Negatives: Don’t and Doesn’t

What you’ll learn

Make present-simple negatives with don’t or doesn’t and a base verb.

បង្កើតប្រយោគបដិសេធក្នុង present simple ដោយប្រើ don’t ឬ doesn’t និងកិរិយាសព្ទទម្រង់ដើម។

Meaning and use

Use do not (don’t) with I, you, we, and they. Use does not (doesn’t) with he, she, it, or a singular noun phrase. The main verb stays in its base form after don’t and doesn’t: She doesn’t work here. The ending is already carried by does, so do not add -s to the main verb. When be is the main verb, use am not, isn’t, or aren’t instead of don’t or doesn’t.

ប្រើ don’t ជាមួយ I, you, we និង they។ ប្រើ doesn’t ជាមួយ he, she, it និងនាមឯកវចនៈ។ កិរិយាសព្ទនៅក្រោយ don’t ឬ doesn’t ត្រូវជាទម្រង់ដើម។ បើកិរិយាសព្ទមេជា be ត្រូវប្រើ am not, isn’t ឬ aren’t ជំនួសវិញ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
I / you / we / they + don’t + base verb	They don’t work here.
He / she / it + doesn’t + base verb	She doesn’t work here.
Have returns to its base form after doesn’t	He doesn’t have a car.
Be has a different negative pattern	She isn’t tired.

Examples

1. I don’t drink coffee.

   ខ្ញុំមិនផឹកកាហ្វេទេ។

2. We don’t work on Sundays.

   យើងមិនធ្វើការនៅថ្ងៃអាទិត្យទេ។

3. She doesn’t like tea.

   នាងមិនចូលចិត្តតែទេ។

4. He doesn’t have a car.

   គាត់មិនមានរថយន្តទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Do you drink coffee?

Maly: No, I don’t. I drink tea.

Dara: Does your sister drink tea?

Maly: No, she doesn’t.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She doesn’t likes tea.	She doesn’t like tea.	Use the base form like after doesn’t.
He don’t work here.	He doesn’t work here.	Use doesn’t with he.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Make a negative sentence: I like coffee.
2. Make a negative sentence: She works here.
3. Choose: They don’t are tired. / They aren’t tired.
4. Correct: He doesn’t has a bike.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. I don’t like coffee.

   Use don’t with I and keep like in its base form.

2. She doesn’t work here.

   Use doesn’t with she and remove the -s from works.

3. They aren’t tired.

   Be uses not directly; it does not use don’t in this pattern.

4. He doesn’t have a bike.

   After doesn’t, use have.

Quick recap

• Use don’t with I/you/we/they and doesn’t with he/she/it.
• Keep the main verb in its base form.
• Use be + not when be is the main verb.