Lesson 5: Public Places & Buildings
Navigating the City
You know the words for basic places like 'market' and 'school'. As you explore a bigger city like Siem Reap, you will find many other important public places1 and buildings2. This lesson will teach you the English names for these places so you can navigate the city with confidence.
Word Bank: Places in the City
| Place | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏦 bank3 | (bank) | ធនាគារ | A place where you keep your money. Example: "I need to go to the bank to get some cash." |
| 🏤 post office4 | (pohst of-is) | ការិយាល័យប្រៃសណីយ៍ | A place where you send letters and packages. Example: "I will mail this letter at the post office." |
| ⚕️ pharmacy5 | (far-ma-see) | ឱសថស្ថាន | A shop where you can buy medicine. Example: "I need to buy medicine at the pharmacy." |
| 🎬 cinema6 | (sin-e-ma) | រោងកុន | A place where you go to watch new movies. Example: "Let's go to the cinema on Friday." |
| 🏛️ museum7 | (myoo-zee-um) | សារមន្ទីរ | A building with important historical objects. Example: "The Angkor National Museum is in Siem Reap." |
| ✈️ airport8 | (air-port) | ព្រលានយន្តហោះ | A place where airplanes take off and land. Example: "I will meet my family at the airport." |
| 🚌 bus station9 | (bus stay-shun) | ស្ថានីយ៍រថយន្តក្រុង | The place where buses start and end their routes. Example: "You can buy a ticket at the bus station." |
Usage Note: Describing Locations
Remember the prepositions of place from our last A2 lesson? We can use them to describe where these buildings are.
Structure: The [Place 1] is + [Preposition] + the [Place 2].
- "The pharmacy is next to the hospital."
- "The post office is between the bank and the museum."
- "The bus station is in front of the big market."
In Conversation
A tourist named Alex asks Srey for directions.
Alex: Excuse me, Srey. I'm a little lost. Can you help me?
Srey: Of course, Alex. What are you looking for?
Alex: I need to find a bank. Is there one near here?
Srey: Yes, there is. The ABA bank is on the main road, next to the post office.
Alex: Great! And after that, I want to visit the Angkor National Museum.
Srey: Oh, the museum is beautiful. From the bank, just walk for five minutes. It's easy to find.
Alex: Perfect! Thank you for your help!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. Where do you go to buy medicine?
- a) The bank
- b) The pharmacy
- c) The post office
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) The pharmacy
2. The cinema is ______ the restaurant and the shop.
- a) under
- b) between
- c) on
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) between
3. Where do you go to catch a flight to another country?
- a) The bus station
- b) The airport
- c) The police station
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) The airport
edit Your Mission
- My Town: Think about your town or the area where you live. Write three sentences about the places there. (e.g., "There is a bank on my street. The market is next to the pagoda.")
- Giving Directions: Imagine a friend asks you, "Where is the post office?". Write a simple direction. (e.g., "The post office is on Sivutha Boulevard, next to the bank.")
- Speak: Your mission is to ask someone for the location of a place. (e.g., "Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?")
book Lesson Glossary
- Public Place (noun phrase) - Khmer: ទីកន្លែងសាធារណៈ (ti kânlaeng sathearona) - A place that is open and accessible to all people. ↩
- Building (noun) - Khmer: អគារ (âkea) - A structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or school. ↩
- bank (noun) - Khmer: ធនាគារ - A place where you keep your money. ↩
- post office (noun) - Khmer: ការិយាល័យប្រៃសណីយ៍ - A place for sending letters and packages. ↩
- pharmacy (noun) - Khmer: ឱសថស្ថាន - A shop where you can buy medicine. ↩
- cinema (noun) - Khmer: រោងកុន - A place to watch new movies. ↩
- museum (noun) - Khmer: សារមន្ទីរ - A building with important historical or cultural objects. ↩
- airport (noun) - Khmer: ព្រលានយន្តហោះ - A place where airplanes take off and land. ↩
- bus station (noun) - Khmer: ស្ថានីយ៍រថយន្តក្រុង - The place where buses start and end their routes. ↩