Continuous Aspect 'Kompong'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'kompong' before a verb to show an action is currently happening, similar to the English '-ing' suffix.
- Place 'kompong' directly before the verb: Kompong + verb.
- It indicates an action in progress at the moment of speaking.
- It can be used with past or future markers to show duration.
Meanings
The particle 'kompong' marks the continuous aspect in Khmer, signifying that an action is currently in progress.
Present Progressive
Action happening right now.
“គាត់កំពុងធ្វើការ។”
“ក្មេងៗកំពុងលេង។”
Past Continuous
Action in progress at a specific time in the past.
“ម្សិលមិញម៉ោង១០ ខ្ញុំកំពុងគេង។”
“ពេលខ្ញុំមកដល់ គាត់កំពុងអានសៀវភៅ។”
Future Continuous
Action in progress at a specific time in the future.
“ស្អែកម៉ោងនេះ ខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើដំណើរ។”
“ពេលអ្នកមកដល់ ខ្ញុំកំពុងរង់ចាំ។”
Kompong Formation Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + Kompong + Verb | ខ្ញុំកំពុងរៀន |
| Negative | Subject + Min + Kompong + Verb + Te | ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងរៀនទេ |
| Question | Subject + Kompong + Verb + Te? | តើអ្នកកំពុងរៀនទេ? |
| Past | Time + Subject + Kompong + Verb | ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងរៀន |
| Future | Time + Subject + Neng + Kompong + Verb | ស្អែកខ្ញុំនឹងកំពុងរៀន |
| Emphasis | Subject + Kompong + Verb + Phlong | ខ្ញុំកំពុងរៀនផ្ទាល់ |
Common Short Forms
| Full | Short |
|---|---|
| កំពុងតែ | កំពុង |
| មិនកំពុង...ទេ | មិនកំពុង... |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + Kompong + V | ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ |
| Negative | S + Min + Kompong + V + Te | ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងញ៉ាំទេ |
| Question | S + Kompong + V + Te? | អ្នកកំពុងញ៉ាំទេ? |
| Past | Time + S + Kompong + V | ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ |
| Future | Time + S + Neng + Kompong + V | ស្អែកខ្ញុំនឹងកំពុងញ៉ាំ |
| Short Answer | Kompong | កំពុង |
| Negative Answer | Min Kompong Te | មិនកំពុងទេ |
Spectre de formalité
ខ្ញុំកំពុងបំពេញការងារ។ (Work)
ខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើការ។ (Work)
កំពុងធ្វើការ។ (Work)
កំពុងរវល់។ (Work)
Kompong Usage Map
Time
- ម្សិលមិញ Yesterday
- ថ្ងៃនេះ Today
Actions
- ញ៉ាំ Eat
- ធ្វើការ Work
Kompong vs Simple Tense
Kompong Decision Tree
Is it happening now?
Kompong Contexts
Daily
- • Eating
- • Sleeping
- • Working
Travel
- • Walking
- • Waiting
- • Driving
Examples by Level
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ។
I am eating.
គាត់កំពុងរៀន។
He is studying.
ម៉ាក់កំពុងធ្វើម្ហូប។
Mom is cooking.
ពួកយើងកំពុងដើរ។
We are walking.
ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងធ្វើការទេ។
I am not working.
តើអ្នកកំពុងអានសៀវភៅមែនទេ?
Are you reading a book?
ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងគេង។
Yesterday I was sleeping.
ស្អែកខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើដំណើរ។
Tomorrow I will be traveling.
ពេលភ្លៀងធ្លាក់ ពួកយើងកំពុងលេងបាល់។
When it rained, we were playing ball.
គាត់កំពុងរង់ចាំការឆ្លើយតបពីអ្នក។
He is waiting for your response.
ខ្ញុំកំពុងពិចារណាលើសំណើរបស់អ្នក។
I am considering your proposal.
ពួកគេកំពុងពិភាក្សាអំពីគម្រោងថ្មី។
They are discussing the new project.
ខណៈពេលដែលខ្ញុំកំពុងធ្វើការ គាត់បានមកដល់។
While I was working, he arrived.
រដ្ឋាភិបាលកំពុងអនុវត្តវិធានការថ្មី។
The government is implementing new measures.
សេដ្ឋកិច្ចកំពុងមានការរីកចម្រើន។
The economy is growing.
យើងកំពុងស្វែងរកដំណោះស្រាយល្អបំផុត។
We are looking for the best solution.
សង្គមយើងកំពុងឆ្លងកាត់ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរយ៉ាងខ្លាំង។
Our society is undergoing significant changes.
បច្ចេកវិទ្យាកំពុងវិវត្តទៅមុខយ៉ាងលឿន។
Technology is evolving rapidly.
គាត់កំពុងព្យាយាមសម្របខ្លួនទៅនឹងបរិយាកាសថ្មី។
He is trying to adapt to the new environment.
