Superlatives with 'Cheang-Ke'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To say something is the 'most' in Khmer, use the structure: [Subject] + [Adjective] + 'cheang-ke'.
- Use 'cheang-ke' after the adjective to mean 'the most'. Example: 'Srey-sros cheang-ke' (The most beautiful).
- It functions as a superlative regardless of the adjective's length. Example: 'Thngai-nis kdao cheang-ke' (Today is the hottest).
- In questions, add 'te' at the end. Example: 'Neak na cheang-ke te?' (Who is the most [adjective]?).
Superlative Formation
| Base Adjective | Superlative Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
ល្អ (good)
|
ល្អជាងគេ
|
the best
|
|
ធំ (big)
|
ធំជាងគេ
|
the biggest
|
|
ឆ្ងាញ់ (delicious)
|
ឆ្ងាញ់ជាងគេ
|
the most delicious
|
|
លឿន (fast)
|
លឿនជាងគេ
|
the fastest
|
|
ថោក (cheap)
|
ថោកជាងគេ
|
the cheapest
|
|
ពូកែ (smart)
|
ពូកែជាងគេ
|
the smartest
|
Meanings
The 'cheang-ke' construction is the standard way to express the superlative degree in Khmer, indicating that a subject possesses a quality to the highest extent compared to all others.
Superlative
Expressing the highest degree of a quality.
“គាត់ពូកែជាងគេ។ (He is the smartest/best.)”
“ផ្ទះនេះធំជាងគេ។ (This house is the biggest.)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Adj + cheang-ke
|
ធំជាងគេ (the biggest)
|
|
Negative
|
min + Adj + cheang-ke
|
មិនធំជាងគេ (not the biggest)
|
|
Question
|
Adj + cheang-ke + te?
|
ធំជាងគេទេ? (is it the biggest?)
|
|
Comparison
|
Adj + cheang
|
ធំជាង (bigger than)
|
|
Superlative
|
Adj + cheang-ke
|
ធំជាងគេ (the biggest)
|
|
Short Answer
|
cheang-ke
|
cheang-ke (the most)
|
طيف الرسمية
នេះល្អជាងគេ។ (General)
នេះល្អជាងគេ។ (General)
អានេះល្អជាងគេ។ (General)
អាហ្នឹងល្អជាងគេ! (General)
Cheang vs Cheang-Ke
أمثلة حسب المستوى
អាហារនេះឆ្ងាញ់ជាងគេ។
This food is the most delicious.
គាត់ល្អជាងគេ។
He is the best.
ផ្ទះនេះធំជាងគេ។
This house is the biggest.
នេះស្អាតជាងគេ។
This is the most beautiful.
តើមួយណាថោកជាងគេ?
Which one is the cheapest?
ថ្ងៃនេះក្តៅជាងគេ។
Today is the hottest.
សិស្សនេះពូកែជាងគេ។
This student is the smartest.
រឿងនេះគួរឱ្យខ្លាចជាងគេ។
This story is the scariest.
គាត់ធ្វើការលឿនជាងគេក្នុងក្រុម។
He works the fastest in the team.
នេះជាបញ្ហាធ្ងន់ធ្ងរជាងគេ។
This is the most serious problem.
នាងជាមនុស្សចិត្តល្អជាងគេដែលខ្ញុំស្គាល់។
She is the kindest person I know.
តំបន់នេះមានទេសភាពស្អាតជាងគេ។
This area has the most beautiful scenery.
គម្រោងនេះមានសារៈសំខាន់ជាងគេសម្រាប់ក្រុមហ៊ុន។
This project is the most important for the company.
គាត់ជាអ្នកវិទ្យាសាស្ត្រល្បីឈ្មោះជាងគេនៅកម្ពុជា។
He is the most famous scientist in Cambodia.
ការសម្រេចចិត្តនេះពិបាកជាងគេក្នុងជីវិតខ្ញុំ។
This decision is the hardest in my life.
ទីក្រុងនេះមានការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍លឿនជាងគេ។
This city has the fastest development.
វាជាយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រដែលមានប្រសិទ្ធភាពជាងគេ។
It is the most effective strategy.
នេះជាភស្តុតាងច្បាស់លាស់ជាងគេ។
This is the most clear evidence.
គាត់ជាអ្នកនិពន្ធដែលមានឥទ្ធិពលជាងគេ។
He is the most influential author.
វាជាដំណោះស្រាយដែលសមស្របជាងគេ។
It is the most appropriate solution.
នេះជាទស្សនៈវិជ្ជាដែលស៊ីជម្រៅជាងគេ។
This is the most profound philosophy.
