Lesson 16: Common Adjectives (Size & Dimension)
Big or Small? Long or Short?
You know how to describe the color of an object. That's great! But what if you have two blue shirts? You can use adjectives for size. This lesson will teach you how to say if something is big, small, long, or short.
Word Bank: Describing Size
| Adjective | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘 Big1 | (big) | ធំ | Of a large size. Example: "An elephant is a big animal." |
| 🐁 Small2 | (smol) | តូច | Of a little size; not big. Example: "A mouse is a small animal." |
| 📏 Long3 | (long) | វែង | Measuring a great distance from end to end. Example: "The Mekong is a very long river." |
| ▫️ Short4 | (short) | ខ្លី / ទាប | Measuring a small distance; not long or tall. Example: "I am wearing short pants." |
| 🦒 Tall5 | (tol) | ខ្ពស់ | Of great height (for people, buildings, trees). Example: "That building is very tall." |
| ✨ New6 | (noo) | ថ្មី | Made or discovered recently. Example: "I have a new pair of shoes." |
| 🕰️ Old7 | (ohld) | ចាស់ | Having existed for a long time. Example: "This is my old book." |
Usage Note: Tall vs. Long
We use "tall" and "long" to describe different shapes.
- Use "tall" for things that go UP вертикально.
Examples: a tall man, a tall tree, a tall building. - Use "long" for things that go ACROSS горизонтально.
Examples: a long road, a long snake, a long table. - The word "short" is the opposite of both "tall" and "long".
In Conversation
Srey and Bora are shopping for a table.
Srey: Look at this table. It's very big!
Bora: Yes, it is too big for my kitchen. I need a small table.
Srey: What about that one? It's nice and small.
Bora: Hmm, but it's very long. I need a short table.
Srey: I see. Is this a new table?
Bora: No, I think it's an old one. But it's beautiful. I like it!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. What is the opposite of 'big'?
- a) Long
- b) Small
- c) New
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Small
2. A giraffe is a very ______ animal.
- a) long
- b) tall
- c) short
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) tall
3. You just bought a book yesterday. It is a ______ book.
- a) new
- b) old
- c) big
Click to see the answer
Answer: a) new
edit Your Mission
- My Room: Look around your room. Find one big thing and one small thing. Find one long thing and one short thing.
- Practice Sentences: Write two sentences comparing two things. (e.g., "My pen is short, but my ruler is long.")
- Speak: Your mission is to describe an object to a friend using two adjectives from this lesson and the last lesson. (e.g., "Look at that big, blue car!")
book Lesson Glossary
- Big (adjective) - Khmer: ធំ - Of a large size. ↩
- Small (adjective) - Khmer: តូច - Of a little size; not big. ↩
- Long (adjective) - Khmer: វែង - Measuring a great distance from end to end (horizontal). ↩
- Short (adjective) - Khmer: ខ្លី / ទាប - Measuring a small distance; the opposite of long or tall. ↩
- Tall (adjective) - Khmer: ខ្ពស់ - Of great height (vertical). ↩
- New (adjective) - Khmer: ថ្មី - Made or discovered recently. ↩
- Old (adjective) - Khmer: ចាស់ - Having existed for a long time. ↩