យើងកំពុងសង្កេតឃើញនិន្នាការថ្មីមួយ។
We are observing a new trend.
ទស្សនវិជ្ជាកំពុងត្រូវបានគេពិភាក្សាយ៉ាងទូលំទូលាយ។
Philosophy is being widely discussed.
ដំណើរការនេះកំពុងប្រព្រឹត្តទៅដោយរលូន។
This process is proceeding smoothly.
យើងកំពុងប្រឈមមុខនឹងបញ្ហាប្រឈមជាច្រើន។
We are facing many challenges.
សិល្បៈកំពុងឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងពីព្រលឹងនៃជាតិ។
Art is reflecting the soul of the nation.
Easily Confused
Nov can mean 'still' or 'at', which learners confuse with 'kompong'.
Learners use simple present for ongoing actions.
Learners forget 'neng' when using 'kompong' for future.
Erreurs courantes
ខ្ញុំញ៉ាំកំពុង
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំទេ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយកំពុង
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយ
ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងញ៉ាំ
ខ្ញុំមិនកំពុងញ៉ាំទេ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំអតីតកាល
ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយកាលពីម្សិលមិញ
ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំបាយ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងដឹង
ខ្ញុំដឹង
ខ្ញុំកំពុងស្រឡាញ់
ខ្ញុំស្រឡាញ់
ខ្ញុំកំពុងមាន
ខ្ញុំមាន
ខ្ញុំកំពុងតែញ៉ាំ
ខ្ញុំកំពុងញ៉ាំ
Sentence Patterns
ខ្ញុំកំពុង___។
តើអ្នកកំពុង___ទេ?
ម្សិលមិញខ្ញុំកំពុង___។
ស្អែកខ្ញុំនឹងកំពុង___។
Real World Usage
កំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?
កំពុងញ៉ាំអាហារឆ្ងាញ់។
ខ្ញុំកំពុងរៀនជំនាញថ្មី។
ខ្ញុំកំពុងរកសណ្ឋាគារ។
កំពុងរង់ចាំអាហារ។
ការសិក្សាកំពុងដំណើរការ។
Keep it simple
Negative marker
Time markers
Casual speech
Smart Tips
Always start with the subject.
Don't forget the 'te' at the end.
Put the time word first.
Drop the kompong.
Prononciation
Kompong
Pronounce as 'kom-pong'. The 'o' is short.
Question
អ្នកកំពុងធ្វើការទេ? ↗
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Kompong is like a 'Kong' (gong) that rings continuously while you do your action.
Visual Association
Imagine a person with a 'K' sign on their chest, holding a 'pong' ball while doing an action. The ball is always in motion, just like the action.
Rhyme
Kompong is the king, for everything with an -ing.
Story
Sok is sitting at his desk. He is writing. He says, 'Khom-nh kompong sor-ser'. Suddenly, he stops. He is no longer 'kompong'. He goes to eat. Now he is 'kompong nyam'.
Word Web
Défi
Describe 3 things you are doing right now using 'Khom-nh kompong...'.
Notes culturelles
Kompong is used in all regions. It is the standard way to express ongoing action.
Similar usage, though some dialects might use 'nov' more frequently.
Often mixed with English words in casual speech.
Kompong is derived from the Khmer word for 'in the middle of'.
Conversation Starters
តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?
តើអ្នកកំពុងរៀនភាសាខ្មែរមែនទេ?
តើអ្នកកំពុងគិតអំពីអ្វី?
តើអ្នកកំពុងរៀបចំគម្រោងអ្វីនៅថ្ងៃនេះ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ខ្ញុំ ___ ញ៉ាំបាយ។
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំញ៉ាំកំពុង។
I am not eating.
កំពុង / ខ្ញុំ / ធ្វើការ
Yesterday I was sleeping.
ស្អែកខ្ញុំ ___ កំពុងធ្វើការ។
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំកំពុងដឹង។
Which is correct for 'I am working'?
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesខ្ញុំ ___ ញ៉ាំបាយ។
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំញ៉ាំកំពុង។
I am not eating.
កំពុង / ខ្ញុំ / ធ្វើការ
Yesterday I was sleeping.
ស្អែកខ្ញុំ ___ កំពុងធ្វើការ។
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំកំពុងដឹង។
Which is correct for 'I am working'?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Only for actions in progress. Not for states like 'know' or 'love'.
Always before the verb.
No, Khmer verbs never change.
Use 'min' before and 'te' after.
Yes, add 'neng' before it.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
It sounds incomplete or incorrect.
Yes, 'nov' is for states, 'kompong' for actions.
In Other Languages
Estar + gerundio
Khmer particle is invariant.
Être en train de
Khmer is a single particle.
Am...sein
Khmer is simpler.
Te-iru
Khmer is a prefix particle.
Prefix 'ya-'
Khmer is a separate word.
Zai
Khmer is more flexible with time markers.
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