Comparing or contrasting things 2 — Cultural note


អតិថិជនតែងគិតថាទំនិញដែលថ្លៃជាង ភាគច្រើនមានគុណភាពល្អជាងប៉ុន្តែ នៅខ្មែរ មានពាក្យថាស៊ីប្រេនគឺមានន័យថា ទំនិញនោះមានគុណភាពប្រហាក់ប្រហែលនឹងទំនិញផ្សេងទៀតដែរ តែដោយសារទំនិញនោះមានម៉ាកប្រេនដែលគេស្គាល់ច្រើន ទើបធ្វើឲ្យវាត្រូវលក់ក្នុងតម្លៃថ្លៃជាងទំនិញម៉ាកធម្មតា

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KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
អតិថិជន ʔaʔteʔtʰeʔ cɔɔn customer, client
Notes: formal
តែង taeŋ 1. constantly, always, used to {អតិថិជនតែងគិតថា […] = customers always think that […]}
2. to arrange, decorate, beautify
3. to compose, create, draft, write {តែងសេចក្ដី = essay}
4. to set up, erect, establish
គិត kɨt 1. to think, to realize
2. to calculate
3. to charge
4. គិត ... ឃើញ = to find a solution, figure out, solve
5. to come to a conclusion, realize, understand
ថា tʰaa 1. to say, tell, pronounce
2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse)
3. I've [just] said, [...]
ទំនិញ tumnɨɲ goods, merchandise
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!}
ថ្លៃ tlay 1. expensive, dear, valuable
2. cost, price, value
ជាង cieŋ 1. (more) ... than, in excess of, exceeding, to a greater extent than
2. marks the comparative degree of an adjective {ល្អជាង = better}
3. craftsman, artisan, skilled worker, smith {ជាងថត = camera man}
ភាគច្រើន pʰiek craən 1. mostly
2. majority
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’
គុណភាព kunaʔpʰiep 1. quality, characteristic(s)
2. value, virtue
ល្អ lʔɑɑ 1. good, nice, beautiful, pretty
2. correct, proper
ប៉ុន្តែ pontae but, however
Notes: ជើង ត; root: តែ
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?}
ខ្មែរ kmae Khmer, Cambodian
ពាក្យ piek word, term, expression, phrase
ស៊ី sii 1. to eat (with humans it is intimate in urban centers but may be used more generally in rural areas)
2. to consume (food, fuel)
3. ស៊ីប្រេន = to sell at a high price just because it’s a brand name
ប្រេន breen brand
Notes: BCF; colloquial
គឺ kɨɨ 1. to be (equal to)
2. as follows, namely
មានន័យ mien ney to mean
នោះ nuh 1. that, those (often serves simply to emphasize something already referred to or something distant in time or space)
2. then
ប្រហាក់ប្រហែល prɑhak prɑhael 1. to be almost sure, wonder about something one is almost sure of, be more or less certain about
2. to be alike, almost the same, approximate
3. perhaps, as if, it looks as if
នឹង nɨŋ with, by (means of), (attached) to
ផ្សេងទៀត pseeŋ tiət other
ដែរ dae 1. also, too, likewise, in the same way
2. indeed, quite, rather
3. marks a polite, gentler, less abrupt statement: all the same, even so, nevertheless
តែ tae 1. but, however
2. only, just
3. tea
ដោយសារ daoy saa 1. because of, thanks to
2. depending on
ម៉ាក maak brand, mark, trademark
rɨɨ 1. or
2. phrase-final interrogative particle {មិនមែនឬ = Isn't it true?}
គេ kee 1. he, she
2. one, someone
3. other(s)
ស្គាល់ skoal 1. to know (someone), recognize, have seen before
2. to be familiar with
ច្រើន craən 1. much, many, numerous, very much
2. mostly, often
ទើប təəp 1. then, only then, next
2. so, consequently {យប់មិញជួបមិត្តចាស់ទើបខ្ញុំញ៉ាំស្រា = yesterday, I met old friends, so I had drinks [with them]}
3. just {ទើបមកដល់ម្សិលមិញ = [they’ve] just arrived yesterday}
ធ្វើឲ្យ tvəə ʔaoy 1. to cause, make (someone) do (something)
2. to do (something) for (someone) (often used to form causative compounds)
វា vie 1. it (of animals, things, or very young children)
2. he, she, they (familiar or contemptuous)
ត្រូវ trəv 1. must, have to
2. to be correct, right, proper, exact, accurate
3. to concern, have to do with, to agree/jibe with, coincide with
4. to be affected with/by, to suffer, undergo (ត្រូវ + CLAUSE marks a passive-like construction in which the subject of the clause introduced by ត្រូវ is translated as the agent in the passive construction)
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}
ក្នុង knoŋ 1. in, inside
2. during + (time word)
តម្លៃ tɑmlay 1. price
2. value
ធម្មតា tʰoam meaʔ taa 1. to be natural, habitual, usual, ordinary
2. usually, ordinarily