គឺ
kɨɨ
The English word "is" can be expressed in Khmer using គឺ (kɨɨ).
គឺ is a linking verb used to equate one thing with another or to describe a quality of a subject. It is often used to provide a definitive identification or to mean "is indeed".
Which one should you use?
While គឺ can function as a general linking verb, it is specifically used for emphasis or to provide a clear definition. When you wish to equate one noun with another noun (for example, "A is B"), the more formal and complete form គឺជា is often used.
How do you pronounce it?
kɨɨ
What mistakes should you avoid?
When describing qualities with adjectives, English speakers often over-use គឺ. In Khmer, the verb "to be" is frequently omitted entirely when describing a quality. For example, instead of saying "He is tall", one might simply say "He tall".
Did you know?
- The evolution of គឺ from the Old Khmer word for 'it' or 'this' shows how a pronoun for a thing can transform into a verb used to define that thing.
- Because គឺ is used for definitive identification, using it in a context where a simple adjective is needed can sound unnatural or overly aggressive to a native speaker.
- In Khmer, using គឺ is not just about grammar but about emphasis. It is often used to mean 'is indeed', adding a layer of certainty that 'is' does not always carry in English.
Examples in context
- ឆ្កែនេះ គឺធំ ។This dog is big.This sentence is useful for seeing how គឺ describes a quality.Tatoeba #4552868 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #59419 by CK
- នេះគឺជា អាហារ ។This is food.This sentence shows the use of a form of គឺ to identify a noun.Tatoeba #4524854 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #438605 by CM
- សៀវភៅ គឺនៅលើតុ ។The book is on the table.This sentence demonstrates using គឺ to indicate location.Tatoeba #4568049 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #2163151 by Source_VOA
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Vibol and Mali are talking about their favorite colors.
- វិបុល Vibolពណ៌ដែលខ្ញុំចូលចិត្ត គឺពណ៌ខៀវ។poan del khnhom choul chet ku poan khiev.The color that I like is blue.
- ម៉ាលី Malyចំណែកខ្ញុំ គឺចូលចិត្តពណ៌ក្រហម។chamnek khnhom ku choul chet poan kraham.As for me, I like red.
- វិបុល Vibolពណ៌ក្រហម គឺស្អាតណាស់។poan kraham ku s'at nah.Red is very beautiful.
- ម៉ាលី Malyមែនហើយ វាគឺពិតជាស្អាត។men haey, vea ku pit chea s'at.Yes, it really is beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry គឺ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries គឺ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