វាជាបាតុភូតដែលស្មុគស្មាញជាងគេ។
It is the most complex phenomenon.
នេះជាការវិភាគដែលគ្រប់ជ្រុងជ្រោយជាងគេ។
This is the most comprehensive analysis.
គាត់ជាបុគ្គលដែលមានចរិតថ្លៃថ្នូរជាងគេ។
He is the person with the most noble character.
سهل الخلط
Learners often use 'cheang-ke' when comparing only two items.
Learners put the superlative marker before the adjective.
Some verbs don't take superlatives.
أخطاء شائعة
cheang-ke l'or
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang ke
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang
l'or cheang-ke
l'or ke
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang-ke te
l'or cheang-ke
cheang-ke l'or
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang-ke neak
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang-ke cheang
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang-ke knea
l'or cheang-ke
l'or cheang-ke nis
l'or cheang-ke
أنماط الجُمل
___ នេះ ___ ជាងគេ។
តើ ___ មួយណា ___ ជាងគេ?
គាត់ជា ___ ដែល ___ ជាងគេ។
នេះជា ___ ដែល ___ ជាងគេក្នុងជីវិតខ្ញុំ។
Real World Usage
ម្ហូបណាឆ្ងាញ់ជាងគេ?
ថ្ងៃនេះស្អាតជាងគេ!
នេះជាជំនាញដែលខ្ញុំពូកែជាងគេ។
កន្លែងនេះស្អាតជាងគេ។
អាហ្នឹងល្អជាងគេ!
អាមួយណាថោកជាងគេ?
Keep it simple
Don't separate
Use with verbs
Be expressive
Smart Tips
Use 'cheang' instead of 'cheang-ke'.
Add 'te' to the end of your superlative sentence.
Use 'neak' before the adjective if you want to be specific.
Add 'nas' after 'cheang-ke'.
النطق
Cheang-Ke
Pronounce 'cheang' with a clear 'ch' sound and 'ke' like the 'k' in 'key'.
Statement
Adj + cheang-ke ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
Adj + cheang-ke ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of 'Cheang' as a bridge and 'Ke' as the whole crowd. You are crossing the bridge to reach the whole crowd.
ربط بصري
Imagine a tall mountain. At the very top, there is a giant sign that says 'Cheang-Ke'. Everyone else is below it.
Rhyme
To be the best, put 'cheang-ke' to the test.
Story
Sok is the fastest runner. He runs past everyone. He shouts 'Cheang-ke!' as he crosses the finish line. Now everyone knows he is the fastest.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Find 3 items in your room and describe them using 'cheang-ke' (e.g., 'This book is the most interesting').
ملاحظات ثقافية
Khmer speakers often use superlatives to show extreme appreciation for food or hospitality.
The construction is derived from the comparative 'cheang' (to exceed) and 'ke' (everyone/all).
بدايات محادثة
តើអ្វីឆ្ងាញ់ជាងគេនៅទីនេះ?
តើអ្នកណាពូកែជាងគេក្នុងថ្នាក់?
តើទីក្រុងណាស្អាតជាងគេនៅកម្ពុជា?
តើអ្វីជាបញ្ហាដែលពិបាកជាងគេក្នុងការរៀនភាសាខ្មែរ?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
អាហារនេះ ___ ជាងគេ។ (delicious)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Fix: គាត់ជាងគេល្អ
Change 'គាត់ល្អ' to superlative.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: អាហារណាឆ្ងាញ់? B: អាហារនេះ ___.
Build: ផ្ទះ / ធំ / ជាងគេ
Can you use 'cheang-ke' for two items?
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesអាហារនេះ ___ ជាងគេ។ (delicious)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Fix: គាត់ជាងគេល្អ
Change 'គាត់ល្អ' to superlative.
Match 'ធំ' (big).
A: អាហារណាឆ្ងាញ់? B: អាហារនេះ ___.
Build: ផ្ទះ / ធំ / ជាងគេ
Can you use 'cheang-ke' for two items?
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Yes, it works with almost all descriptive adjectives in Khmer.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
Use 'cheang' instead of 'cheang-ke'.
Only with descriptive verbs that function as adjectives.
No, 'cheang-ke' is invariant.
Remember: Subject first, then the quality, then the superlative marker.
Yes, just add 'te' at the end.
Yes, it is standard in both spoken and written Khmer.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
el más [adjetivo]
Word order is reversed.
le plus [adjectif]
Khmer does not use articles.
am [adjektiv]sten
German uses inflectional morphology.
ichiban [adjective]
Placement of the superlative marker.
zui [adjective]
Placement of the superlative marker.
al-[adjective]-af'al
Khmer does not change the adjective form.
