Lesson 5: More Everyday Verbs
Expanding Your Actions
In our A1 series, you learned essential verbs like 'go', 'eat', and 'have'. To speak with more detail, you need more action words! This lesson will teach you another set of very common verbs that you can use every single day to describe your life more clearly.
Word Bank: Common Verbs
Verb | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
to work1 | ធ្វើការ | To do a job to earn money. Example: "I work in a hotel." |
to study2 | សិក្សា / រៀន | To spend time learning about a subject. Example: "I study English every day." |
to listen (to)3 | ស្ដាប់ | To give attention to a sound. Example: "I like to listen to music." |
to talk (to/with)4 | និយាយ | To say things; to have a conversation. Example: "I need to talk to my teacher." |
to play5 | លេង | To do an activity for fun or sport. Example: "Children play in the park." |
to buy6 | ទិញ | To get something by paying money for it. Example: "I will buy some rice at the market." |
to help7 | ជួយ | To make it easier for someone to do something. Example: "Can you help me with this box?" |
to sleep8 | គេង | To rest your mind and body with your eyes closed. Example: "I sleep for eight hours every night." |
Usage Note: Review of the "-s" Rule
Remember this important grammar rule! When the subject is he, she, or it, we usually add an "-s" to the verb.
- I work. ➞ He works.
- You play. ➞ The cat plays.
- They listen. ➞ She listens.
- Special spelling: For verbs ending in '-y', change 'y' to 'ies'.
I study. ➞ She studies.
In Conversation
Maria asks Srey about her daily life after work.
Maria: Hi Srey! What do you do after you finish your work?
Srey: After work, I usually go home. Sometimes my brother needs me to help him with his homework. He studies very hard.
Maria: That's nice of you. Do you play any sports?
Srey: I don't play sports, but I like to listen to music to relax. Then I usually sleep early.
Maria: I see. This weekend, I will buy a new dress at the market. Do you want to come?
Srey: Yes! Let's talk about it tomorrow.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. I go to the market to ______ vegetables.
- a) study
- b) buy
- c) sleep
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) buy
2. My sister ______ English at the university.
- a) study
- b) studies
- c) studying
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) studies
3. If you are very tired, you need to ______.
- a) work
- b) play
- c) sleep
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) sleep
edit Your Mission
- My Week: Write three sentences about your week using the new verbs. (e.g., "I work from Monday to Friday. I study English on the weekend.")
- Practice with '-s': Write three sentences about a friend or family member using 'he' or 'she'. Remember to add '-s'! (e.g., "My brother plays football.")
- Speak: Your mission is to ask a friend, "What music do you listen to?" or "What do you study?"
book Lesson Glossary
- to work (verb) - Khmer: ធ្វើការ - To do a job to earn money. ↩
- to study (verb) - Khmer: សិក្សា / រៀន - To spend time learning about a subject. ↩
- to listen (to) (verb) - Khmer: ស្ដាប់ - To give attention to a sound. ↩
- to talk (to/with) (verb) - Khmer: និយាយ - To say things; to have a conversation. ↩
- to play (verb) - Khmer: លេង - To do an activity for fun or sport. ↩
- to buy (verb) - Khmer: ទិញ - To get something by paying money for it. ↩
- to help (verb) - Khmer: ជួយ - To make it easier for someone to do something. ↩
- to sleep (verb) - Khmer: គេង - To rest your mind and body. ↩