Negative Questions and Short Answers

What you’ll learn

Respond clearly to expectations and checking questions.

ឆ្លើយសំណួរអវិជ្ជមានឱ្យច្បាស់តាមន័យអង់គ្លេស។

Meaning and use

Negative questions often express surprise or an expectation. In English, yes confirms the positive proposition and no confirms the negative, even after a negative question. Add a short clause to avoid confusion, especially when translating between languages with different answer conventions.

សំណួរអវិជ្ជមានអាចបង្ហាញការភ្ញាក់ផ្អើល។ ក្នុងអង់គ្លេស yes បញ្ជាក់ថារឿងនោះពិត ហើយ no បញ្ជាក់ថាមិនពិត។ គួរបន្ថែមឃ្លាខ្លីដើម្បីជៀសវាងការយល់ច្រឡំ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Negative question	Didn’t you receive my email?
Clear answers	Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.

Examples

1. Did you not see the message?

   តើអ្នកមិនបានឃើញសារទេឬ?

2. Yes, I did see it.

   បាទ ខ្ញុំបានឃើញវា។

3. No, I did not see it.

   ទេ ខ្ញុំមិនបានឃើញវាទេ។

4. Is she not joining us today?

   តើថ្ងៃនេះនាងមិនចូលរួមជាមួយយើងទេឬ?

Everyday conversation

Dara: Didn’t you book the tickets?

Maly: Yes, I did. Here is the confirmation.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Yes, I did not. (meaning: I received it)	Yes, I did.	Yes confirms the positive meaning in this answer convention.
Doesn’t he works here?	Doesn’t he work here?	After does, use the base verb.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. You received the email. Answer Didn’t you receive it? clearly.
2. You are not ready. Answer Aren’t you ready?
3. Correct: Didn’t she went home?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Yes, I did.

   Yes confirms receipt, even though the question is negative.

2. No, I am not.

   No confirms the negative situation.

3. Didn’t she go home?

   Did carries past tense, so use go.

Quick recap

• Negative question: Didn’t you receive my email?
• Clear answers: Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.