This, That, These, Those

What you’ll learn

Point to one or several things that are near or farther away.

ចង្អុលសំដៅលើវត្ថុមួយ ឬច្រើន ដែលនៅជិត ឬនៅឆ្ងាយពីអ្នកនិយាយ។

Meaning and use

This and that refer to one person or thing; these and those refer to more than one. In their basic pointing use, this and these usually refer to something near the speaker, while that and those refer to something farther away. They can stand before a noun or be used without repeating the noun. Match the noun and verb to the singular or plural meaning. These words also have uses in conversations and time references, but start with physical distance.

This និង that សំដៅលើមនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុមួយ។ These និង those សំដៅលើច្រើនជាងមួយ។ ជាទូទៅ this និង these សម្រាប់អ្វីដែលនៅជិតអ្នកនិយាយ ហើយ that និង those សម្រាប់អ្វីដែលនៅឆ្ងាយ។ ត្រូវប្រើនាម និងកិរិយាសព្ទឱ្យស្របនឹងចំនួន។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
One thing near me	this book / This is a book.
One thing farther away	that bag / That is a bag.
Several things near me	these books / These are books.
Several things farther away	those bags / Those are bags.

Examples

1. This book is mine.

   សៀវភៅនេះជារបស់ខ្ញុំ។

2. That house is blue.

   ផ្ទះនោះមានពណ៌ខៀវ។

3. These pens are new.

   ប៊ិចទាំងនេះថ្មី។

4. Those bags are heavy.

   កាបូបទាំងនោះធ្ងន់។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Is this your pen?

Maly: Yes, it is.

Dara: What about those pens over there?

Maly: They are my sister’s.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
This books are new.	These books are new.	Use the plural these before books.
Those is my bags.	Those are my bags.	Those has plural meaning and takes are.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete for one book near you: ___ book is mine.
2. Complete for several bags farther away: ___ bags are heavy.
3. Complete: These ___ new pens.
4. Change to plural: That book.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. This

   Use this for a singular thing near the speaker.

2. Those

   Use those for plural things farther away.

3. are

   These has plural meaning.

4. Those books.

   That becomes those and book becomes books.

Quick recap

• This/that are singular; these/those are plural.
• This/these usually point near the speaker; that/those farther away.
• Match singular or plural nouns and verbs.