Preposition 'Nou' (At/In)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'nou' to indicate where something is or where an action happens; it translates to 'at', 'in', or 'on'.
- Use 'nou' before a place: 'nou srok' (in the country).
- Use 'nou' to state existence: 'khnhom nou pteah' (I am at home).
- Use 'nou' for time-based locations: 'nou thngai' (on the day).
Meanings
The particle 'nou' (នៅ) is the primary locative preposition in Khmer, used to denote physical location, presence, or state.
Physical Location
Indicates where a person or object is located.
“គាត់នៅសាលារៀន (He is at school)”
“សៀវភៅនៅតុ (The book is on the table)”
State of Being
Indicates that someone is still in a specific state or place.
“ខ្ញុំនៅរៀន (I am still studying)”
“គាត់នៅធ្វើការ (He is still working)”
Basic Structure of 'Nou'
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + nou + Place | Khnhom nou pteah |
| Negative | Subject + min + nou + Place + te | Khnhom min nou pteah te |
| Question | Subject + nou + Place + te? | Khnhom nou pteah te? |
| Still/Ongoing | Subject + nou + Verb | Khnhom nou rian |
| Location Question | Subject + nou + na? | Khnhom nou na? |
| Emphasis | Subject + nou + Place + haey | Khnhom nou pteah haey |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + nou + P | Khnhom nou pteah |
| Negative | S + min + nou + P + te | Khnhom min nou pteah te |
| Question | S + nou + P + te? | Khnhom nou pteah te? |
| Where | S + nou + na? | Khnhom nou na? |
| Still | S + nou + V | Khnhom nou rian |
طیف رسمیت
ខ្ញុំនៅឯផ្ទះ (Daily life)
ខ្ញុំនៅផ្ទះ (Daily life)
នៅផ្ទះ (Daily life)
នៅផ្ទះហ្នឹង (Daily life)
Uses of Nou
Location
- pteah home
- sala school
State
- rian studying
- tveu kar working
Examples by Level
ខ្ញុំនៅផ្ទះ
I am at home
សៀវភៅនៅតុ
The book is on the table
គាត់នៅសាលា
He is at school
ឆ្មានៅទីនេះ
The cat is here
ខ្ញុំមិននៅផ្ទះទេ
I am not at home
តើអ្នកនៅឯណា?
Where are you?
គាត់នៅធ្វើការ
He is still working
តើកូននៅសាលាទេ?
Is the child at school?
ខ្ញុំនៅតែស្រឡាញ់អ្នក
I still love you
គាត់នៅរង់ចាំអ្នក
He is still waiting for you
តើអ្នកនៅរស់ទេ?
Are you still alive?
នាងនៅមិនទាន់មកទេ
She hasn't come yet
នៅទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ មានមនុស្សច្រើន
In Phnom Penh city, there are many people
គាត់នៅកន្លែងធ្វើការ
He is at the workplace
នៅថ្ងៃស្អែក យើងនឹងជួបគ្នា
On tomorrow, we will meet
នៅក្បែរផ្ទះខ្ញុំ មានផ្សារមួយ
Near my house, there is a market
នៅគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង គេនិយាយអំពីវា
Everywhere, people talk about it
នៅក្រោមការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់គាត់
Under his control
នៅពេលនោះ ខ្ញុំមិនទាន់ដឹងទេ
At that time, I didn't know yet
នៅចំពោះមុខបញ្ហា យើងត្រូវតែតស៊ូ
In the face of problems, we must fight
នៅតាមបណ្តោយទន្លេមេគង្គ
Along the Mekong river
នៅត្រង់ចំណុចនេះ យើងត្រូវយល់ព្រម
At this point, we must agree
នៅកណ្តាលនៃភាពវឹកវរ
In the middle of the chaos
នៅឯនាយសមុទ្រ
Across the ocean
Easily Confused
Learners mix up 'at' and 'to'.
Krou means 'outside', but learners use it for 'at'.
Knong means 'inside', but learners use it for 'at'.
اشتباهات رایج
Khnhom nou sala tveu
Khnhom tveu sala
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom min nou pteah te
Khnhom nou
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom tveu nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou rian te
Khnhom nou rian
Khnhom nou na
Khnhom nou na?
Khnhom min nou te
Khnhom min nou pteah te
Khnhom nou te rian
Khnhom nou rian
Khnhom nou pteah haey
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah tveu
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah krou
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah na
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah te
Khnhom nou pteah
Khnhom nou pteah tveu te
Khnhom min nou pteah te
Sentence Patterns
ខ្ញុំនៅ___
ខ្ញុំមិននៅ___ទេ
តើអ្នកនៅ___ទេ?
ខ្ញុំនៅតែ___
Real World Usage
នៅឯណា?
នៅសណ្ឋាគារ
នៅមុខផ្ទះ
ខ្ញុំនៅធ្វើការ
នៅភ្នំពេញ
នៅក្បែរផ្សារ
Don't conjugate
No movement
Use 'te' for questions
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always check if you are moving or staying.
Don't forget the 'te' at the end.
Use the sandwich structure 'min...te'.
Use 'nou' to show continuity.
تلفظ
Nou
Pronounced like 'no' with a slight nasal ending.
Question
នៅផ្ទះទេ? ↑
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Nou is like a 'No-move' zone; if you aren't moving, you are 'nou'.
Visual Association
Imagine a person sitting still in a chair. The chair is 'nou'.
Rhyme
If you stay and do not go, use the simple word 'nou'.
Story
Sok is at home (Sok nou pteah). He is not at school (Sok min nou sala te). Is he still studying? (Sok nou rian te?).
Word Web
چالش
Write 5 sentences about where you are right now using 'nou'.
نکات فرهنگی
In Khmer, 'nou' is often used to show respect by adding titles before the location.
Derived from Old Khmer verbs of existence.
Conversation Starters
តើអ្នកនៅឯណា?
តើគាត់នៅសាលាទេ?
តើអ្នកនៅធ្វើការឬ?
តើអ្នកនៅតែរស់នៅភ្នំពេញមែនទេ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ខ្ញុំ___ផ្ទះ។
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំទៅផ្ទះ (I am at home).
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
He is at school.
Answer starts with: គាត...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Nou is used for movement.
A: តើអ្នកនៅឯណា? B: ____
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesខ្ញុំ___ផ្ទះ។
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ខ្ញុំទៅផ្ទះ (I am at home).
ផ្ទះ / នៅ / ខ្ញុំ
He is at school.
នៅ
Nou is used for movement.
A: តើអ្នកនៅឯណា? B: ____
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Yes, it can mark specific points in time.
It functions as a locative verb/preposition.
Use 'khnhom min nou pteah te'.
No, it is invariant.
Yes, like 'nou knong chitt' (in the heart).
It is neutral and used everywhere.
Nou is static, tveu is motion.
No, just the location.
In Other Languages
estar
Estar conjugates, nou does not.
être à
French requires agreement.
sein in/bei
German changes based on case.
iru/aru
Japanese uses different verbs.
fi
Arabic is a preposition only.
zai
Chinese 'zai' is more versatile.
