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Question Word: What (ey)

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Pratique

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Khmer, you simply place the question word 'ey' at the end of the sentence to turn it into a question.

  • Place 'ey' at the end of a statement to ask 'what?': អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី? (What are you eating?)
  • The word order remains the same as a statement: Subject + Verb + Object + ey.
  • Use 'ey' for objects or actions, but not for people or locations.
Subject + Verb + Object + អ្វី (ey)

3. Basic Question Formation

Statement Question Word Question Form
អ្នកញ៉ាំបាយ
អ្វី
អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
នេះជាសៀវភៅ
អ្វី
នេះជាអ្វី?
គាត់ចង់បានទឹក
អ្វី
គាត់ចង់បានអ្វី?
អ្នកធ្វើការងារ
អ្វី
អ្នកធ្វើអ្វី?
វាមានន័យថាបាទ
អ្វី
វាមានន័យថាអ្វី?
អ្នកទិញផ្លែឈើ
អ្វី
អ្នកទិញអ្វី?

Meanings

The word 'ey' (អ្វី) is the standard Khmer interrogative pronoun used to ask about objects, actions, or abstract concepts.

1

Identifying objects

Asking for the identity of an object.

“នោះជាអ្វី?”

“អ្នកចង់បានអ្វី?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Question Word: What (ey)
Form Structure Example
Basic
Subject + Verb + Object + អ្វី
អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Formal
តើ + Subject + Verb + អ្វី
តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Plural
Subject + Verb + អ្វីខ្លះ
អ្នកទិញអ្វីខ្លះ?
Negative
Subject + មិន + Verb + អ្វី
អ្នកមិនចង់បានអ្វី?
Past
Subject + បាន + Verb + អ្វី
អ្នកបានទិញអ្វី?
Future
Subject + នឹង + Verb + អ្វី
អ្នកនឹងធ្វើអ្វី?
Short Answer
Noun + អ្វី
នេះជាអ្វី?
Complex
Subject + Verb + អ្វី + ដែល
អ្នកចង់បានអ្វីដែលល្អ?

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?

តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី? (Daily interaction)

Neutro
អ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?

អ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី? (Daily interaction)

Informal
ធ្វើអ្វី?

ធ្វើអ្វី? (Daily interaction)

Gíria
ធ្វើអី?

ធ្វើអី? (Daily interaction)

Question Word Map

អ្វី (Ey)

Usage

  • Objects Things
  • Actions Verbs
  • Concepts Ideas

Interrogative Comparison

អ្វី (Ey)
អ្វី What
នរណា (Norea)
នរណា Who
ឯណា (Ena)
ឯណា Where

Exemplos por nível

1

នេះជាអ្វី?

What is this?

2

អ្នកចង់បានអ្វី?

What do you want?

3

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

What are you eating?

4

នោះជាអ្វី?

What is that?

1

តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?

What are you doing?

2

តើអ្នកទិញអ្វី?

What are you buying?

3

តើអ្នកចូលចិត្តអ្វី?

What do you like?

4

តើគាត់និយាយអ្វី?

What is he saying?

1

តើអ្នកគិតថាវាជាអ្វី?

What do you think it is?

2

តើមានអ្វីកើតឡើង?

What happened?

3

តើអ្នកត្រូវការអ្វីខ្លះ?

What all do you need?

4

តើអ្នកដឹងអ្វីខ្លះអំពីវា?

What do you know about it?

1

តើអ្នកមានអ្វីត្រូវធ្វើនៅថ្ងៃនេះ?

What do you have to do today?

2

តើវាមានន័យថាអ្វី?

What does it mean?

3

តើអ្នកចង់ប្រាប់ខ្ញុំថាអ្វី?

What do you want to tell me?

4

តើអ្នកបានឃើញអ្វីខ្លះ?

What did you see?

1

តើអ្នកយល់ឃើញយ៉ាងណាចំពោះអ្វីដែលគាត់បាននិយាយ?

What is your take on what he said?

2

តើអ្វីទៅជាមូលហេតុនៃបញ្ហានេះ?

What is the cause of this problem?

3

តើអ្នកត្រៀមខ្លួនសម្រាប់អ្វី?

