Vocabulary: Word Formation & Morphology (B1) - Lesson 1: Common Prefixes for Opposites

Vocabulary C1

construction

Word Builders

អ្នកសាងសង់ពាក្យកម្រិតខ្ពស់

English constantly engineers new vocabulary by combining existing words through compounding, blending, and using acronyms.

ភាសាអង់គ្លេសតែងតែបង្កើតពាក្យថ្មីៗជានិច្ច តាមរយៈការផ្សំពាក្យចូលគ្នា បញ្ចូលគ្នា និងការប្រើប្រាស់អក្សរកាត់។

extension

Advanced Compounds extension

ពាក្យបន្សំកម្រិតខ្ពស់

thought-provoking Making you think deeply about a subject. ដែលគួរឲ្យចង់គិត / ដែលជំរុញឲ្យគិតស៊ីជម្រៅ

state-of-the-art Using the most modern or advanced techniques. ទំនើបចុងក្រោយបង្អស់

mind-boggling Overwhelmingly large, complicated, or amazing. ដែលគួរឲ្យស្ញប់ស្ញែង / ដែលស្មុគស្មាញហួសស្មាន

science

Blends (Portmanteaus) science

ការរលាយបញ្ចូលពាក្យពីរចូលគ្នា

hungry + angry = hangry

Bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.
(ខឹងដោយសារឃ្លាន)

information + entertainment = infotainment

Broadcast material which is intended both to entertain and to inform.
(ព័ត៌មានបែបកម្សាន្ត)

sort_by_alpha

Acronyms vs. Initialisms

ភាពខុសគ្នានៃការអានអក្សរកាត់

Acronyms: Read as a WORD អានផ្គុំជាពាក្យមួយតែម្តង

NASA (/ˈnæsə/)
FOMO (/ˈfoʊmoʊ/ - Fear Of Missing Out)

Initialisms: Read by LETTER អានម្តងមួយតួអក្សរៗ

CEO (/siː iː oʊ/)
DOB (/diː oʊ biː/ - Date of Birth)

warning The Hyphen Trap!

Before vs. After the Noun

(ក្បួនប្រើសញ្ញាភ្ជាប់ (-) ក្នុងគុណនាមបន្សំ។ តើយើងគួរប្រើវានៅពេលណា?)

BEFORE the noun: USE Hyphen

When the compound adjective comes directly before the noun it modifies.

He is a well-known actor.

AFTER the noun: NO Hyphen

When the compound adjective follows a linking verb (like 'is' or 'are').

That actor is well known.

Word Engineering movie

Watch Teacher Sopheak dissect advanced vocabulary and explain how modern English evolves by inventing new words through blending and compounding.

help

Knowledge Check bolt

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

Portmanteaus

If you are so hungry that you become angry, you are:

(ប្រសិនបើអ្នកខឹងដោយសារឃ្លានខ្លាំង តើគេហៅថាអ្វី?)

sort_by_alpha

Acronym vs. Initialism

"NASA" is pronounced as one single word. Therefore, it is an ___.

(ពាក្យ NASA អានជាពាក្យមួយតែម្តង ដូច្នេះវាជា...)

extension

Compound Adjectives

A concept that is overwhelmingly complex or amazing is ___.

(គំនិតដែលស្មុគស្មាញឬអស្ចារ្យហួសស្មាន គឺ...)

close TRICKY QUESTION!

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាមានវេយ្យាករណ៍ត្រឹមត្រូវ?)

science

Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Blend Master science (If "Work" + "Vacation" makes a blend, what is the new word? Write it down and define it.)

search

Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Compound Hunt search (Read an English news article today and find at least 3 hyphenated compound adjectives.)

sort_by_alpha

Mission track_changes

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Acronym Decoder sort_by_alpha (Search online to find out what the popular acronym "FOMO" stands for, and use it in a sentence.)

Ask a Question front_hand

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

U

Recent Questions

P

Piseth 2 hours ago

Teacher, do I *always* need a hyphen for compound adjectives? It's so confusing.

Reply thumb_up 12

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Piseth! Great question. The general rule is: ONLY use the hyphen when the compound adjective comes *before* the noun it describes.

Example: "A brightly-lit room" (hyphen because it's before 'room'). BUT "The room is brightly lit" (no hyphen because it's after the verb 'is'). Keep practicing! edit_note