Vocabulary: Thematic & Topical Vocabulary (A2) - Lesson 3: More on Food & Drinks

Lesson 3: More on Food & Drinks

Vegetables, Meats, and Flavors

You already know basic food words like 'rice' and 'chicken'. But what about the other ingredients that make Khmer food so delicious? This lesson will teach you the words for common vegetables, other meats, and how to describe flavors.

Word Bank

Common Vegetables & Meats

• vegetable (noun) | បន្លែ
  A plant used as food.
  Example: "It is healthy to eat many vegetables."
• meat (noun) | សាច់
  The flesh of an animal eaten as food.
• morning glory (noun) | ត្រកួន
  A popular green vegetable in Cambodia.
  Example: "I like fried morning glory."
• beef (noun) | សាច់គោ
  Meat from a cow.
  Example: "Lok Lak is a famous dish made with beef."
• pork (noun) | សាច់ជ្រូក
  Meat from a pig.
  Example: "I like grilled pork with rice."

Describing Flavors (Adjectives)

• delicious (adjective) | ឆ្ងាញ់
  Having a very good taste.
  Example: "This Amok is delicious!"
• sweet (adjective) | ផ្អែម
  Having the taste of sugar.
  Example: "Mangoes are very sweet."
• spicy (adjective) | ហឹរ
  Having a strong, hot flavor from chili.
  Example: "This soup is a little spicy."
• sour (adjective) | ជូរ
  Having a sharp taste like a lemon.
  Example: "The soup is both spicy and sour."

Usage Note: Talking about Amounts

For many food words (like rice, water, meat), we don't say 'one rice'. They are 'uncountable'. To talk about an amount, we can use "some" or "a lot of".

• "I would like some rice, please." (a small or medium amount)
• "She eats a lot of vegetables." (a large amount)

In Conversation

Bora and Srey are trying a new restaurant.

Bora: Wow, this food is delicious! What is in this soup?

Srey: It has pork and a lot of vegetables. I think I see some morning glory.

Bora: It's a little bit spicy, but I like it. I don't usually eat a lot of beef.

Srey: Me neither. I prefer chicken or fish. This mango smoothie is very sweet!

Bora: The soup is a little sour too. It's a perfect combination.

Check Your Understanding

1. Which of these is a type of meat?
   • a) Morning glory
   • b) Pork
   • c) Tomato
   Answer: b) Pork

2. A food with a lot of chili is ______.
   • a) sweet
   • b) sour
   • c) spicy
   Answer: c) spicy

3. Choose the correct sentence.
   • a) I would like a rice.
   • b) I would like some rice.
   • c) I would like many rice.
   Answer: b) I would like some rice.

Your Mission

1. My Plate: Think about the last meal you ate. Write two sentences about it. (e.g., "For lunch, I had pork and rice. The soup was a little spicy.")
2. At the Market: Next time you are at a market, look for three vegetables. Say their English names to yourself.
3. Speak: Your mission is to tell a friend about a food you like and describe its flavor. (e.g., "I like mangoes because they are sweet.")