Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'niyeay-tha' to report what someone else said by placing it between the speaker and the reported statement.
- Use 'niyeay-tha' after the subject: 'Sok niyeay-tha...' (Sok says that...)
- Keep the original tense of the reported statement in most Khmer contexts.
- Use 'tha' alone for shorter, informal reports like 'He said that...'
Overview
niyeay-tha.niyeay-tha.How This Grammar Works
niyeay means 'to speak' or 'to say.' The word tha acts as a complementizer, which is just a fancy way of saying it’s a 'linker.' Together, niyeay-tha signals to your listener that 'Hey, the next few words aren't mine; I'm just the messenger.' One of the best things about Khmer is that it is a 'non-inflected' language. This means the verb niyeay doesn't change if it happened yesterday, today, or tomorrow.ban to show the past, but the core structure remains the same. It is a very stable and predictable pattern. Think of it like a grammar traffic light that always stays green for you.
Formation Pattern
niyeay (to say).
tha (that).
[Subject] + និយាយ (niyeay) + ថា (tha) + [Message].
Dara + niyeay + tha + koat khlean (Dara says that he is hungry). Notice how we changed 'I' to 'he' to keep things clear. If you want to make it past tense, you can just add ban before niyeay. It becomes Dara ban niyeay tha... (Dara said that...). It is as simple as adding a topping to a pizza. The base stays the same, but you can add a little extra flavor if you need to specify the time.
When To Use It
niyeay-tha in almost every social scenario imaginable. Use it when you are at work and need to tell your manager what a client said. Use it when you are ordering food for a friend who is too shy to speak up.niyeay-tha, you show that you are paying attention to others.ke (they/people). So, ke niyeay tha translates to 'People say that.' This is very common when talking about rumors, traditions, or general facts.
When Not To Use It
niyeay-tha is a superstar, it shouldn't be in every sentence. Don't use it when you are giving a direct command or an order. For that, you would typically use prap (to tell) or bang-koap (to order).kit tha instead of niyeay tha. Using 'say' when you mean 'think' makes it sound like you are talking to yourself out loud—which might be true, but it's not what you usually want to communicate!tha for a more dramatic effect. Think of niyeay-tha as the 'standard' mode.
Common Mistakes
tha. In English, we often drop 'that' (e.g., 'He said he's coming'). In Khmer, dropping the tha makes the sentence feel 'naked' and a bit confusing. It is the glue that holds the two parts together. Another mistake is over-complicating the tenses. Learners often try to change the verb inside the reported message to the past tense. Remember: Khmer verbs are chill. They don't change. If the original person said 'I go,' you report it as 'He said that he go.' Don't try to find a past tense version of 'go.' Lastly, be careful with pronouns. If you use the wrong pronoun, you might accidentally report that *you* are the one who is hungry or late, instead of your friend. Always double-check who 'I' and 'you' refer to in the new context. It’s like a grammar mirror; everything is flipped!Contrast With Similar Patterns
niyeay-tha mixed up with prap-tha. Here is the easy way to remember the difference: niyeay-tha is about the act of speaking (Saying), while prap-tha is about the act of informing someone (Telling). If you have a specific listener in mind, like 'He told *me*,' you must use prap.niyeay. It is also different from chue-tha (believe that) or khun-tha (see that). While they all use the connector tha, the starting verb changes the whole meaning.niyeay-tha is purely for verbal communication. If you see someone doing something and want to report it, you wouldn't use 'say' unless they actually spoke. Use the verb that matches the action.Quick FAQ
Is niyeay-tha formal or informal?
It is both! It is perfectly neutral and works in any setting.
Can I use it for 'It is said that'?
Yes, just use ke as the subject: ke niyeay tha.
Do I need to change the word order?
No, the word order stays exactly the same as a normal sentence.
Can I use it for questions?
For questions, it is better to use sour tha (ask that), but niyeay tha can work if you are just reporting the fact that they spoke.
What if I want to say 'He said to me'?
In that case, use koat niyeay mork knhom tha... or more commonly koat prap knhom tha...
Reported Speech Structure
| Speaker | Reporting Verb | Reported Content |
|---|---|---|
|
គាត់ (He)
|
និយាយថា (says that)
|
គាត់រវល់ (he is busy)
|
|
ម៉ាក់ (Mom)
|
និយាយថា (says that)
|
គាត់ទៅផ្សារ (she goes to market)
|
|
គេ (They)
|
និយាយថា (say that)
|
វាឆ្ងាញ់ (it is delicious)
|
Meanings
This structure is used to relay information, opinions, or statements made by another person.
Direct Reporting
Reporting a specific statement made by someone.
“ម៉ាក់និយាយថាគាត់ហត់។ (Mom says that she is tired.)”
“គ្រូនិយាយថាថ្ងៃនេះឈប់សម្រាក។ (The teacher says that today is a holiday.)”
General Belief
Reporting a common belief or rumor.
“គេនិយាយថាហាងនេះឆ្ងាញ់។ (People say that this shop is delicious.)”
“គេនិយាយថាវានឹងភ្លៀង។ (They say that it will rain.)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + niyeay-tha + Clause
|
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់មក
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + niyeay-tha + min + Clause
|
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់មិនមក
|
|
Question
|
Subj + niyeay-tha + Clause + te?
|
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់មកទេ?
|
|
Past
|
Subj + niyeay-tha + Clause
|
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់បានមក
|
|
Future
|
Subj + niyeay-tha + nung + Clause
|
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់នឹងមក
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
គាត់ជម្រាបថាគាត់រវល់។ (Reporting status)
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់រវល់។ (Reporting status)
គាត់ថាគាត់រវល់។ (Reporting status)
គាត់ថាគាត់រវល់ណាស់។ (Reporting status)
Reported Speech Flow
Speaker
- គាត់ He
Action
- និយាយថា says that
Content
- គាត់រវល់ he is busy
수준별 예문
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់ឃ្លាន។
He says that he is hungry.