What are you preparing for?

4

តើអ្វីដែលធ្វើឱ្យអ្នកសប្បាយចិត្ត?

What makes you happy?

1

តើអ្វីដែលបានជំរុញឱ្យអ្នកសម្រេចចិត្តបែបនេះ?

What motivated you to make this decision?

2

តើអ្វីទៅជាខ្លឹមសារនៃអត្ថបទនេះ?

What is the essence of this text?

3

តើអ្នកចង់សំដៅលើអ្វី?

What are you referring to?

4

តើអ្វីដែលអ្នកចាត់ទុកថាជាជោគជ័យ?

What do you consider success?

Fácil de confundir

Question Word: What (ey) vs អ្វី (Ey) vs នរណា (Norea)

Learners often use 'ey' for people.

Question Word: What (ey) vs អ្វី (Ey) vs ឯណា (Ena)

Learners often use 'ey' for locations.

Question Word: What (ey) vs អ្វី (Ey) vs យ៉ាងណា (Yangna)

Learners use 'ey' for 'how'.

Erros comuns

✗

អ្នកញ៉ាំបាយអ្វី?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

You cannot include the object 'rice' when asking 'what'.
✗

អ្វីអ្នកញ៉ាំ?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Question words go at the end, not the beginning.
✗

អ្នកញ៉ាំនរណា?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Use 'norea' for people, 'ey' for things.
✗

នេះជាអ្វីខ្លះ?

✓

នេះជាអ្វី?

Only use 'khla' (plural) if you expect multiple answers.
✗

តើអ្វីអ្នកញ៉ាំ?

✓

តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

The question word must stay at the end.
✗

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វីឯណា?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Don't combine question words.
✗

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វីមែនទេ?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Don't add 'men-te' (yes/no tag) to a 'what' question.
✗

អ្វីដែលអ្នកចង់បាន?

✓

តើអ្នកចង់បានអ្វី?

This is a relative clause, not a direct question.
✗

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វីហ្នឹង?

✓

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Adding filler particles can change the tone too much.
✗

តើអ្វីដែលអ្នកធ្វើ?

✓

តើអ្នកធ្វើអ្វី?

Avoid unnecessary relative clauses.
✗

អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំចង់ដឹងគឺអ្វី?

✓

អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំចង់ដឹងគឺ...

Redundant use of 'ey' in complex sentences.
✗

តើអ្វីទៅជាអ្វី?

✓

តើអ្វីទៅជា...

Repetitive phrasing.
✗

អ្វីដែលអ្នកនិយាយគឺអ្វី?

✓

តើអ្នកចង់មានន័យថាដូចម្តេច?

Using 'ey' for 'how/meaning'.

Padrões de frases

នេះជា___?

អ្នកចង់បាន___?

តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើ___?

តើអ្វីដែលធ្វើឱ្យអ្នក___?

Real World Usage

Restaurant constant

តើអ្នកចង់ញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Market very common

នេះថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន ហើយនេះជាអ្វី?

Texting constant

ធ្វើអី?

Work common

តើអ្នកត្រូវការអ្វីខ្លះ?

Travel common

តើនេះជាអ្វី?

School common

តើអ្នកមិនយល់អ្វី?

💡

Keep it simple

Don't overthink the grammar. Just add 'ey' at the end.
⚠️

Remove the object

If you say 'What rice are you eating?', it's wrong. Just say 'What are you eating?'.
🎯

Use 'tae'

Adding 'tae' at the start makes you sound much more polite.
💬

Tone matters

In Khmer, tone is everything. Keep your voice rising at the end of the question.

Smart Tips

Always place 'ey' at the very end.

អ្វីអ្នកញ៉ាំ? → អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Add 'tae' at the start.

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី? → តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?

Use 'ey khla'.

អ្នកទិញអ្វី? → អ្នកទិញអ្វីខ្លះ?

Use 'ey' to ask for clarification.

ខ្ញុំមិនយល់។ → តើអ្នកចង់មានន័យថាអ្វី?

Pronúncia

/ei/

Ey pronunciation

The 'ey' is a diphthong. It sounds like 'ay' in 'say'.

