Making excuses — Dialogue 1

លេសមិនចង់ធ្វើអ្វីមួយ
លក្ខិណា៖ រតនៈ ជួយធ្វើឯកសារសម្រាប់ប្រជុំថ្ងៃចន្ទក្រោយតិចបានអេ៎?
រតនៈ៖ ឯកសារប្រជុំ? ខ្ញុំរវល់អា៎ ខ្លាចតែអត់មានពេលធ្វើ។
លក្ខិណា៖ ឆ្លៀតពេលតិចទៅ។ ខ្ញុំអត់ទំនេរដៃសោះម៉ងអា៎។
រតនៈ៖ ខ្ញុំអត់ដែលធ្វើអីចឹង ធ្វើទៅខ្លាចខុស ហើយស៊ីពេលយូរទៀត។ លក្ខិណាឯងគង់តែត្រូវនៅអង្គុយប្រាប់ខ្ញុំដដែលហ្នឹង។
លក្ខិណា៖ រតនៈឯងអត់ដែលធ្វើឯកសារប្រជុំសោះម៉ងអេ៎? ចាំបាច់តែខ្ញុំត្រូវប្រាប់គ្រប់ជំហាន?
រតនៈ៖ មិនមែនថាអត់ដែលធ្វើសោះម៉ងទេ តែឥឡូវនេះខ្ញុំរវល់។ តិចទៀត ត្រូវតេទៅភ្ញៀវម្នាក់ទៀត។
លក្ខិណា គិតក្នុងចិត្ត៖ និយាយត្រឡប់ត្រឡិន ម្ដងអញ្ចេះម្ដងអញ្ចោះ។ បើដឹងថាពឹងមិនបានអីចឹង មិនហាមាត់ពឹងទេ។ ឃើញអង្គុយលេងសោះហ្នឹងអា៎។

Link to overview page
Link to dictionary

Khmer	Pronunciation	English/Notes
លេស	leeh	1. excuse, pretext 2. argument 3. basis 4. grounds 5. plea, allegation 6. to give an excuse 7. to be small, tiny 8. trifling 9. scanty 10. minor affair
មិន	mɨn	negative particle not, non- (usually requires the final particle ទេ)
ចង់	cɑŋ	1. to want/wish/desire (to do something) 2. to flirt with, court, woo (a girl) 3. to approach, draw near 4. about to (do something), on the point of 5. even if
ធ្វើ	tvəə	1. to do, to make, to work, to prepare 2. to cultivate (a field) {ធ្វើស្រែ = to work in a rice field, be a farmer, grow rice}
អ្វីមួយ	ʔvǝymuǝy	1. what? 2. any, some, a certain one 3. anything, nothing, something
លក្ខិណា	leakkʰəʔnaʔ	female Cambodian name Notes: pronunciation to be verified
រតនៈ	roattaʔnaʔ, reaʔtaʔnaʔ	male or female Cambodian name
ជួយ	cuəy	to help, to assist
ឯកសារ	ʔaekaʔsaa	1. document 2. message 3. essential
សម្រាប់	sɑmrap	1. for 2. used for, used to (make or do something)
ប្រជុំ	prɑcum	1. to have a meeting 2. to gather, collect, assemble, unite, meet together 3. to flow together, join 4. meeting, gathering
ថ្ងៃចន្ទ	tŋay can	Monday
ក្រោយ	kraoy	1. to be next, behind, after 2. back 3. later, next 4. in the future
តិច	təc	1. to be few (in number), small (in size or extent), less 2. a little bit, somewhat 3. phrase-final: makes a request more polite {ចង់ពឹងឲ្យជួយលើកអីវ៉ាន់តិច = Can you please help me carrying these things?} {ខ្ញុំសុំលអាវនេះតិចបានអេ៎? = Can I try on this shirt here, please?} 4. phrase-initial: expressing concern {តិចមានបញ្ហាអីទៅ បង? = Will this be a problem?}
បាន	baan	1. to have completed/done something 2. to intend to complete something 3. marker of completed action 4. to get, obtain, acquire, to achieve, have been able to, to get/have the opportunity to do something 5. to get someone or something to do something (often translated by the English passive in this sense) 6. to be able to 7. not ... until, then and only then 8. to pass to someone through inheritance 9. to be OK, fine, all right 10. [spoken language] however, though, in contrast {ម្សិលមិញបានក្ដៅខ្លាំង = yesterday, however, it was very hot} 11. {បានហើយ = I'm done, I give up, I'm finished (depending on the context)}
អេ៎	ʔee	1. spoken form of the question particles ... អត់? or ... ទេ? 2. spoken form of the negation particle ទេ 3. hey! Notes: colloquial