ម៉ាក់និយាយថាគាត់ទៅផ្សារ។
Mom says that she is going to the market.
គ្រូនិយាយថាថ្ងៃនេះយើងរៀន។
The teacher says that today we study.
គេនិយាយថាហាងនេះឆ្ងាញ់។
They say that this shop is delicious.
មិត្តភក្តិរបស់ខ្ញុំនិយាយថាគាត់នឹងមកដល់ម៉ោងប្រាំ។
My friend says that he will arrive at five.
នាយកនិយាយថាការប្រជុំនឹងចាប់ផ្តើមឆាប់ៗ។
The director says that the meeting will start soon.
គេនិយាយថាគម្រោងនេះនឹងត្រូវពន្យារពេល។
They say that this project will be delayed.
គាត់និយាយថាគាត់មិនបានឃើញរឿងនោះទេ។
He says that he did not see that thing.
អ្នកភូមិនិយាយថាមានខ្មោចនៅក្នុងផ្ទះនោះ។
The villagers say that there is a ghost in that house.
មន្ត្រីនិយាយថាគោលនយោបាយនេះនឹងផ្លាស់ប្តូរ។
The official says that this policy will change.
អ្នកជំនាញនិយាយថាការវិនិយោគនេះមានហានិភ័យខ្ពស់។
Experts say that this investment has high risk.
គេនិយាយថាប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រតែងតែដដែលៗ។
They say that history always repeats itself.
혼동하기 쉬운
Both use 'tha', but one is for speech and one for thought.
자주 하는 실수
Sok niyeay Sok chheu
Sok niyeay-tha Sok chheu
Sok niyeay-tha Sok was sick
Sok niyeay-tha Sok chheu
Sok tha niyeay
Sok niyeay-tha
Ke niyeay-tha ke niyeay
Ke niyeay-tha...
Sok niyeay-tha te
Sok niyeay-tha...
Sok niyeay-tha nung
Sok niyeay-tha...
Sok niyeay-tha 100%...
Sok niyeay-tha...
Sok niyeay-tha kmean-tha
Sok niyeay-tha...
Sok niyeay-tha nung-nung
Sok niyeay-tha...
문장 패턴
___ niyeay-tha ___
___ niyeay-tha ___ nung ___
___ niyeay-tha ___ min ___ te
Real World Usage
គេនិយាយថាហាងនេះល្អណាស់។
អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងនិយាយថាខ្ញុំធ្វើការបានល្អ។
គាត់ថាគាត់មកដល់ហើយ។
Don't backshift
Don't forget 'tha'
Use 'ke' for rumors
Smart Tips
Use 'ke' to sound natural and avoid naming sources.
Drop 'niyeay' to save time.
Use full 'niyeay-tha' for clarity.
발음
niyeay-tha
Pronounce as 'ni-yeay-tha'. The 'y' is soft.
Statement
Sok niyeay-tha Sok chheu ↘
Neutral reporting.
암기하기
기억법
Think of 'niyeay-tha' as a 'speech sandwich' where the bread is the speaker and the filling is the message.
시각적 연상
Imagine a person holding a megaphone (niyeay) with a speech bubble (tha) coming out of it.
Rhyme
To report what they say, use niyeay-tha every day.
Story
Sok tells me he is tired. I tell my friend: 'Sok niyeay-tha Sok hat'. My friend understands perfectly.
Word Web
챌린지
Tell three people what someone else said today using 'niyeay-tha'.
문화 노트
Using 'ke' (they/people) to report rumors is very common to avoid naming specific sources.
Derived from the verb 'niyeay' (to speak) and the complementizer 'tha' (that).
대화 시작하기
តើអ្នកបានឮអ្វីខ្លះថ្ងៃនេះ?
តើគ្រូនិយាយថាអ្វី?
តើមិត្តរបស់អ្នកនិយាយថាអ្វី?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Sok ___ Sok chheu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Sok niyeay Sok chheu.
Which is correct?
He says that he is busy.
Answer starts with: គាត...
Score: /4
연습 문제
4 exercisesSok ___ Sok chheu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Sok niyeay Sok chheu.
Which is correct?
He says that he is busy.
Score: /4
자주 묻는 질문 (6)
No, Khmer does not require backshifting tenses like English.
Yes, in informal speech, 'niyeay' is often dropped.
It is neutral and can be used in most situations.
Use 'ke' (they/people) as the subject.
Yes, 'niyeay-tha' is for speech, 'kmean-tha' is for thoughts.
Yes, just add 'te' at the end of the reported clause.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
decir que
Khmer does not change verb tenses or moods.
dire que
French requires agreement in some contexts.
sagen dass
Khmer maintains standard word order.
to iu
Japanese puts the reporting verb at the end.
qala anna
Khmer is more flexible with informal usage.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
Adversative Passive 'Treuv'
Formal Passive with 'Trauv Ban' (Neutral/Formal Passive)
Overview Welcome to the world of high-level Khmer! Today, we are diving into a very special structure. It is called the...
Reported Speech with 'Tha' (Indirect Discourse)
Overview Ever wondered how to spill the tea in Khmer? Or maybe you just need to tell your boss what a client said durin...
Formal Neutral Passive with 'Treuv-ban' (Non-adversative Passive)
Overview Welcome to the upper echelons of Khmer grammar! You have probably already met `treuv`. Usually, it is the bear...
Neutral Passive Voice (treuv ban)
Overview You probably learned early on that `ត្រូវ` is the harbinger of bad news. In basic Khmer, it usually marks some...
