Can and Can’t

What you’ll learn

Talk about ability with can or can’t and a base verb.

និយាយអំពីសមត្ថភាពដោយប្រើ can ឬ can’t និងកិរិយាសព្ទទម្រង់ដើម។

Meaning and use

Can is a modal verb. In this lesson, it describes ability: I can swim. Use the same form can with every subject and put a base verb after it. Do not add to or an -s ending to that verb. The negative is cannot, usually written as one word, or can’t. To ask a question, move can before the subject. Can also expresses permission and requests; those uses are introduced in the next lesson.

Can ជាកិរិយាសព្ទ modal។ ក្នុងមេរៀននេះ វាបង្ហាញសមត្ថភាព ដូចជា I can swim។ ប្រើទម្រង់ can ដូចគ្នាជាមួយប្រធានទាំងអស់ ហើយកិរិយាសព្ទក្រោយវាត្រូវជាទម្រង់ដើម។ មិនត្រូវបន្ថែម to ឬ -s ទេ។ ទម្រង់បដិសេធគឺ cannot ឬ can’t។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Ability	I can swim. She can swim.
Negative ability	I cannot swim. / I can’t swim.
Question	Can you swim?
Short answers	Yes, I can. No, I can’t.

Examples

1. I can speak Khmer.

   ខ្ញុំអាចនិយាយភាសាខ្មែរបាន។

2. She can play the guitar.

   នាងអាចលេងហ្គីតាបាន។

3. We can read this book.

   យើងអាចអានសៀវភៅនេះបាន។

4. He can’t swim.

   គាត់មិនអាចហែលទឹកបានទេ។

Everyday conversation

Maly: Can you swim?

Dara: Yes, I can.

Maly: Can your brother swim too?

Dara: No, he can’t.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She can speaks English.	She can speak English.	Use the base form speak after can.
I can to swim.	I can swim.	Do not put to after can in this ability pattern.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: She can ___ English. (speak)
2. Make a question: You can swim.
3. Make a negative: He can drive.
4. Give a positive short answer: Can you help?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. speak

   Can is followed by a base verb.

2. Can you swim?

   Move can before the subject.

3. He can’t drive. / He cannot drive.

   Use can’t or cannot before the base verb.

4. Yes, I can.

   Use can, not do, in the short answer.

Quick recap

• Can has the same form with every subject.
• Use can + base verb, without to or -s.
• Use can’t/cannot for a negative and Can + subject for a question.