Prepositions of Time

What you’ll learn

Use at, on, and in with common time expressions.

ប្រើ at, on និង in ជាមួយពាក្យបញ្ជាក់ពេលវេលាដែលជួបញឹកញាប់។

Meaning and use

Use at with many clock times, on with days and dates, and in with months, years, and seasons. We also commonly say in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, but at night. Do not usually add at/on/in before expressions beginning with next, last, this, or every: next Monday, last year, this evening, every day. These are common starter patterns; some expressions vary by dialect or have special meanings.

ប្រើ at ជាមួយម៉ោង on ជាមួយថ្ងៃ និងកាលបរិច្ឆេទ ហើយ in ជាមួយខែ ឆ្នាំ និងរដូវ។ ឃ្លាទូទៅមាន in the morning ប៉ុន្តែ at night។ ជាទូទៅមិនបន្ថែម at, on ឬ in មុខ next, last, this និង every ទេ ដូចជា next Monday និង every day។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Clock times	at seven o’clock; at 8:30
Days and dates	on Monday; on 28 October
Months, years, seasons	in May; in 2026; in summer
Parts of the day	in the morning / afternoon / evening; at night
Usually no at/on/in before these	next Monday; last year; this evening; every day

Examples

1. Class starts at eight o’clock.

   ថ្នាក់រៀនចាប់ផ្តើមនៅម៉ោងប្រាំបី។

2. We study on Mondays.

   យើងរៀននៅថ្ងៃចន្ទរៀងរាល់សប្តាហ៍។

3. Her birthday is in May.

   ថ្ងៃកំណើតរបស់នាងនៅក្នុងខែឧសភា។

4. I will visit Dara next week.

   ខ្ញុំនឹងទៅលេងដារ៉ាសប្តាហ៍ក្រោយ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: When is your English class?

Maly: On Monday, at eight o’clock.

Dara: Do you study at night too?

Maly: Yes, sometimes.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
The class starts on seven o’clock.	The class starts at seven o’clock.	Use at with this clock time.
I will visit her on next Monday.	I will visit her next Monday.	Do not normally put on before next Monday.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: ___ Monday.
2. Complete: ___ seven o’clock.
3. Complete: ___ May.
4. Choose: next week / in next week.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. on

   Use on with a day.

2. at

   Use at with a clock time.

3. in

   Use in with a month.

4. next week

   No time preposition is normally needed before next week.

Quick recap

• At commonly goes with clock times, on with days/dates, and in with months/years.
• Remember in the morning but at night.
• Usually omit these prepositions before next/last/this/every.