Defining Relative Clauses

What you’ll learn

Identify people and things with essential information.

បញ្ជាក់មនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុដោយព័ត៌មានកំណត់អត្តសញ្ញាណ។

Meaning and use

A defining relative clause identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people and which for things; that can replace either in many defining clauses. Do not put commas around essential identifying information. The relative word already fills a role, so do not add a duplicate subject or object.

Defining relative clause បញ្ជាក់ថានិយាយអំពីមនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុមួយណា។ ប្រើ who សម្រាប់មនុស្ស និង which សម្រាប់វត្ថុ។ មិនដាក់ក្បៀសជុំវិញព័ត៌មានសំខាន់នេះទេ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Person	the woman who teaches us
Thing	the book that I borrowed

Examples

1. The student who won the prize is my cousin.

   សិស្សដែលឈ្នះរង្វាន់ជាបងប្អូនជីដូនមួយរបស់ខ្ញុំ។

2. This is the book that I borrowed.

   នេះជាសៀវភៅដែលខ្ញុំបានខ្ចី។

3. We need a room which has a window.

   យើងត្រូវការបន្ទប់ដែលមានបង្អួច។

4. The person who called left no message.

   អ្នកដែលបានទូរស័ព្ទមកមិនបានទុកសារទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Which bag is yours?

Maly: The bag that is next to the door.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
The woman who she teaches us is kind.	The woman who teaches us is kind.	Who already acts as the subject.
The book that I bought it is useful.	The book that I bought is useful.	That fills the object role; do not repeat it.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Join: I met a man. He repairs clocks.
2. Join: This is the key. It opens the gate.
3. Do essential defining clauses normally take commas?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. I met a man who repairs clocks.

   Who refers to the man and acts as the relative-clause subject.

2. This is the key that opens the gate.

   That identifies the key.

3. No.

   Their information identifies the referent.

Quick recap

• Person: the woman who teaches us
• Thing: the book that I borrowed