Vocabulary: Core & Everyday Vocabulary (A1) - Lesson 4: Basic Greetings

Lesson 4: Basic Greetings

Core & Everyday Vocabulary (A1)

You know how to ask for someone's name, age, and country. But how do you start the conversation? You use a greeting! This lesson will teach you the right words to say "hello" at any time of day.

Word Bank

• Hello / Hi (phrase) | សួស្តី
  Used to start any conversation. 'Hi' is more casual.
  Example: "Hello, Srey!"
• Good morning (phrase) | អរុណសួស្តី
  A greeting for the morning (until 12 PM).
  Example: "Good morning, teacher."
• Good afternoon (phrase) | ទិវាសួស្តី
  A greeting for the afternoon (12 PM to 6 PM).
  Example: "Good afternoon, sir."
• Good evening (phrase) | សាយ័ណ្ហសួស្តី
  A greeting for the evening (after 6 PM).
  Example: "Good evening, everyone."
• How are you? (phrase) | តើអ្នកសុខសប្បាយជាទេ?
  A polite question about someone's well-being.
  Example: "Hello, Bora. How are you?"
• I'm fine, thank you. (phrase) | ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយទេ អរគុណ
  A polite answer to "How are you?".
  Example: "A: How are you? B: I'm fine, thank you."

Usage Note: "Good evening" vs. "Good night"

This is very important! You use these two phrases differently.

• "Good evening" is a greeting. You say it when you arrive somewhere at night.
• "Good night" is a goodbye. You say it when you leave at night, or when you go to bed.

In Conversation

It is 8:00 AM in Siem Reap. Srey sees Bora at a cafe.

Srey: Good morning, Bora!

Bora: Good morning, Srey! How are you?

Srey: I'm fine, thank you. And you?

Bora: I'm great! It's a beautiful morning.

Check Your Understanding

1. It is 3:00 PM. You meet your friend. What do you say?
   • a) Good morning
   • b) Good afternoon
   • c) Good evening
   Answer: b) Good afternoon

2. You are going to bed. What do you say to your family?
   • a) Good evening
   • b) Good night
   • c) Hello
   Answer: b) Good night

3. Your friend asks, "How are you?". What is a good answer?
   • a) I am from Cambodia.
   • b) I'm fine, thank you.
   • c) My name is Srey.
   Answer: b) I'm fine, thank you.

Your Mission

1. Practice: Tomorrow, use the correct greeting for the time of day with three different people ('Good morning', 'Good afternoon').
2. My Dialogue: Write a short dialogue in your notebook. One person asks, "How are you?" and the other person answers, "I'm fine, thank you."
3. Speak: Your mission is to greet one person in English today and ask them how they are.