Non-Defining Relative Clauses

What you’ll learn

Add extra information with commas and appropriate pronouns.

បន្ថែមព័ត៌មានដោយ relative clause និងក្បៀស។

Meaning and use

A non-defining relative clause adds information about an already identified person or thing. Separate it with commas. Use who, which, or whose, rather than that, and do not omit the relative word. The commas affect meaning: they mark information as additional rather than identifying.

Non-defining relative clause បន្ថែមព័ត៌មានអំពីអ្នក ឬវត្ថុដែលបានស្គាល់ហើយ។ ដាក់ក្បៀសជុំវិញឃ្លា ហើយមិនប្រើ that ឬលុប relative pronoun ទេ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Additional information	Maly, who lives nearby, is joining us.
Thing already identified	My bike, which is old, still works.

Examples

1. Dara, who lives in Kampot, is a teacher.

   ដារ៉ា ដែលរស់នៅកំពត ជាគ្រូបង្រៀន។

2. My phone, which I bought last year, needs repair.

   ទូរស័ព្ទខ្ញុំ ដែលទិញឆ្នាំមុន ត្រូវការជួសជុល។

3. Sophea, whose brother studies here, visited us.

   សុភា ដែលប្អូនប្រុសរបស់នាងរៀននៅទីនេះ បានមកលេងយើង។

4. The new library, which opened in May, is busy.

   បណ្ណាល័យថ្មី ដែលបើកក្នុងខែឧសភា មានអ្នកប្រើច្រើន។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Is Maly coming?

Maly: Yes. Maly, who has just finished work, is on her way.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Dara, that lives nearby, can help.	Dara, who lives nearby, can help.	That is not used in a standard non-defining relative clause.
My car, I bought last year, is blue.	My car, which I bought last year, is blue.	Do not omit the relative pronoun in a non-defining clause.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Join with extra information: Maly is a nurse. She lives next door.
2. Correct: My laptop, that is new, is slow.
3. Can removing commas change the meaning of a relative clause?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Maly, who lives next door, is a nurse.

   Commas enclose the additional information.

2. My laptop, which is new, is slow.

   Use which rather than that after the comma.

3. Yes.

   A defining clause identifies a referent; a non-defining clause adds extra information.

Quick recap

• Additional information: Maly, who lives nearby, is joining us.
• Thing already identified: My bike, which is old, still works.