Lesson 4: Common Compound Nouns
Combining Two Words into One
Sometimes in English, we can take two separate words and push them together to make a new word with a new meaning. This is called a "compound noun1". It's like a simple math formula: Word 1 + Word 2 = New Word! This is a very common way to create new nouns in English.
Word Bank: Building New Words
A compound noun is usually made of two nouns. The first noun often describes the second noun.
| Noun 1 + Noun 2 | = Compound Noun | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sun + glasses | sunglasses2 | Glasses to protect from the sun. Example: "It's sunny, so I need my sunglasses." |
| bed + room | bedroom3 | A room with a bed for sleeping. Example: "My bedroom is small but comfortable." |
| tooth + brush | toothbrush4 | A brush for cleaning your teeth. Example: "Don't forget to use your toothbrush." |
| bus + stop | bus stop5 | A place where you wait for a bus. Example: "The bus stop is in front of the market." |
| foot + ball | football6 | A game played by kicking a ball with your feet. Example: "The boys are playing football." |
Usage Note: Three Written Forms
Compound nouns can be written in three ways. Don't worry about the rules for now, just notice the different styles.
- 1. Closed (One Word): bedroom, toothbrush, football
- 2. Open (Two Words): bus stop, post office, tour guide
- 3. Hyphenated (with a '-'): mother-in-law (This is more advanced, but good to see!)
In Conversation
Bora is helping Srey look for her things.
Bora: Srey, what are you looking for?
Srey: I can't find my sunglasses. I thought I left them in my bedroom.
Bora: Are they in the bathroom? Maybe they are next to your toothbrush.
Srey: No, not there. I need to leave soon to go to the bus stop.
Bora: What about your bag? Is your bag for your football practice here?
Srey: Oh! Yes! Here they are, inside my bag. Thank you, Bora!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. A room where you sleep in a bed is called a ______.
- a) roombed
- b) bedroom
- c) sleeproom
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) bedroom
2. Which of these is a compound noun?
- a) beautiful house
- b) bus stop
- c) big car
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) bus stop
3. What is a toothbrush used for?
- a) Brushing your hair
- b) Brushing your teeth
- c) Brushing your shoes
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Brushing your teeth
edit Your Mission
- My Compounds: Look around your house. Find two compound nouns. (e.g., `living room`, `doorbell`). Write them down.
- Create a Compound: Try to make a new (or real) compound noun. (e.g., `water` + `bottle` = `water bottle`). Write a sentence with it.
- Speak: Your mission is to use two compound nouns from this lesson in a conversation today. (e.g., "I am going to the bus stop." or "Where is my toothbrush?")
book Lesson Glossary
- Compound Noun (noun phrase) - Khmer: នាមผสม - A noun that is made with two or more words. ↩
- sunglasses (noun) - Khmer: វ៉ែនតាការពារកម្តៅថ្ងៃ - Dark glasses to protect your eyes from the sun. ↩
- bedroom (noun) - Khmer: បន្ទប់គេង - A room used for sleeping. ↩
- toothbrush (noun) - Khmer: ច្រាសដុសធ្មេញ - A brush used for cleaning teeth. ↩
- bus stop (noun) - Khmer: ចំណតរថយន្តក្រុង - A place where you wait for a bus. ↩
- football (noun) - Khmer: បាល់ទាត់ - A popular sport played by kicking a ball. ↩