Have or Get Something Done

What you’ll learn

Describe a service arranged for you.

ពិពណ៌នាការរៀបចំឱ្យអ្នកផ្សេងធ្វើសេវាឱ្យ។

Meaning and use

Have or get + object + past participle often means arranging for someone else to do a job. Get is common in everyday conversation. Have something done can also describe an unwanted experience, such as having a phone stolen; context distinguishes the meanings.

Have ឬ get + កម្មបទ + past participle អាចមានន័យថារៀបចំឱ្យអ្នកផ្សេងធ្វើការឱ្យ។ បរិបទខ្លះអាចបង្ហាញបទពិសោធន៍មិនល្អ ដូចជាត្រូវគេលួចទូរស័ព្ទ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Arranged service	have/get + object + past participle
Tense on have/get	I had my bike repaired. / I am getting it repaired.

Examples

1. I had my hair cut yesterday.

   ខ្ញុំបានទៅឱ្យគេកាត់សក់ម្សិលមិញ។

2. She is getting her laptop repaired.

   នាងកំពុងឱ្យគេជួសជុលកុំព្យូទ័រយួរដៃ។

3. We will have the room painted.

   យើងនឹងឱ្យគេលាបថ្នាំបន្ទប់។

4. He had his phone stolen on the bus.

   គាត់ត្រូវគេលួចទូរស័ព្ទលើឡានក្រុង។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Did you repair the bike yourself?

Maly: No, I had it repaired at the shop.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I had cut my hair by the barber. (intended: arranged service)	I had my hair cut by the barber.	Place the object between had and the participle.
She got her phone repair.	She got her phone repaired.	The service pattern ends with a past participle.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Rewrite: A mechanic serviced my car for me.
2. Complete: Tomorrow we will have the windows ___ (clean).
3. Did He had his wallet stolen mean he arranged the theft?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. I had my car serviced.

   The causative pattern emphasizes arranging the service.

2. cleaned

   Use the past participle after the object.

3. Normally no.

   Here the construction describes an unwanted experience.

Quick recap

• Arranged service: have/get + object + past participle
• Tense on have/get: I had my bike repaired. / I am getting it repaired.