Vocabulary: Word Formation & Morphology (Introduction) (A2) - Lesson 3: Making Adjectives from Nouns (sun → sunny)

Lesson 3: Making Adjectives from Nouns

From "Sun" to "Sunny"

Did you know that words can have families? You can often take a noun (a word for a thing) and change it into an adjective (a describing word) by adding a special ending. This skill is part of word formation. This lesson will teach you the most common way to do this: adding '-y' to a noun.

Key Vocabulary

• Word Formation (noun phrase) | ការបង្កើតពាក្យ
  The process of creating new words from existing words.
• Noun (noun) | នាម
  A word that is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
• Adjective (noun) | គុណនាម
  A word that describes a noun.
• Ending (noun) | បច្ច័យ
  A letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or function.

The "Noun + y" Rule

One of the most common ways to make an adjective is to add the letter -y to the end of a noun. This new adjective often means "full of" or "having the quality of" the noun.

Examples

• Noun: sun ➞ Adjective: sunny
  The sun is bright. ➞ It is a sunny day.
• Noun: cloud ➞ Adjective: cloudy
  I see a big cloud. ➞ The sky is cloudy.
• Noun: rain ➞ Adjective: rainy
  The rain is heavy. ➞ June is a rainy month.
• Noun: salt ➞ Adjective: salty
  I added salt to the soup. ➞ The soup is too salty.

Usage Note: Spelling Rules for Adding "-y"

Sometimes, we need to change the spelling of the noun before adding '-y'.

• The Doubling Rule: If a noun ends in one vowel + one consonant, we often double the final consonant.
  Example: sun ➞ sunny
• The 'e' Rule: If a noun ends in a silent 'e', we usually remove the 'e' before adding '-y'.
  Example: noise ➞ noisy

In Conversation

Alex and Srey are talking about the weather.

Alex: Good morning, Srey! What's the weather like today?

Srey: It's a very sunny day. Not a single cloud in the sky!

Alex: That's great! It was so rainy yesterday. I couldn't go out.

Srey: I know. And it was very windy, too. The wind was so strong.

Alex: I hope the weather stays nice. I want to go to the beach and swim in the salty sea.

Srey: Me too! A sunny day makes me feel healthy.

Check Your Understanding

1. If a day is full of sun, it is a ______ day.
   • a) sun
   • b) sunny
   • c) suns
   Answer: b) sunny

2. The noun is 'noise'. What is the correct adjective form?
   • a) noise-y
   • b) noisy
   • c) noisee
   Answer: b) noisy (Remember to drop the 'e'.)

3. I don't like this soup. It has too much salt. It is too ______.
   • a) salty
   • b) saltful
   • c) salties
   Answer: a) salty

Your Mission

1. Complete the Sentences: 1. The sky is full of clouds, so it is ______. 2. I hear a lot of noise, so it is ______. 3. The wind is blowing, so it is ______.
2. Find Your Own: Think of another "Noun + y" adjective. (Hint: think of the nouns 'dirt' or 'health'). Write a sentence with it.
3. Speak: Your mission is to describe today's weather to a friend using one of the new adjectives. (e.g., "It is very sunny today!")