Rising

អ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី↗?

Standard question intonation.

Memorize

Mnemônico

Think of 'ey' as 'eye'—you use your eyes to look at 'what' is in front of you.

Associação visual

Imagine a giant question mark made of eyes looking at a mysterious box. Every time you ask 'What is in the box?', you see the word 'ey'.

Rhyme

To ask what is that, just say 'ey' at the end, it's easy and fast, my Khmer friend!

Story

Sok goes to the market. He sees a strange fruit. He points at it and asks the seller, 'នេះជាអ្វី?'. The seller smiles and explains. Sok now knows that 'ey' unlocks the secrets of the market.

Word Web

អ្វីតើនរណាឯណាយ៉ាងណាប៉ុន្មាន

Desafio

For the next 5 minutes, point to 5 objects in your room and ask 'នេះជាអ្វី?' out loud.

Notas culturais

In Cambodia, using 'ey' in a very direct way can sound blunt. Adding 'tae' or a polite particle like 'ba' or 'cha' makes it softer.

The word 'ey' comes from Old Khmer roots related to interrogative particles.

Iniciadores de conversa

“

នេះជាអ្វី?

“

តើអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?

“

តើអ្នកចង់ញ៉ាំអ្វីនៅថ្ងៃនេះ?

“

តើអ្វីដែលធ្វើឱ្យអ្នកសប្បាយចិត្ត?

Temas para diário

List 5 things you see in your room and ask 'What is this?' for each.
Write about what you want to do this weekend.
Describe a mysterious object and ask what it could be.
Reflect on what success means to you.

Erros comuns

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

អ្នកញ៉ាំ ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: អ្វី
We are asking about an object (food).
Which sentence is correct? Múltipla escolha

Choose the correct question.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Formal structure uses 'tae' at the start.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

អ្នកញ៉ាំបាយអ្វី?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Remove 'បាយ'
You cannot have the object and 'ey' together.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Correct formal order.
Translate to Khmer. Tradução

What is this?

Answer starts with: នេះ...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: នេះជាអ្វី?
Correct translation for 'this'.
Match the question to the answer. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: អ្នកចង់បានអ្វី?
Correct interrogative for 'want'.
Build a question. Sentence Building

Subject: គាត់, Verb: ទិញ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើគាត់ទិញអ្វី?
Correct formal structure.
Which is the best fit? Múltipla escolha

Context: You are at a store.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកលក់អ្វី?
Asking what is for sale.

Score: /8

Exercicios praticos

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

អ្នកញ៉ាំ ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: អ្វី
We are asking about an object (food).
Which sentence is correct? Múltipla escolha

Choose the correct question.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Formal structure uses 'tae' at the start.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

អ្នកញ៉ាំបាយអ្វី?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Remove 'បាយ'
You cannot have the object and 'ey' together.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

អ្វី / អ្នក / ញ៉ាំ / តើ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកញ៉ាំអ្វី?
Correct formal order.
Translate to Khmer. Tradução

What is this?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: នេះជាអ្វី?
Correct translation for 'this'.
Match the question to the answer. Match Pairs

Match 'What do you want?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: អ្នកចង់បានអ្វី?
Correct interrogative for 'want'.
Build a question. Sentence Building

Subject: គាត់, Verb: ទិញ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើគាត់ទិញអ្វី?
Correct formal structure.
Which is the best fit? Múltipla escolha

Context: You are at a store.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: តើអ្នកលក់អ្វី?
Asking what is for sale.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

No, use 'norea' for people.

No, 'ey' is invariant.

No, it's optional but polite.

Only in specific relative clauses.

It's a dialectal variation.

Use 'តើមានអ្វីកើតឡើង?'.

That's exactly when you use 'ey'.

Yes, always add a subject or verb.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

¿Qué...?

Word order is reversed.

French low

Qu'est-ce que...

Complexity of the question marker.

German moderate

Was...?

Positioning.

Japanese high

...nani?

Politeness markers differ.

Arabic low

Madha...?

Syntax structure.

Chinese moderate

shenme

Khmer is more flexible.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Yes/No Questions with 'Te'

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Yes/No Questions with 'Te'
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