ខ្ញុំ	kɲom	I
រវល់	rɔvʊəl	busy, occupied
អា៎	ʔaa	1. final particle used for emphasis {ខ្ញុំសង្ឃឹមថាឈ្នះហើយហ្នឹងអា៎ = I had hoped they would win!} {សៀវភៅចាស់ៗហ្នឹងអា៎ = Just old books!} {ម្នាក់ឯងធ្ងន់អា៎ = It's too heavy for one alone!} {ម៉ោពិសាសិនម៉ោបង មានច្រើនអា៎ = Come and eat, there's more than enough!} 2. spoken form of ហើយ {អស់ចាខ្វៃអា៎? = You don't have any youtiao anymore?} 3. spoken form of ណាស់ = very, very much {ខ្ញុំឃ្លានអា៎ = I’m very hungry} 4. spoken form of ណា = particle to soften a statement, command or request
ខ្លាច	klaac	to fear, to be afraid of
តែ	tae	1. but, however 2. only, just 3. tea
អត់	ʔɑt	1. no, not 2. to be without, lacking 3. to restrain oneself, abstain from 4. particle to form yes/no questions
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’
ពេល	peel	1. time 2. moment, instant, period of time
ឆ្លៀត	cliət	1. to seize an opportunity, take advantage (of an opportunity), to make the most of 2. to make good use of time, take the time to do something
ទៅ	tɨv	1. to go (away from the speaker in space or time), to go to/towards, go on, continue, advance, go away 2. towards 3. from now on, from then on (often used as a particle indicating that the action began at some point in the past or present and continued on into the future or that the action is directed away from the speaker) 4. imperative particle, go ahead and ...! {ញ៉ាំទៅ = Go ahead and eat/drink!}
ទំនេរដៃ	tumnee day	to have free time (often referred to manual work but not exclusively)
សោះ	sɑh	1. final particle: (in negative clauses) at all, in the least, completely, utterly, absolutely, finally 2. to be completely out of 3. to be empty, devoid of content 4. to be tasteless, insipid, flavorless, lifeless 5. tired, exhausted 6. pale, anemic 7. it’s just … {សំឡេងទូរស័ព្ទសោះ = it’s just the sound of the phone}
ម៉ង	mɑɑŋ	1. immediately, at once, right away 2. all of a sudden 3. generally, in general 4. totally Notes: spoken form of តែម្ដង
អត់ដែល	ʔɑt dael	never [to have done something] (used only for past actions) Notes: see also មិនដែល
អីចឹង	ʔəycəŋ	1. like this, like that, in that way, then {គិតម៉េចទៅអីចឹង? = What are you going to do next?} {ធ្វើមុខអីអីចឹង? = Why are you making such a face?} 2. really? Notes: variant: អ៊ីចឹង
ខុស	kʰoh	1. different 2. wrong, incorrect 3. mistake, fault, defect
ហើយ	haǝy	1. to be finished, ended, completed 2. enough! 3. final particle indicating completed action, already, by now 4. in a future context indicates action that will be completed at some future time 5. and, afterwards, next, then, after that
ស៊ីពេល	sii peel	to take/require (a certain amount of) time
យូរ	yuu	1. slow 2. (of time) long 3. late
ទៀត	tiət	1. again, still, more, further, yet, additional 2. to be different, other
ឯង	ʔaeŋ	1. you 2. self, oneself, by oneself 3. used after personal pronouns or names to make the address more polite 4. surely, obviously
