The and No Article

What you’ll learn

Use the for an identifiable thing and omit an article with many general plural or uncountable nouns.

ប្រើ the នៅពេលអ្នកស្តាប់អាចដឹងថាយើងសំដៅលើអ្វី ហើយមិនប្រើ article ក្នុងការនិយាយទូទៅមួយចំនួន។

Meaning and use

Use the when the speaker and listener can identify the person or thing: Close the door, please. We often introduce something with a or an, then use the when mentioning it again. The can come before singular nouns, plural nouns, and uncountable nouns when they are specific. When speaking generally, plural nouns and uncountable nouns often have no article: Books are useful. Water is important. We also normally use no article before a language name used on its own.

ប្រើ the ពេលអ្នកនិយាយ និងអ្នកស្តាប់អាចស្គាល់មនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុដែលកំពុងនិយាយអំពី។ ពេលលើកឡើងលើកដំបូង អាចប្រើ a ឬ an ហើយលើកបន្ទាប់ប្រើ the។ ពេលនិយាយទូទៅអំពីនាមពហុវចនៈ ឬនាមរាប់មិនបាន ជាទូទៅមិនប្រើ article ទេ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
First mention → later mention	I have a bag. The bag is blue.
A specific plural group	The books on this table are mine.
A specific amount	The water in this bottle is cold.
General plural or uncountable noun: no article	Books are useful. Water is important.
Language name on its own: usually no article	I study English.

Examples

1. Please close the door.

   សូមបិទទ្វារ។

2. I have a cat. The cat is small.

   ខ្ញុំមានឆ្មាមួយក្បាល។ ឆ្មានោះតូច។

3. Books are useful.

   សៀវភៅមានប្រយោជន៍។

4. I study English.

   ខ្ញុំរៀនភាសាអង់គ្លេស។

Everyday conversation

Maly: I have a new bag.

Dara: What color is the bag?

Maly: The bag is blue.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I study the English every day.	I study English every day.	A language name used on its own normally has no article.
This is a my book.	This is my book.	Do not use a together with the possessive determiner my.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete the second sentence: I have a cat. ___ cat is black.
2. Choose the general statement: Books are useful. / The books are useful.
3. Complete: ___ water in this glass is cold.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. The

   The listener can identify the cat after the first sentence.

2. Books are useful.

   With no specific group identified, use the plural noun without the.

3. The

   The phrase in this glass identifies a specific amount of water.

Quick recap

• Use the when the listener can identify the person or thing.
• Use no article with many general plural or uncountable nouns.
• Article choices depend on meaning and context, not only the noun itself.