Fruit, Vegetables, and Ingredients

What you’ll learn

Name common ingredients and describe quantities.

ស្គាល់ផ្លែឈើ បន្លែ និងគ្រឿងផ្សំទូទៅ។

Meaning and use

Ingredient means a food used to prepare a dish. Many whole fruits and vegetables are countable, but some ingredient names are uncountable. Fruit can name the general category; an apple names one countable item. Use kilos, pieces, and a little to make quantities clear.

Ingredient ជាគ្រឿងផ្សំសម្រាប់ធ្វើម្ហូប។ ផ្លែឈើនិងបន្លែខ្លះរាប់បាន ប៉ុន្តែគ្រឿងផ្សំដូចអំបិលជាទូទៅមិនរាប់បាន។ ប្រើឯកតាបរិមាណឱ្យច្បាស់។

Key words and phrases

Word or phrase	Meaning and use
banana (noun)	ចេក — two bananas
mango (noun)	ស្វាយ — a ripe mango
apple (noun)	ផ្លែប៉ោម — an apple
carrot (noun)	ការ៉ុត — three carrots
onion (noun)	ខ្ទឹមបារាំង — chop an onion
garlic (noun)	ខ្ទឹមស — a clove of garlic
salt (noun)	អំបិល — a little salt
sugar (noun)	ស្ករ — a spoonful of sugar

Examples

1. Please buy three onions.

   សូមទិញខ្ទឹមបារាំងបីមើម។

2. We need a little salt.

   យើងត្រូវការអំបិលបន្តិច។

3. She cut the mango into pieces.

   នាងកាត់ស្វាយជាដុំៗ។

4. Add two cloves of garlic.

   បន្ថែមខ្ទឹមសពីរកំពឹស។

Everyday conversation

Dara: What do we need for dinner?

Maly: Two carrots, an onion, and some garlic.

Dara: Do we need sugar?

Maly: No, but we need a little salt.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
We need three onion.	We need three onions.	A countable noun takes plural -s after three.
Add a garlic. (intended: one clove)	Add a clove of garlic.	Clove identifies the intended unit.

Practice

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

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: ___ apple. (a/an)
2. Which word means a food used to make a dish?
3. Request one kilogram of carrots politely.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. an

   Apple begins with a vowel sound.

2. ingredient

   Ingredients are the components of a dish.

3. Could I have a kilo of carrots, please?

   Model answer: the unit and plural ingredient make the quantity clear.

Quick recap

• Count whole items when appropriate.
• Use units such as a clove of garlic.
• Distinguish the food category from a specific item.