គង់តែ	kʊəŋ tae	1. (will) surely, certainly 2. eventually
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)
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?}
អង្គុយ	ʔɑŋkuy	to sit, to sit down
ប្រាប់	prap	1. to tell, say, state, inform, report 2. to explain 3. to point out
ដដែល	dɑdael	1. to be identical, alike, the same 2. as before, over and over, in the same way
ហ្នឹង	nɨŋ	this, that, right here, right now (colloquial form of នេះ = this, that)
ចាំបាច់	cam bac	1. necessary, essential, indispendable 2. to need to
គ្រប់	krup	1. all of, every 2. to be enough, complete, whole, entire 3. to rule, administer, govern 4. to manage 5. to take care of 6. to regulate
ជំហាន	cumhien	step, pace
មិនមែន	mɨn mɛɛn	no, not, is not
ថា	tʰaa	1. to say, tell, pronounce 2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse) 3. I've [just] said, [...]
ទេ	tee	1. particle: negative particle occurring in phrase final position especially after មិន, ពុំ, etc. 2. interrogative particle occurring in phrase final position, often in the combination ឬទេ 3. neutral/positive particle to add emphasis {ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយទេ = I'm fine!} {យកតែមួយទេ = I’ll take only one!}
ឥឡូវនេះ	[ʔləv/ʔiʔləv/ʔəyləv] nih	now, right now, at present
តិចទៀត	təc tiət	shortly, in a few minutes Notes: BCF
តេ	tee	to call, to phone {តេអត់ចូលសោះ = I can’t reach [her], I don’t get through}
ភ្ញៀវ	pɲiəv	1. guest, visitor 2. client, customer
ម្នាក់	mneak	1. one person (contraction of មួយនាក់) 2. alone
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
ក្នុង	knoŋ	1. in, inside 2. during + (time word)
ចិត្ត	cət	feeling, heart (as the seat of emotion), will (power), intention, thought, opinion Notes: ជើង ត
និយាយ	niʔyiey	to speak, say, talk, relate, tell, to narrate, to talk over, discuss
ត្រឡប់ត្រឡិន	trɑlɑp trɑlən	1. to be worn out (from bustling about) 2. to twist, become twisted 3. to turn over and over 4. to be confused, all mixed up
ម្ដង	mdɑɑŋ	1. one time, once 2. for a change Notes: ជើង ដ; contraction of មួយដង
អញ្ចេះ	ʔɑɲceh	1. like this 2. this, this much
អញ្ចោះ	ʔɑɲcɑh	1. like that 2. that, that much
បើ	baə	1. if, may be 2. although
ដឹង	dəŋ	1. to know, to be aware of, to be familiar with 2. [colloquial] can be used in the affirmative or, as an answer to a question, to mean ‘no’ {ដឹងហើយ = ok!} {ឯងដឹងថាគាត់ទៅណាអត់? ដឹង! = Do you know where he went to? No, I don’t.}
ពឹង	pɨŋ	1. to ask for a favor/help 2. to depend/count on, resort to
ហា	haa	1. to open wide (especially the mouth) 2. to be opened (as a clam shell, nuts) 3. five 4. sound of laughter (ha ha) 5. exclamation: aha! 6. as a question: pardon?, what?
មាត់	moat	1. mouth 2. bank, shore (of a river, lake, sea) 3. opening (e.g., of a jar or bag)
ឃើញ	kʰəəɲ	1. to see, to perceive 2. to understand, to recognize 3. គិត ... ឃើញ = to find a solution, figure out, solve 4. to come to a conclusion, realize, understand
លេង	leeŋ	1. to play 2. to do something for fun or pleasure 3. to joke