4.2 What time is it in Phnom Penh?
The whole-hour times are expressed by the pattern Maong (hour) + Number + Haəy. Haəy “already” is often added after the number word to mean “It’s ____o’clock”. To ask the time, the same pattern is used: Maong bpon-maan haəy, followed by the question mark.
Examples:
Q: Maong bpon-maan haəy nouw Phnom Penh?
“What time is it in Phnom Penh?”
A: Maong dɔp haəy nouw Phnom Penh?
“It is 10 o’clock in Phnom Penh.”
Minutes “nia-dtii” to the hour are expressed with the pattern: maong + number (of hour) + number (of minute) + nia-dtii. Nia-dtii “minute” and Vi-nia-dtii “Second”, followed by the numeral. Thirty minutes, sam-sap nia-dtii, can be stated as kɔnlɔh “half hour”.
Examples:
Q: Maong bpon-maan haəy nouw New York?
“What time is it in New York? ”
A: Moang dɔp sam-seb nia-tii yub[1] nouw New York.
“It is 10:30pm in New York.”
To express the “exact” hour, the word Kut is added after the number. The word Haəy “already” is often omitted when expressing the “exact” hour.
Examples:
Q: Maong bpon-maan haəy nouw Dubai? “What time is it in Dubai?”
A: Maong bpram-bey kut (haəy) nouw Dubai. “It is exactly 8 o’clock in Dubai.”
1. Speaking
- Look at the picture below and record yourself telling the time in each city.
[1] Please refer to section 4.3 to learn more about the abbreviations a.m. and p.m. in Cambodian.
