Lesson 3: Making Adjectives from Nouns
From "Sun" to "Sunny"
Did you know that words can have families? You can often take a noun1 (a word for a thing) and change it into an adjective2 (a describing word) by adding a special ending3. This skill is part of word formation4. This lesson will teach you the most common way to do this: adding '-y' to a noun.
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.
| Noun (The Thing) | Adjective (The Description) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sun | sunny5 | The sun is bright. ➞ It is a sunny day. |
| cloud | cloudy6 | I see a big cloud. ➞ The sky is cloudy. |
| rain | rainy7 | The rain is heavy. ➞ June is a rainy month. |
| salt | 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.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. If a day is full of sun, it is a ______ day.
- a) sun
- b) sunny
- c) suns
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) sunny
2. The noun is 'noise'. What is the correct adjective form?
- a) noise-y
- b) noisy
- c) noisee
Click to see the answer
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
Click to see the answer
Answer: a) salty
edit Your Mission
- 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 ______.
- Find Your Own: Think of another "Noun + y" adjective. (Hint: think of the nouns 'dirt' or 'health'). Write a sentence with it.
- 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!")
book Lesson Glossary
- Noun (noun) - Khmer: នាម - A word that is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. ↩
- Adjective (noun) - Khmer: គុណនាម - A word that describes a noun. ↩
- Ending (noun) - Khmer: បច្ច័យ - A letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or function. ↩
- Word Formation (noun phrase) - Khmer: ការបង្កើតពាក្យ - The process of creating new words from existing words. ↩
- sunny (adjective) - Khmer: មានកំដៅថ្ងៃ - Full of sun. ↩
- cloudy (adjective) - Khmer: មានពពក - Full of clouds. ↩
- rainy (adjective) - Khmer: មានភ្លៀង - Having a lot of rain. ↩