When

In english there tends to be two main uses of the word when. The first is when we use the word ‘when’ as a question word, and the second is when we give somebody some information relating to a time that something happens. The same is true in Khmer, although the word changes slightly to indicate this. Lets look at some examples of using ‘when’ in a question:

When is your brother coming to visit? - bong broh roboh neak nung mok layng bayl naa? បង ប្រុស របស់ អ្នក នឹង មក លេង ពេល ណា?

When are you going to school? – goan dauh saalaa reeun bayl naa? កូន ទៅ សាលារៀន ពេល ណា?

To make a question using the word when in Khmer, we simply tag ‘bayl naa’ ពេល ណា onto the end of the question. This is in contrast to English, in which we usually begin the sentence with the word when.

The other situation in which we use ‘when’ is when we want to give some information regarding the time that something happens. Lets look at some examples:

When I go to visit him I spend too much money because he lives in the city – nau bayl dail knyom dauh layng go-ad knyom jomnaai loy jraan baik daoy saa go-ad roouh nau dee grong. នៅ ពេល ដែលខ្ញុំ ទៅ លេង គាត់ ខ្ញុំ ចំណាយ លុយ ច្រើន ពេក ដោយសារ គាត់ រស់ នៅ ទី ក្រុង។

I will eat when I get home – knyom nung nyam baai nau bayl dail knyom mok dol p’deah wany. ខ្ញុំ នឹង ញ៉ាំ បាយ នៅ ពេល ដែល ខ្ញុំ មក ដល់ ផ្ទះ វិញ។6

Notice in this case that we use the phrase ‘nau bayl dail’ នៅ ពេល ដែល which literally means ‘at the time that’.