a) I have a car red.
- b) I have a red car.
- c) I have a car is red.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) I have a red car.
3. The color of leaves on a tree is usually ______.
- a) green
- b) black
- c) white
Click to see the answer
Answer: a) green
edit Your Mission
- My World: Look around you right now. Write three sentences describing things you see. Use the structure "Adjective + Noun". (e.g., "I see a white wall. I have a black phone.")
- Practice: Find one object for each color in the Word Bank. Say its name in English (e.g., "yellow banana", "brown table").
- Speak: Your mission is to give a friend a compliment using a color. For example: "I like your blue shirt."
book Lesson Glossary
- Adjective (noun) - Khmer: គុណនាម (kunnaneam) - A word that describes a person, place, or thing (a noun). ↩
- Color (noun) - Khmer: ពណ៌ (poa) - The appearance of something as a result of the way it reflects light. ↩
- Red (adjective) - Khmer: ក្រហម - The color of fire or blood. ↩
- Blue (adjective) - Khmer: ខៀវ - The color of the clear sky. ↩
- Yellow (adjective) - Khmer: លឿង - The color of bananas or the sun. ↩
- Green (adjective) - Khmer: បៃតង - The color of grass or leaves. ↩
- Black (adjective) - Khmer: ខ្មៅ - The darkest color, like the night sky. ↩
- White (adjective) - Khmer: ស - The lightest color, like rice or clouds. ↩