There Is and There Are

What you’ll learn

Use there is and there are to introduce things in a place.

ប្រើ there is និង there are ដើម្បីប្រាប់ថាមានអ្វីនៅទីកន្លែងមួយ។

Meaning and use

Use there is with a singular countable noun or an uncountable noun. Use there are with a plural countable noun. This pattern introduces what exists or is present: There is a book on the table. To make a question, move is or are before there. To make a negative sentence, add not after is or are. In this pattern, there introduces the information; it does not mean a location by itself.

ប្រើ there is ជាមួយនាមឯកវចនៈ ឬនាមរាប់មិនបាន។ ប្រើ there are ជាមួយនាមពហុវចនៈ។ ទម្រង់នេះប្រាប់ថាមានអ្វីនៅកន្លែងណាមួយ។ សម្រាប់សំណួរ ផ្លាស់ is ឬ are មកមុខ there ហើយសម្រាប់ប្រយោគបដិសេធ បន្ថែម not នៅក្រោយ is ឬ are។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
A singular countable noun	There is a book on the table.
An uncountable noun	There is some water in the glass.
A plural countable noun	There are two chairs in the room.
Question	Is there a bank near here? Are there any chairs?
Negative	There isn’t a bank here. There aren’t any chairs.

Examples

1. There is a shop near my house.

   មានហាងមួយនៅជិតផ្ទះរបស់ខ្ញុំ។

2. There are three students in the room.

   មានសិស្សបីនាក់នៅក្នុងបន្ទប់។

3. There is some rice on the plate.

   មានបាយខ្លះនៅលើចាន។

4. Is there a school near here?

   តើមានសាលារៀននៅជិតទីនេះទេ?

Everyday conversation

Maly: Is there a café near here?

Dara: Yes, there is.

Maly: Are there any tables outside?

Dara: Yes, there are.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
There are a book on the table.	There is a book on the table.	A book is singular, so use there is.
There is two chairs in the room.	There are two chairs in the room.	In standard written English, use there are with plural chairs.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: There ___ a bank near here.
2. Complete: There ___ some water in the bottle.
3. Complete: ___ there two chairs in the room?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. is

   A bank is singular.

2. is

   Water is uncountable in this meaning.

3. Are

   Use are before there when asking about plural chairs.

Quick recap

• Use there is with a singular or uncountable noun.
• Use there are with a plural noun.
• Make questions with Is there...? and Are there...?