This article discusses the grammar of the Khmer language, focusing on the standard dialect.
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Khmer is generally a subject–verb–object (SVO) language with prepositions. Since it is an isolating language, meaning is highly dependent on word order.
The noun has no grammatical gender or singular/plural distinction. Plurality can be marked by post-nominal particles, numerals, or by reduplication, doubling the adjective, which can also serve to intensify the adjective:
ឆ្កែធំ /cʰkae tʰom/ (dog large) = large dog
ឆ្កែធំៗ /cʰkae tʰom tʰom/ (dog large large) = large dogs or a very large dog
ឆ្កែបី /cʰkae ɓəj/ (dog three) = three dogs
ឆ្កែខ្លះ cʰkae klah/ (dog some) = some dogs
Classifying particles for use between numerals and nouns exist although are not obligatory as in, for example, Thai, except in introductory clauses. They are used for clarity or formality. Number precedes classifiers.
សត្វក្របីពីរ /sat krɑbəy pii/ (animal buffalo two) = two buffaloes
សត្វក្របីពីរក្បាល /sat krɑbəy pii kbaal/ (animal buffalo two + animal classifier) = two heads of buffaloes
In Khmer, number that indicates quantity follows the noun.
សៀវភៅបួន /siəw pʰɨw ɓuən/ (book four) = four books
Exceptions include nouns indicating passage of time such as hours or days, units of measurements and currencies, all of which function as noun classifiers without the explicit mention of what is being classified. Reversal of the order can lead to different meanings such as:
បីម៉ោង /ɓəj maoŋ/ (three hour) = three hours
ម៉ោងបី /maoŋ ɓəj/ (hour three) = three o'clock
The following example illustrates the unnecessary mention of what is being classified:
បីរៀល /ɓəj riəl/ (three riel) = three riels
លុយបីរៀល /luj ɓəj riəl/ (money three riel) = three riels of money or simply three riels
In Khmer, demonstratives follow the nouns they modify. In standard literary Khmer, there are two degrees of distance, though there are other distinctions in colloquial language. Demonstratives can also function as articles, but only after introductory clauses.
| Demonstrative | Alternative Forms | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| នេះ (nih) | ហ្នឹង (nəŋ) | This |
| នោះ (nuh) | ហ្នុង (noŋ) | That |
The pronominal system is complex, full of honorific variations. There is generally no single pronoun appropriate for all situations, with the choice of pronoun based on age, gender, and relationship. Nouns referring to a specific person like brother or uncle can be used as pronouns when even when directly addressing the person.
Adjectives in Khmer follows the noun, doubling the adjective can serve as a function of plurality or it can intensify the meaning. Adjectives follow verbs when they function as adverbs. Adjectives in Khmer are in actuality stative verbs. They cannot be combined with a copula and can be negated.
In Khmer, nouns and adjectives can be reduplicated. Reduplication can either occur as perfect reduplicates or by altering the rhyme of words. Khmer also uses compound reduplication where two phonologically unrelated words with similar or identical meanings are compounded.
Although Modern Khmer shows a highly complex system of prefixes and infixes, there is generally no productive morphology with most affixed words crystallized in the lexicon inherited from Old Khmer. In general, even in Old Khmer, affixes have fluid functions with the same affix functioning as a nominalizer in one word and as a causativizer in another word. One nominal is marked by the symbol 'ៗ' to indicate that the word is to be repeated.
Verbs in Khmer do not inflect at all; tense and aspect can be shown by particles and adverbs or understood by context.
Verbs can be negated in three primary fashions, all of which convey a slightly different connotation or formality. The most common method of negation is a discontinuous construction placing មិន "/mɨn/" (not, not to be) before the verb and ending the verb phrase with ទេ "/teː/", which, as a stand-alone word can be either "no" or a particle contradicting a previous statement. Colloquially, the final "ទេ" may be omitted.
ខ្ញុំជឿ /kʰɲom cɨə/ - I believe
ខ្ញុំមិនជឿទេ /kʰɲom mɨn cɨə teː/ - I don't believe
Another fairly common way of indicating negation uses អត់ (also spelled ឥត) "/ɑt/" instead of មិន. "អត់", as an independent word, means "without" or "lacking" and expresses a similar connotation when used to negate a verb.
ខ្ញុំអត់ឃ្លានទេ /kʰɲom ɑt khliə̯n teː/ - "I am not hungry" or literally, "I (am) without hunger".
A third method is basically identical to the first method except ពុំ "/pum/" is used instead of "/mɨn/". This is used only in literary or very formal contexts.
Khmer indicates verbal aspects through preverbal auxiliaries.