Household Actions

What you’ll learn

Describe routine jobs around the home.

ពិពណ៌នាកិច្ចការប្រចាំថ្ងៃក្នុងផ្ទះ។

Meaning and use

Many household expressions are learned as verb–noun combinations: do the laundry, make the bed, and wash the dishes. Clean is general; sweep removes loose dirt with a broom, and mop cleans a floor with a wet mop. The object tells the listener which task you mean.

ពាក្យការងារផ្ទះគួររៀនជាកន្សោម ដូច do the laundry និង make the bed។ Sweep ជាបោស ហើយ mop ជាជូតឥដ្ឋដោយឧបករណ៍សើម។

Key words and phrases

Word or phrase	Meaning and use
clean (verb)	សម្អាត — clean the room
sweep (verb)	បោស — sweep the floor
mop (verb)	ជូតឥដ្ឋ — mop the kitchen floor
wash the dishes (phrase)	លាងចាន — wash the dishes after dinner
do the laundry (phrase)	បោកគក់ — do the laundry on Sunday
make the bed (phrase)	រៀបចំគ្រែ — make the bed each morning
take out the rubbish (phrase)	យកសំរាមទៅចោល — take out the rubbish
water the plants (phrase)	ស្រោចដំណាំ — water the plants

Examples

1. I make the bed every morning.

   ខ្ញុំរៀបចំគ្រែរាល់ព្រឹក។

2. She is washing the dishes.

   នាងកំពុងលាងចាន។

3. Please take out the rubbish.

   សូមយកសំរាមទៅចោល។

4. We water the plants in the evening.

   យើងស្រោចដំណាំពេលល្ងាច។

Everyday conversation

Dara: I will sweep the floor.

Maly: Thanks. I will wash the dishes.

Dara: Who will water the plants?

Maly: I can do that after dinner.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I make the laundry on Sundays.	I do the laundry on Sundays.	The usual combination is do the laundry.
He washes the dishs.	He washes the dishes.	Dish forms its plural with -es.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: ___ the bed. (make/do)
2. Which task uses a broom?
3. Ask someone politely to water the plants.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. make

   Make the bed means arrange its covers neatly.

2. Sweeping the floor.

   Sweep is the relevant action.

3. Could you water the plants, please?

   Model answer: a polite request includes the specific task.

Quick recap

• Learn household verbs with their objects.
• Say do the laundry and make the bed.
• Sweep and mop describe different cleaning actions.