Questions and Negatives with Be

What you’ll learn

Make negative sentences, questions, and short answers using am, is, and are.

បង្កើតប្រយោគបដិសេធ សំណួរ និងចម្លើយខ្លីដោយប្រើ am, is និង are។

Meaning and use

To make a negative sentence with be, put not after am, is, or are. To make a yes/no question, put am, is, or are before the subject. Do not add do or does to these be questions. In a positive short answer, keep the full final form: Yes, I am. In a negative short answer, a contraction is natural: No, I’m not. Match the answer pronoun to the person or thing in the question.

ដាក់ not នៅក្រោយ am, is ឬ are ដើម្បីបង្កើតប្រយោគបដិសេធ។ សម្រាប់សំណួរ ត្រូវផ្លាស់ am, is ឬ are មកមុខប្រធាន។ កុំបន្ថែម do ឬ does ទៅក្នុងសំណួរដែលប្រើ be ជាកិរិយាសព្ទមេ។ ចម្លើយខ្លីវិជ្ជមានត្រូវប្រើទម្រង់ពេញ ដូចជា Yes, I am។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Negative: subject + be + not	I am not tired. She is not here.
Common negative contractions	I’m not; isn’t; aren’t
Question: be + subject + ...?	Are you ready? Is she a teacher?
Positive short answer	Yes, I am. Yes, she is.
Negative short answer	No, I’m not. No, she isn’t.

Examples

1. I am not hungry.

   ខ្ញុំមិនឃ្លានទេ។

2. She isn’t at home.

   នាងមិននៅផ្ទះទេ។

3. Are they ready?

   តើពួកគេរួចរាល់ហើយឬនៅ?

4. Is he your brother?

   តើគាត់ជាបងប្រុស ឬប្អូនប្រុសរបស់អ្នកមែនទេ?

Everyday conversation

Maly: Are you tired?

Dara: No, I’m not.

Maly: Is your sister at home?

Dara: Yes, she is.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Do you are ready?	Are you ready?	Make this question by moving are before you; do is not needed.
Are you a student? Yes, I’m.	Are you a student? Yes, I am.	Do not end this positive short answer with the contraction I’m.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Make a negative sentence: She is ready.
2. Make a question: They are at school.
3. Give a positive short answer: Is she a teacher?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. She is not ready. / She isn’t ready.

   Put not after is.

2. Are they at school?

   Move are before the subject they.

3. Yes, she is.

   Use the subject pronoun she and the full form is.

Quick recap

• Put not after be to make a negative sentence.
• Put be before the subject to make a yes/no question.
• Do not use a final positive contraction in short answers such as Yes, I am.