by merchantsmutual » Sun Dec 09, 2018 10:17 am
Using it like "I agree" is probably the most common usage, but there is a slight variant that you should probably know. In many contexts, it can mean like "this one" or "exactly like that" or even take the form of a phrase like "in the here and now."
VIDEO
For instance, the title of this song, ម្នាក់ហ្នឹងហើយដែលខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់ (mneak nung howie dial knowm sralan), can probably be translated "this one person that I love." When you get to the chorus, she sings something like, "I want to tell the world / this is the person that I love / the heart writes the sweet words of a love spell."
VIDEO
Similarly, around 8:17 of this video, the woman says, "អូនមិនបានសម្ដែងហ្នឹងហើយ អូនយាយមែន" (oun min ban samdaeg nung howie oun niyiay mien), which means like, "I am not acting/pretending right here and now ; I am speaking truthfully." I think in this context she wants to put emphasis on the here and now. Or the phrase nung howie can mean a general emphasis, like when I was last in Cambodia, a friend said something like, "When I say a word, I mean that word nung howie" (ម៉ាត់អូនគឺម៉ាត់ហ្នឹងហើយ). The phrase took on the role of saying that when she says a word, she really means it.
There is a whole other variant, too, where nung means like unchanging, but I can't seem to find it in any video right now.
It is important to be aware of this variant so you don't think they are agreeing. But for most contexts in which a question is asked and this is the response, it means "yes, that's right," like the other posters have chimed in.
Using it like "I agree" is probably the most common usage, but there is a slight variant that you should probably know. In many contexts, it can mean like "this one" or "exactly like that" or even take the form of a phrase like "in the here and now." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTe7qccHZmY For instance, the title of this song, ម្នាក់ហ្នឹងហើយដែលខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់ (mneak nung howie dial knowm sralan), can probably be translated "this one person that I love." When you get to the chorus, she sings something like, "I want to tell the world / this is the person that I love / the heart writes the sweet words of a love spell." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77FtwxXUuIs Similarly, around 8:17 of this video, the woman says, "អូនមិនបានសម្ដែង[b]ហ្នឹងហើយ[/b] អូនយាយមែន" (oun min ban samdaeg nung howie oun niyiay mien), which means like, "I am not acting/pretending [b]right here and now[/b]; I am speaking truthfully." I think in this context she wants to put emphasis on the here and now. Or the phrase nung howie can mean a general emphasis, like when I was last in Cambodia, a friend said something like, "When I say a word, I mean that word nung howie" (ម៉ាត់អូនគឺម៉ាត់ហ្នឹងហើយ). The phrase took on the role of saying that when she says a word, she really means it. There is a whole other variant, too, where nung means like unchanging, but I can't seem to find it in any video right now. It is important to be aware of this variant so you don't think they are agreeing. But for most contexts in which a question is asked and this is the response, it means "yes, that's right," like the other posters have chimed in.