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I.  Adverb of Time

    Adverb of time is very important in Khmer past tense, it provides precise information about past tense.   Adverb of time uses for past tense includes:

Adverb of Time
eBlmun peel mun last time

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ta?gBImun taN pii mun before this time  
mSilmiBaj msel mhn) yesterday  
;f9GaTit<mun thNai qaa tit mun last week  
mSilmYy;f9 msel muey thNai the day before yester day  
;f9mun thNai  mun last day  
Exmun khae mun last month  
q6a?mun chnam mun last year  
yb'miBaj yOp mhn) last night  
kalBIyUrNas'mkehIy kaal pii yuu nah mOOk haey once upon a time  
k67gburaNkal knoN bo raane kaal in the ancient times  
munenH mun nih just or a little time ago  

Note:

    Khmer adverb of time is usually found at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

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II.  Past Tense

    The structure of past tense in Khmer language is different from English.  The past tense is formed by adding adverb of time to the beginning or at the end of the present tense.

    1.  Affirmative Sentence:

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+

Present Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+

Subject

+

Verb

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+

Subject

+

Verb

+

Object

Or

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense

Present Tense

+

Adverb of Time for Past
Subject + Verb + Object

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense
Subject + Verb + Object

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

Example:

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense
 
Adv for PT + Subject + Verb +

  Object

mSilmiBaj

x?ju

eTA

 sarmn8Ir.

Yesterday

I

go to (went)

 the museum.

Exmun

x?ju

CYb

 saer"t.

Last month

I

meet (met)

 Saret.

yb'miBaj

x?ju

y?.

Last night

I

cry (cried)

q6a?mun

Kat'

eTAelg

 RsukExMr.

Last year

he

visits (visited)

 Cambodia

munenH

nag

mk

 salarbs'xj7?.

A little time ago

she

comes to (came)

 my school.

;f9GaTit<mun

BYkeK

s6ak'enA

 sN&aKarenH.

Last week

they

stays (stayed)

 in this hotel.

;f9mun

xj7?

TiBaj

 k?uBU<T=rmYy.

Last day (one day in the past)

I

buy (bought)

 a computer.

 

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    2.   Negative Sentence for Past Tense

    The negative sentence for past tense is formed by adding adverb of time to the beginning or at the end of the negative present tense.

Negative Sentence for Past Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+

Negative Present Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+
Subject + min or Gt' + Verb + eT

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+
Subject + min or Gt' + Verb + Object + eT

Or

Negative Sentence for Past Tense

Present Tense

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense
Subject + min or Gt' + Verb

+

 eT

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense
Subject + min or Gt' + Verb + Object + eT

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

Example:

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense
 
Adv for PT + Subject + min + Verb +

  Object

 + eT

mSilmiBaj

x?ju

min

eTA

 sarmn8Ir eT.

Yesterday

I

 did not

go to

 the museum.

Exmun

x?ju

min

CYb

 saer"t eT.

Last month

I

 did not

meet

 Saret.

yb'miBaj

x?ju

min

y?

 eT.

Last night

I

did not

cry

q6a?mun

Kat'

min

eTAelg

 RsukExMr eT.

Last year

he

did not

visit

 Cambodia

munenH

nag

min

mk

 salarbs'xj7? eT.

A little time ago

she

did not

comes to

 my school.

;f9GaTit<mun

BYkeK

min

s6ak'enA

 sN&aKarenH eT.

Last week

they

did not

stay

 in this hotel.

;f9mun

xj7?

min

TiBaj

 k?uBU<T=rmYy eT.

Last day (one day in the past)

I

 did not

buy

 a computer.

 

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    3.  Interrogative Sentence for Past Tense

    The interrogative sentence for past tense is formed by adding adverb of time to the beginning or at the end of the interrogative present tense.

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+

Present Tense

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+
etI + Subject + Verb

+

 b/eT

/

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

+
etI + Subject + Verb + Object + b/eT /

Or

Negative Sentence for Past Tense

Present Tense

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense
etI + Subject + Verb

+

 b/eT

/

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense
etI + Subject + Verb + Object + b/eT /

+

Adverb of Time for Past Tense

Example:

Affirmative Sentence for Past Tense
 
Adv for PT + etI + Subject + Verb +

  Object

 + b/eT/

mSilmiBaj

etI

nag

eTA

 sarmn8Ir b/eT/

Yesterday

did

she

go to

 the museum?

Exmun

etI

elak

CYb

 saer"t b/eT/

Last month

did

you

meet

 Saret?

yb'miBaj

etI

G6k

y?

 b/eT/

Last night

did

you

cry?

q6a?mun

etI

Kat'

eTAelg

 RsukExMr b/eT/

Last year

did

he

visit

 Cambodia?

munenH

etI

nag

mk

 salarbs'xj7? b/eT/

A little time ago

did

she

come to

 my school?

;f9GaTit<mun

etI

BYkeK

s6ak'enA

 sN&aKarenH b/eT/

Last week

did

they

stay

 in this hotel?

;f9mun

etI

elak

TiBaj

 k?uBU<T=rmYy b/eT/

Last day (one day in the past)

you

buy

 a computer?

 

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