Lesson 6: Transportation
How Do You Travel?
In our last lesson, we learned about places like the market and school. But how do you get to these places? You use transportation1! This lesson will teach you the English words for common ways to travel in Siem Reap and around the world.
Word Bank: Ways to Travel
| Vehicle | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Moto / Motorcycle2 | ម៉ូតូ | A two-wheeled vehicle with an engine. Example: "I ride my moto to work." |
| Bicycle / Bike3 | កង់ | A two-wheeled vehicle you move with your feet. Example: "Many students ride a bicycle." |
| Car4 | ឡាន | A vehicle with four wheels for a few people. Example: "My family has a white car." |
| Tuk-tuk5 | ម៉ូតូកង់បី | A three-wheeled vehicle used as a taxi. Example: "We took a tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat." |
| Bus6 | ឡានក្រុង | A large vehicle that carries many people. Example: "I will take the bus to Phnom Penh." |
| Airplane / Plane7 | យន្តហោះ | A vehicle that flies in the sky. Example: "I came to Cambodia on an airplane." |
Usage Note: Verbs for Travel
We use different verbs for different types of transportation.
- Ride8: For two-wheeled vehicles you sit on. (e.g., "I ride my moto." "I ride my bicycle.")
- Drive9: For a car, when you are controlling it. (e.g., "My father drives his car.")
- Take10: A general verb for transportation you pay for or do not control. (e.g., "I take a tuk-tuk." "I take the bus.")
In Conversation
Srey asks Bora how he gets to work.
Srey: Hi Bora! How do you get to work every day?
Bora: I ride my moto. It's very fast. What about you?
Srey: I usually ride my bicycle because the school is not far. But when it rains, I take a tuk-tuk.
Bora: That's smart. My brother doesn't have a moto, so he takes the bus to the university.
Srey: And your father?
Bora: My father drives his car to work. He works in another town.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. Which vehicle flies in the sky?
- a) A boat
- b) An airplane
- c) A bus
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) An airplane
2. I have a bicycle. I ______ my bicycle to the market.
- a) drive
- b) take
- c) ride
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) ride
3. In Siem Reap, many tourists take a ______ to visit the temples.
- a) car
- b) tuk-tuk
- c) airplane
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) tuk-tuk
edit Your Mission
- My Travel: How do you travel to school or work? Write one sentence. (e.g., "I ride my moto to school.")
- Practice: Look outside at the street. Name three types of transportation you see in English.
- Speak: Your mission is to ask a friend, "How do you go to school?" or "How do you go to work?".
book Lesson Glossary
- Transportation (noun) - Khmer: ការដឹកជញ្ជូន - A system for carrying people or goods from one place to another. ↩
- Moto / Motorcycle (noun) - Khmer: ម៉ូតូ - A two-wheeled vehicle with an engine. ↩
- Bicycle / Bike (noun) - Khmer: កង់ - A two-wheeled vehicle you move with your feet. ↩
- Car (noun) - Khmer: ឡាន - A vehicle with four wheels for a few people. ↩
- Tuk-tuk (noun) - Khmer: ម៉ូតូកង់បី - A three-wheeled vehicle used as a taxi. ↩
- Bus (noun) - Khmer: ឡានក្រុង - A large vehicle that carries many people. ↩
- Airplane / Plane (noun) - Khmer: យន្តហោះ - A vehicle that flies in the sky. ↩
- Ride (verb) - Khmer: ជិះ - To travel on a two-wheeled vehicle like a moto or bicycle. ↩
- Drive (verb) - Khmer: បើកបរ - To control a car. ↩
- Take (verb) - Khmer: យក / ជិះ - A general verb for using transportation like a bus or tuk-tuk. ↩