Expressing sleepiness — Cultural note


ក្រោយពេលញ៉ាំបាយថ្ងៃត្រង់រួច មនុស្សមួយចំនួនមានអារម្មណ៍ងងុយគេង ដែលគេហៅថា ពុលបាយការគេងរយៈពេលខ្លីនៅពេលថ្ងៃហៅថា គេងថ្ងៃអ្នកខ្លះប្រើពាក្យថា សម្ងំ សំដៅលើការគេងមិនឲ្យលក់ខ្លាំងពេក គឺគ្រាន់តែទម្រេតខ្លួននិងបិទភ្នែកដើម្បីសម្រាក ប៉ុន្តែនៅដឹងខ្លួន

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KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
ក្រោយពេល kraoy peel after (the time when)
ញ៉ាំ ɲam to eat, to drink, to consume {ញ៉ាំបាយ = general term for 'to eat' (neutral form for younger persons and persons of the same age)}
Notes: informal, of oneself, addressing children or close friends but not elders
បាយ baay 1. cooked rice
2. food, meal
ថ្ងៃត្រង់ tŋay trɑŋ noon
រួច ruəc 1. to finish, end, achieve, complete
2. indicates the possibility of completing the action of the main verb, to be able
3. already, then, after that
មនុស្ស mɔnuh, meaʔnuh human being, person
មួយ muəy 1. one {មួយៗ = one by one}
2. one person/myself {សុំចេញមួយ = Please let me [go] out!} {សុំទៅមួយ = Please give way [for me one person]!} {សុំចុះមួយ = Please let me [one person] get off [the bus]!}
ចំនួន cɑmnuən amount, number, quantity
មាន mien 1. to have, possess, own
2. to exist, there is, there are
3. to be rich, own property
4. indicates the accomplishment of an action, to happen to, to have occasion to
Notes: in spoken Khmer, negated មាន (មិនមាន or គ្មាន) can be contracted into មាន, e.g., មានអ្នកណាចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there's nobody who wants to meet you’ — contrast this with the affirmative: មានគេចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there’s somebody who wants to meet you’
អារម្មណ៍ ʔaarɑm feelings, mood, attitude, impression
ងងុយ ŋɔŋuy 1. to be sleepy
2. sleepiness
គេង keeŋ to lie down, to sleep
ដែល dael 1. who, whom, which, where, when
2. of/to/in/at which/whom
3. the fact/reason that
4. ever, happened to, having done at least once, having been to, already, always, had occasion to, have ever {អត់ដែលដឹងសោះ = I’ve never known this!}
គេ kee 1. he, she
2. one, someone
3. other(s)
ហៅ hav 1. to call, name
2. to order (e.g., in a restaurant), specifically to stop a vehicle
3. to send for, summon
4. to invite (guests)
ថា tʰaa 1. to say, tell, pronounce
2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse)
3. I've [just] said, [...]
ពុលបាយ pul baay to feel drowsy from overeating
ការ kaa 1. commonly occurs as a nominalizing particle deriving abstract nouns or noun phrases from verbs or verb phrases
2. work, occupation
3. business, affair, matter
4. to protect, defend, prevent
5. to marry
6. marriage
7. wedding
8. interest (e.g., on a loan)
9. profit
10. usury
11. to wind (into a skein/bobbin/reel)
12. to spin (silk)
រយៈពេល reaʔyeaʔ peel 1. interval/period of time
2. duration
3. allotted time
ខ្លី kləy short (in length)
នៅ nɨv 1. in, at
2. to be located at, to live in or at, to reside, to stay, to be in
3. still, yet (pre-verbal marker of a durative or continuative aspect, as a final particle in the tag question ហើយឬនៅ it means 'yet' and as a reply to a question of this kind, it means 'not yet') {ញ៉ាំអីហើយនៅ? = Have you eaten already?}
ពេលថ្ងៃ peel tŋay daytime, in the daytime
ថ្ងៃ tŋay 1. day, daytime
2. sun
អ្នក neak 1. you (to equals of both sexes)
2. person, one who... (used as an agentive particle to create nouns from predicatives)
ខ្លះ klah some (serves as a plural marker with ណា​​ and អ្វី)
ប្រើ praə to use
ពាក្យ piek word, term, expression, phrase
សម្ងំ sɑmŋɑm 1. to brood
2. to condone (through silence), remain silent in the face of wrong
3. to remain quiet/calm, be still, hide quietly
4. silence, quiet
5. to relax with closed eyes but not really sleeping
Notes: also written សំងំ
សំដៅ sɑmdav 1. to note, indicate, point out, emphasize
2. to aim (at), head (straight) for
3. to go somewhere for an express purpose
4. to allude
5. (directly) to, at, toward, in the direction of
6. about, concerning
លើ ləə 1. up, on, over, above
2. to be on, over, above, located on top
3. in regard to, concerning, toward, for, against
មិន mɨn negative particle not, non- (usually requires the final particle ទេ)
ឲ្យ ʔaoy 1. to give
2. to let, to allow
3. for, to, in order to, so as to {ចង់ឲ្យខ្ញុំកុម្ម៉ង់អីញ៉ាំឲ្យហើយអត់? = Do you want me to order something for you already?}
4. in a... manner (forms adverbial phrases from predicatives)
Notes: also written អោយ, ឱ្យ
លក់ lʊək 1. to sell
2. asleep {ដេកលក់ = to be sound asleep, to sleep deeply} {ដេកមិនលក់ = to not be able to fall asleep, to have insomnia}
ខ្លាំង klaŋ 1. to be strong, vigorous
2. loud
3. firm, sturdy
4. serious
5. strongly, vigorously, exceedingly
ពេក peek too, too much, too many
គឺ kɨɨ 1. to be (equal to)
2. as follows, namely
គ្រាន់តែ kroan tae just, only, only just
ទម្រេត tumreet 1. to cause to lean, to incline
2. to bend (something)
3. to lie down, to relax
ខ្លួន kluən 1. body, figure, person, self
2. reflexive pronoun: myself, yourself, himself etc.
និង nɨŋ and
បិទ bət 1. to shut, close (e.g., a door, a meeting), to turn off (e.g., an electrical switch), to cease (working), to block (e.g., a road)
2. to cover, seal, to attach (to), fasten (on), to place close to, to apply over, smear on, to glue, paste
ភ្នែក pnɛɛk 1. eye
2. cell on the skin of a pineapple
3. future
4. to be next, forthcoming
ដើម្បី daəmbəy in order to, for, to, toward, reserved for
សម្រាក sɑmraak 1. to rest, to relax, to cause to relieve
2. break {សម្រាកថ្ងៃត្រង់ = lunch break}
Notes: root: ស្រាក; also written សំរាក
ប៉ុន្តែ pontae but, however
Notes: ជើង ត; root: តែ
ដឹងខ្លួន dəŋ kluən 1. to understand, comprehend, feel, realize, imagine, conceive
2. to be aware, be conscious, be alert