Lesson 2: Describing Personality Traits
What Are They Like?
In our last lesson, we learned words for feelings that can change from day to day. But what about a person's character? The qualities that make someone who they are? These are called "personality traits1". This lesson will teach you more advanced adjectives to describe what a person is like in general.
Positive Personality Traits
| generous2 | ចិត្តទូលាយ | Happy to give more than is expected. Example: "He is very generous and always helps people in need." |
| honest3 | ស្មោះត្រង់ | Telling the truth; not cheating or stealing. Example: "She is an honest person; I trust her completely." |
| confident4 | មានទំនុកចិត្ត | Certain of your own abilities. Example: "A good speaker is always confident." |
| patient5 | អត់ធ្មត់ | Able to wait calmly without getting angry. Example: "You need to be patient when learning a new skill." |
Negative or Difficult Personality Traits
| lazy6 | ខ្ជិល | Not liking to work or use energy. Example: "He did not do his homework because he was feeling lazy." |
| selfish7 | អាត្មានិយម | Caring only about yourself and not other people. Example: "It is selfish to eat all the food and not share." |
| rude8 | ឈ្លើយ | Not polite; speaking or behaving in a way that hurts others. Example: "It is rude to interrupt someone." |
Usage Note: Modifying Adjectives
Sometimes, you want to say *how* kind or *how* lazy someone is. We use "adverbs of degree" before the adjective to make our meaning stronger or weaker.
Look at the scale from less to more:
- He is a bit lazy. (a little lazy)
- He is quite lazy. (more than a little)
- He is very lazy. (a lot)
- He is extremely lazy. (the maximum level)
In Conversation
Srey and Bora are discussing their new manager.
Srey: So, what is your new manager like?
Bora: He's okay. He is very confident, which is good, but I think he is a bit selfish. He doesn't always listen to others' ideas.
Srey: Oh, that can be difficult. Is he friendly?
Bora: He's not rude, but he's not very friendly either. My old boss was so different. She was extremely generous with her time.
Srey: It's important to have a patient boss, especially when you are learning.
Bora: I agree! And I need to be less lazy and more honest about my work. I should tell him when I need help.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. What is the opposite of 'generous'?
- a) honest
- b) selfish
- c) patient
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) selfish
2. A person who never lies or cheats is ______.
- a) lazy
- b) rude
- c) honest
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) honest
3. Which phrase means 'a little bit rude'?
- a) a bit rude
- b) extremely rude
- c) very rude
Click to see the answer
Answer: a) a bit rude
edit Your Mission
- Describe Someone: Think of a person you know well (a friend, family member, or famous person). Write two sentences describing their personality. (e.g., "My best friend is very kind and extremely funny.")
- My Personality: Write one honest sentence about your own personality. (e.g., "I am a patient person, but sometimes I can be a little lazy.")
- Speak: Your mission is to describe a character from a movie to a friend. Use at least two personality traits. (e.g., "The hero was very confident, but the villain was selfish.")
book Lesson Glossary
- Personality Trait (noun phrase) - Khmer: លក្ខណៈបុគ្គលិក - A quality of a person's character. ↩
- generous (adjective) - Khmer: ចិត្តទូលាយ - Happy to give more than is expected. ↩
- honest (adjective) - Khmer: ស្មោះត្រង់ - Telling the truth. ↩
- confident (adjective) - Khmer: មានទំនុកចិត្ត - Being certain of your own abilities. ↩
- patient (adjective) - Khmer: អត់ធ្មត់ - Able to wait calmly. ↩
- lazy (adjective) - Khmer: ខ្ជិល - Not liking to work or use energy. ↩
- selfish (adjective) - Khmer: អាត្មានិយម - Caring only about yourself. ↩
- rude (adjective) - Khmer: ឈ្លើយ - Not polite. ↩