Asking and Answering Personal Questions

What you’ll learn

Exchange basic information without making the conversation intrusive.

សួរ និងឆ្លើយព័ត៌មានមូលដ្ឋានដោយសមរម្យ។

Situation and purpose

Questions about where someone is from or what they study can build a conversation. What do you do? commonly asks about work; what are you doing? asks about a current action. A person can give a brief answer or decline to share private details. Follow the context rather than asking every question on a form.

What do you do? ច្រើនសួរមុខរបរ ខុសពី What are you doing? ដែលសួរសកម្មភាពបច្ចុប្បន្ន។ អ្នកអាចឆ្លើយខ្លី ឬមិនចែករំលែកព័ត៌មានឯកជន។

Useful expressions

Pattern	Example or form
Origin	Where are you from?
Work or study	What do you do? / What are you studying?
Return the question	How about you?
Decline a private question	I’d rather not share that.

Examples

1. I’m from Battambang.

   ខ្ញុំមកពីបាត់ដំបង។

2. I work at a school.

   ខ្ញុំធ្វើការនៅសាលា។

3. What are you studying?

   តើអ្នកកំពុងរៀនអ្វី?

4. How about you?

   ចុះអ្នកវិញ?

Model conversation

Dara: Where are you from?

Maly: I’m from Kampot. How about you?

Dara: I’m from Phnom Penh. What do you do?

Maly: I’m a student. I’m studying accounting.

Dara: That sounds interesting. Do you enjoy it?

Maly: Yes, especially the practical work.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Where you are from?	Where are you from?	A direct question puts are before you.
I am study English.	I am studying English.	The continuous form requires -ing.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Ask about someone’s hometown or country.
2. Answer What do you do? if you are a student.
3. Politely decline to give your home address.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Where are you from?

   This is a common introductory question; an answer can be broad.

2. I’m a student.

   The question commonly asks about work or role.

3. I’d rather not share my home address.

   Model answer: a courteous boundary is a valid response.

Quick recap

• Choose questions that fit the relationship.
• Distinguish occupation from a current action.
• How about you? returns a question naturally.