Location, Time, and 'Still' with 'នៅ'

01

Saying Where Something Is

នៅ (nɨwnuw) comes before the place.

• សៀវភៅនៅលើតុ

  siəw phɨw nɨw ləə toksiew phuw nuw lee tok

  The book is on the table.

• នាងនៅផ្ទះ

  niəng nɨw phtĕəhnieng nuw phteeh

  She is at home.

• ឆ្មានៅក្រោមតុ

  chmaa nɨw kraom tokchmaa nuw kraom tok

  The cat is under the table.

02

Asking 'Where?'

Pair នៅ (nɨwnuw) with the question word ឯណា (ʼae naaae naa) ("where") to ask after a location.

• តើឆ្មានៅឯណា

  taə chmaa nɨw ʼae naatae chmaa nuw ae naa

  Where is the cat?

• តើអ្នកនៅឯណា

  taə nĕək nɨw ʼae naatae neek nuw ae naa

  Where are you?

03

Marking Time: "On/At/In"

នៅ (nɨwnuw) also comes before days, months, years, and clock times, meaning "on", "in", or "at". This is one of the most common uses of the word, and no separate time preposition is needed.

• ខ្ញុំទំនេរនៅថ្ងៃសុក្រ

  khñom tumnei nɨw thngay sokkhnom tumnei nuw thngay sok

  I'm free on Friday.

• នៅខែធ្នូ ខ្ញុំនឹងមានអាយុដប់ប្រាំពីរឆ្នាំ

  nɨw khaetnuu khñom nɨng miən ʼaayuʼ dɑp pram pii chnamnuw khaetnuu khnom nung mien aayu dap pram pii chnam

  In December, I'll turn seventeen.

Just as ឯណា (ʼae naaae naa) asks "where", pairing នៅ (nɨwnuw) with the question word ពេលណា (peel naa) asks "when".

• តើអ្នកចាប់ផ្តើមការងារនៅពេលណា

  taə nĕək cap phdaəm kaa ngiə nɨw peel naatae neek cap phdaem kaa ngie nuw peel naa

  When do you start work?

• នៅម៉ោងប្រាំមួយកន្លះ

  nɨw maong pram muəy kɑnlahnuw maong pram muey kanlah

  At 6:30.

04

'To Stay / To Remain'

The same verb also means "to stay" or "to remain" — standing alone with no place noun after it.

• ខ្ញុំអាចនៅបានយូរ

  khñom ʼaac nɨw baan yuukhnom aac nuw baan yuu

  I can stay a while.

05

The Adverb 'Still'

Placed before a describing word instead of a place, នៅ (nɨwnuw) means "still" — remaining in some state. What follows នៅ (nɨwnuw) tells you which meaning is meant: a place noun gives location, a quality or condition gives "still".

• គាត់នៅក្មេង

  kŏət nɨw kmeengkoet nuw kmeeng

  He is still young.

• តើអ្នកនៅបើកទេ

  taə nĕək nɨw baək teitae neek nuw baek tei

  Are you still open?

06

"Still Doing" with នៅតែ

Before a verb — an action rather than a quality — add តែ (tae, "only/just") to get នៅតែ (nɨw taenuw tae): "still" or "keep on" doing something.

• កុំនៅតែអង្គុយនៅទីនោះ

  kom nɨw tae ʼɑngkuy nɨw tii nuhkom nuw tae angkuy nuw tii nuh

  Don't just keep sitting there.

• ទោះជាផឹកកាហ្វេក៏ខ្ញុំនៅតែងងុយគេងដែរ

  tŭəhciə phək kaafee kɑɑ khñom nɨw tae ngɔɔnguykeing daetuehcie phek kaafee kaa khnom nuw tae ngoonguykeing dae

  Even though I drink coffee, I still feel sleepy.

07

"...Yet?" — The Completion Question

This "still" sense also builds a very common question: add ហើយ ឬ នៅ (haəy rɨɨ nɨw, literally "already, or still?") to the end of a statement to ask whether something has happened yet. Answer ហើយ (haəyhaey) ("already") if it's done, or នៅ (nɨwnuw) ("not yet") if it hasn't.

• តើអ្នកបានមើល DVD ចប់ហើយឬនៅ

  taə nĕək baan məəl DVD cɑp haəy rɨɨ nɨwtae neek baan meel DVD cap haey ruu nuw

  Have you finished watching the DVD yet?

• តើអ្នកត្រៀមខ្លួនញ៉ាំអាហារពេលព្រឹកហើយឬនៅ

  taə nĕək triəmkhluən ñam ʼaahaa peel prɨk haəy rɨɨ nɨwtae neek triemkhluen nam aahaa peel pruk haey ruu nuw

  Are you ready to eat breakfast yet?

08

Location vs. Identity

Keep the two "to be" ideas apart. Identity ("is a teacher") uses ជា (ciəcie); location ("is at school") uses នៅ (nɨwnuw). Mixing them is a common early error.

• នាងជាសិស្ស

  niəng ciə səhnieng cie seh

  She is a student. (identity)

• នាងនៅសាលា

  niəng nɨw saalaanieng nuw saalaa

  She is at school. (location)