B2 Word Formation 1 min read Fácil

Intensifying Reduplication

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Practícalo

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Khmer, you repeat an adjective to make it stronger, like saying 'very' without using the word 'very'.

  • Repeat the adjective: 'ល្អ' (good) becomes 'ល្អល្អ' (very good).
  • Use for emphasis: 'ក្រហម' (red) becomes 'ក្រហមក្រហម' (very red/deep red).
  • Tone matters: The second word often carries a slightly higher pitch for emphasis.
Adjective + Adjective = Super Adjective

Adjective Intensification Table

Base Adjective Meaning Reduplicated Intensified Meaning
ល្អ
Good
ល្អល្អ
Very good
ធំ
Big
ធំធំ
Very big
ស្អាត
Beautiful
ស្អាតស្អាត
Very beautiful
ក្តៅ
Hot
ក្តៅក្តៅ
Very hot
ឆ្ងាយ
Far
ឆ្ងាយឆ្ងាយ
Very far
ហិរ
Spicy
ហិរហិរ
Very spicy

Meanings

A morphological process where an adjective is repeated to indicate a high degree of the quality described.

1

Degree Intensification

Adding intensity to a quality.

“គាត់ខ្ពស់ខ្ពស់។”

“ទឹកត្រជាក់ត្រជាក់។”

2

Plurality/Distribution

Sometimes used to imply many items have the quality.

“ផ្ទះតូចតូច។”

“សៀវភៅថ្មីថ្មី។”

Reference Table

Reference table for Intensifying Reduplication
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Adj + Adj
វាធំធំ
Negative
មិន + Adj + Adj
វាមិនធំធំទេ
Question
Adj + Adj + មែនទេ?
វាធំធំមែនទេ?
Comparison
Adj + Adj + ជាង
វាធំធំជាងគេ

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
ម្ហូបនេះមានរសជាតិល្អល្អណាស់។

ម្ហូបនេះមានរសជាតិល្អល្អណាស់។ (Dining)

Neutral
ម្ហូបនេះល្អល្អ។

ម្ហូបនេះល្អល្អ។ (Dining)

Informal
ម្ហូបនេះឆ្ងាញ់ឆ្ងាញ់!

ម្ហូបនេះឆ្ងាញ់ឆ្ងាញ់! (Dining)

Jerga
ម្ហូបនេះអេមអេម!

ម្ហូបនេះអេមអេម! (Dining)

Reduplication Concept

Adjective

Intensifier

  • ល្អល្អ Very good
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Ejemplos por nivel

1

សៀវភៅនេះល្អល្អ។

This book is very good.

2

ផ្លែឈើនេះផ្អែមផ្អែម។

This fruit is very sweet.

3

ផ្ទះនេះធំធំ។

This house is very big.

4

ទឹកនេះត្រជាក់ត្រជាក់។

This water is very cold.

1

ក្មេងនេះឆ្លាតឆ្លាត។

This child is very smart.

2

ថ្ងៃនេះក្តៅក្តៅ។

Today is very hot.

3

អាវនេះស្អាតស្អាត។

This shirt is very beautiful.

4

ផ្លូវនេះឆ្ងាយឆ្ងាយ។

This road is very far.

1

ម្ហូបនេះហិរហិរណាស់។

This food is very, very spicy.

2

គាត់និយាយលឿនលឿន។

He speaks very fast.

3

សម្លេងនេះខ្លាំងខ្លាំង។

This sound is very loud.

4

ពណ៌នេះក្រហមក្រហម។

This color is very red.

1

ការងារនេះពិបាកពិបាក។

This work is quite difficult.

2

គាត់មានចិត្តល្អល្អ។

He is very kind-hearted.

3

ផ្ទៃមេឃខៀវខៀវ។

The sky is very blue.

4

វាមានតម្លៃថ្លៃថ្លៃ។

It is very expensive.

1

សកម្មភាពនេះរហ័សរហ័ស។

This action is very swift.

2

គំនិតនេះច្បាស់ច្បាស់។

This idea is very clear.

3

គាត់មានភាពស្មោះត្រង់ស្មោះត្រង់។

He is very honest.

4

ស្ថានភាពនេះតានតឹងតានតឹង។

This situation is very tense.

1

ការវិភាគនេះស៊ីជម្រៅស៊ីជម្រៅ។

This analysis is very profound.

2

គាត់មានភាពអត់ធ្មត់អត់ធ្មត់។

He is very patient.

3

បរិយាកាសនេះស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ស្ងប់ស្ងាត់។

This atmosphere is very peaceful.

4

ការរៀបចំនេះល្អិតល្អន់ល្អិតល្អន់។

This preparation is very meticulous.

Fácil de confundir

Intensifying Reduplication vs Pluralization

Sometimes reduplication means 'many small things'.

Errores comunes

✗

ល្អល្អល្អ

✓

ល្អល្អ

Only repeat once.
✗

ធំធំ ផ្ទះ

✓

ផ្ទះធំធំ

Adjective follows noun.
✗

ហិរណាស់ហិរណាស់

✓

ហិរហិរ

Don't combine with intensifiers.
✗

រហ័សរហ័សរហ័ស

✓

រហ័សរហ័ស

Triple repetition is incorrect.

Patrones de oraciones

នេះគឺ ___ ___ ។

Real World Usage

Market constant

ផ្លែឈើនេះផ្អែមផ្អែម!

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💡

Listen for the pitch

Native speakers often raise their pitch on the second word.

Smart Tips

Use reduplication for flavor.

ម្ហូបនេះហិរ។ → ម្ហូបនេះហិរហិរ!

Pronunciación

doh-DOH

Pitch

Raise the pitch slightly on the second word.

Emphatic

ល្អ↑ល្អ→

Strong emphasis

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Double the word, double the power!

Asociación visual

Imagine a balloon inflating; the more you repeat the word, the bigger the balloon gets.

Rhyme

When the word is small, repeat it all, to make it stand tall.

Story

I saw a big cat. I said 'ធំ'. Then I saw a giant cat. I said 'ធំធំ'. The cat was so big it filled the room.

Word Web

ល្អធំស្អាតក្តៅឆ្ងាយហិរ

Desafío

Describe 5 things in your room using reduplicated adjectives in 5 minutes.

Notas culturales

Used in daily life to show enthusiasm.

Ancient Austroasiatic roots.

Inicios de conversación

“

ម្ហូបនេះយ៉ាងម៉េចដែរ?

Temas para diario

Describe your day using 5 reduplicated adjectives.

Errores comunes

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

ម្ហូបនេះ ___ ។ (very spicy)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Reduplication is the standard form.

Score: /1

Ejercicios de practica

1 exercises
Fill in the blank.

ម្ហូបនេះ ___ ។ (very spicy)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Reduplication is the standard form.

Score: /1

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

Most, but not all. Check with a native speaker.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish low

Muy + Adjective

Khmer uses morphology, Spanish uses syntax.

French low

Très + Adjective

Khmer is more iconic.

German low

Sehr + Adjective

Khmer uses repetition.

Japanese low

Totemo + Adjective

Khmer is more visual.

Arabic low

Jiddan + Adjective

Khmer is more rhythmic.

Chinese low

Hen + Adjective

Khmer is more emphatic.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Connected Grammar

Adverbs

Builds On

They also modify adjectives.

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