Khmer language
Basic constituent order

When combining these noun and verb phrases into a sentence the order is typically SVO:

/kʰɲom

I

SBJ

ʔaoj

give

VERB

ceik

banana

OBJ

muəj

one

cɑmnuən/

bunch

/kʰɲom ʔaoj ceik muəj cɑmnuən/

I give banana one bunch

SBJ VERB OBJ {} {}

'I gave a bunch of bananas.'

When both a direct object and indirect object are present without any grammatical markers, the preferred order is SV(DO)(IO). In such a case, if the direct object phrase contains multiple components, the indirect object immediately follows the noun of the direct object phrase and the direct object's modifiers follow the indirect object:

/kʰɲom

I

SBJ

ʔaoj

give

VERB

ceik

banana

DO

cruːk

pig

IO

muəj

one

cɑmnuən/

bunch

/kʰɲom ʔaoj ceik cruːk muəj cɑmnuən/

I give banana pig one bunch

SBJ VERB DO IO {} {}

'I gave the pig a bunch of bananas.'

This ordering of objects can be changed and the meaning clarified with the inclusion of particles. The word /dɑl/, which normally means "to arrive" or "towards", can be used as a preposition meaning "to":

/kʰɲom

I

ʔaoj

give

ceik

banana

muəj

one

cɑmnuən

bunch

dɑl

toward

cruːk/

pig

/kʰɲom ʔaoj ceik muəj cɑmnuən dɑl cruːk/

I give banana one bunch toward pig

'I gave a bunch of bananas to the pigs.'

Alternatively, the indirect object could precede the direct object if the object-marking preposition /nəw/ were used:

/kʰɲom

I

ʔaoj

give

cruːk

pig

nəw

OM

ceik

banana

muəj

one

cɑmnuən/

bunch

/kʰɲom ʔaoj cruːk nəw ceik muəj cɑmnuən/

I give pig OM banana one bunch

'I gave the pig a bunch of bananas.'

However, in spoken discourse OSV is possible when emphasizing the object in a topic–comment -like structure.

/tuːk

boat

muəj

one

kɔŋ

to sit

pram

five

ʔɑŋ/

monk

/tuːk muəj kɔŋ pram ʔɑŋ/

boat one {to sit} five monk

'In a boat sit five monks.'

/ʋɪʔciə

science

cao

thief

luəc

to steal

mɨn

NEG

baːn/

COMPL

/ʋɪʔciə cao luəc mɨn baːn/

science thief {to steal} NEG COMPL

'Science, a thief can not steal.'
combination:repeat_prompt, startend:quotation, language:response_language[Spanish]