So, Neither, and Not in Responses

What you’ll learn

Express agreement and substitute for whole propositions.

ឆ្លើយយល់ស្រប និងជំនួសសេចក្ដីថ្លែងដោយ so/neither។

Meaning and use

So + auxiliary + subject expresses affirmative agreement; neither or nor + auxiliary + subject expresses negative agreement. I think so substitutes for a positive proposition; I hope not substitutes for a negative one. So do I differs from So I do, which confirms something about the same speaker.

So do I បង្ហាញថាខ្ញុំក៏ដូចគ្នា។ Neither do I សម្រាប់អវិជ្ជមាន។ I think so ជំនួសសេចក្ដីថ្លែងមួយ។ លំដាប់ So I do មានន័យបញ្ជាក់ខុសពី So do I។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Agreement with inversion	So have I. / Neither can I.
Proposition substitution	I think so. / I hope not.

Examples

1. I am tired. So am I.

   ខ្ញុំហត់។ ខ្ញុំក៏ហត់ដែរ។

2. I cannot swim. Neither can I.

   ខ្ញុំមិនចេះហែលទឹក។ ខ្ញុំក៏មិនចេះដែរ។

3. Will it rain? I think so.

   តើវានឹងភ្លៀងទេ? ខ្ញុំគិតថាអ៊ីចឹង។

4. Will we be late? I hope not.

   តើយើងនឹងយឺតទេ? ខ្ញុំសង្ឃឹមថាមិនយឺតទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: I have never visited Kratie.

Maly: Neither have I. Shall we plan a trip?

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I like it. So am I.	I like it. So do I.	Use do for the lexical present-simple verb like.
I cannot come. Neither I can.	I cannot come. Neither can I.	Negative agreement uses auxiliary–subject inversion.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Respond with so: I have finished.
2. Respond with neither: I did not see it.
3. Explain So I do after You work near here.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. So have I.

   Match the perfect auxiliary have.

2. Neither did I.

   Match past-simple did.

3. It acknowledges or confirms that the statement about me is true.

   It is not the same agreement pattern as So do I.

Quick recap

• Agreement with inversion: So have I. / Neither can I.
• Proposition substitution: I think so. / I hope not.