Am, Is, and Are

What you’ll learn

Choose am, is, or are to describe people and things in the present.

ជ្រើសរើស am, is ឬ are ដើម្បីពណ៌នាអំពីមនុស្ស និងវត្ថុនៅពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន។

Meaning and use

Am, is, and are are present forms of the verb be. Use them to talk about identity, jobs, feelings, descriptions, and location. Choose the form that matches the subject. English usually needs be in a full sentence such as She is happy, even if your first language expresses the same idea without a separate linking verb. This lesson uses be as the main verb, not as part of a continuous tense.

Am, is និង are ជាទម្រង់បច្ចុប្បន្នរបស់ be។ ប្រើវាដើម្បីនិយាយអំពីអត្តសញ្ញាណ មុខរបរ អារម្មណ៍ លក្ខណៈ និងទីកន្លែង។ ទម្រង់ត្រូវស្របនឹងប្រធាន។ ក្នុងប្រយោគអង់គ្លេសពេញលេញ ជាទូទៅត្រូវមាន be ដូចជា She is happy។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
I + am	I am a student. → I’m a student.
He / she / it + is	She is happy. → She’s happy.
You / we / they + are	They are here. → They’re here.
One named person or singular thing + is	Dara is a teacher. The book is new.
Plural people or things + are	Dara and Maly are friends. The books are new.

Examples

1. I am a student.

   ខ្ញុំជាសិស្សម្នាក់។

2. She is happy.

   នាងសប្បាយចិត្ត។

3. They are at school.

   ពួកគេនៅសាលារៀន។

4. My bag is blue.

   កាបូបរបស់ខ្ញុំមានពណ៌ខៀវ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Are you a teacher?

Maly: No, I’m a student.

Dara: Is your school near here?

Maly: Yes, it is.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She are happy.	She is happy.	Use is with she.
They at school.	They are at school.	Use are with the subject they to describe their location.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: We ___ friends.
2. Complete: I ___ tired.
3. Complete: The book ___ new.
4. Complete: Dara and Maly ___ students.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. are

   Use are with we.

2. am

   Use am with I.

3. is

   The book is a singular subject.

4. are

   Two people form a plural subject.

Quick recap

• Use I am; he/she/it is; you/we/they are.
• A single named person or singular thing usually takes is.
• Be can connect a subject with an identity, description, or location.