Subject and Object Questions

What you’ll learn

Ask about the doer or the receiver of an action.

សួរអំពីប្រធាន ឬកម្មបទដោយលំដាប់ត្រឹមត្រូវ។

Meaning and use

When who or what is the subject, a positive question normally keeps statement order and needs no do-support. When it asks about the object, use ordinary question order with an auxiliary. Negative subject questions may still need do, as in Who did not come?

បើ who ឬ what ជាប្រធាននៃសំណួរវិជ្ជមាន ជាទូទៅមិនប្រើ do ទេ។ បើសួរអំពីកម្មបទ ត្រូវប្រើលំដាប់សំណួរធម្មតាជាមួយកិរិយាសព្ទជំនួយ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Subject question	Who called you?
Object question	Who did you call?

Examples

1. Who broke the glass?

   អ្នកណាធ្វើបែកកែវ?

2. Who did you invite?

   អ្នកបានអញ្ជើញអ្នកណា?

3. What happened after lunch?

   មានអ្វីកើតឡើងក្រោយអាហារថ្ងៃត្រង់?

4. What does this word mean?

   ពាក្យនេះមានន័យអ្វី?

Everyday conversation

Dara: Who called you this morning?

Maly: Maly called me. Who did you call?

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Who did broke the window? (neutral subject question)	Who broke the window?	Who is the subject, so no do-support is needed.
Who you invited?	Who did you invite?	An object question needs did and the base verb.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Ask about Dara: Dara repaired the bike.
2. Ask about the bike: Dara repaired the bike.
3. Correct: What did happen next? (neutral question)

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Who repaired the bike?

   Who replaces the subject.

2. What did Dara repair?

   What replaces the object, so use did + base verb.

3. What happened next?

   What is the subject; did is unnecessary in the neutral form.

Quick recap

• Subject question: Who called you?
• Object question: Who did you call?