Lesson 18: Common Adjectives (Basic Qualities)
Good or Bad? Easy or Difficult?
You can describe how things look and how you feel. The next step is to describe the quality1 of things. Is the food good? Is the English lesson easy? This lesson will teach you basic adjectives to share your opinion.
Word Bank: Describing Qualities
| Adjective | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👍 Good2 | (gud) | ល្អ | Of a high quality; pleasant. Example: "This is good coffee." |
| 👎 Bad3 | (bad) | អាក្រក់ | Of a low quality; not pleasant. Example: "The traffic is bad today." |
| ✅ Easy4 | (ee-zee) | ងាយស្រួល | Not hard to do or understand. Example: "This lesson is easy." |
| ❓ Difficult5 | (dif-i-kult) | ពិបាក | Hard to do or understand. Example: "The test was difficult." |
| 🔥 Hot6 | (hot) | ក្តៅ | Having a high temperature. Example: "The weather in Cambodia is hot." |
| ❄️ Cold7 | (kohld) | ត្រជាក់ | Having a low temperature. Example: "I like to drink cold water." |
| ✔️ Right8 | (ryt) | ត្រូវ | Correct or true. Example: "Your answer is right!" |
| ❌ Wrong9 | (rong) | ខុស | Not correct or true. Example: "Sorry, that answer is wrong." |
Usage Note: Using Adjectives with "to be"
Remember, adjectives can go before a noun (like "a good book"). They can also go after the verb 'to be' (am, is, are).
Structure: Subject + 'to be' verb + Adjective
- The coffee is hot.
- The questions are difficult.
- I am hungry.
In Conversation
Bora and Srey are leaving their English class.
Bora: Phew! That was a long class.
Srey: I agree. Did you think the test was easy?
Bora: No, I thought it was very difficult! I think many of my answers were wrong.
Srey: Don't worry. You are a good student. I am sure some answers were right.
Bora: Thank you. It is very hot today. I want a cold drink.
Srey: That is a good idea. A cold drink after a difficult test is never a bad idea!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. What is the opposite of 'hot'?
- a) Bad
- b) Cold
- c) Easy
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Cold
2. You get 10/10 on your test. Your answers are...
- a) wrong.
- b) difficult.
- c) right.
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) right.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
- a) The good is coffee.
- b) The coffee is good.
- c) The is good coffee.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) The coffee is good.
edit Your Mission
- My Opinions: Write three sentences with your opinions. Use adjectives from the lesson. (e.g., "This lesson is easy." "The weather today is hot.")
- Practice: Find something in your house for each adjective pair. (e.g., a good book, a bad smell, a hot cup of tea, a cold drink.)
- Speak: Your mission is to tell a friend your opinion about something. (e.g., "This movie is good!" or "This homework is difficult!")
book Lesson Glossary
- Quality (noun) - Khmer: គុណភាព (kounnepheap) - How good or bad something is. ↩
- Good (adjective) - Khmer: ល្អ - Of a high quality; pleasant. ↩
- Bad (adjective) - Khmer: អាក្រក់ - Of a low quality; not pleasant. ↩
- Easy (adjective) - Khmer: ងាយស្រួល - Not hard to do or understand. ↩
- Difficult (adjective) - Khmer: ពិបាក - Hard to do or understand. ↩
- Hot (adjective) - Khmer: ក្តៅ - Having a high temperature. ↩
- Cold (adjective) - Khmer: ត្រជាក់ - Having a low temperature. ↩
- Right (adjective) - Khmer: ត្រូវ - Correct or true. ↩
- Wrong (adjective) - Khmer: ខុស - Not correct or true. ↩