Danish to Khmer: knowing a person is different from knowing how to perform a task
Danish kan needs its intended sense established
Den Danske Ordbog distinguishes several uses of kunne: ability, a learned skill, opportunity, possibility and permission. A Danish sentence containing kan therefore does not automatically describe training or expertise. Establish whether the writer means somebody knows how to do something or merely has the opportunity to do it.
For Khmer, this distinction is useful because the NIU teaching material separately presents a verb for knowing how to perform an action and a verb for acquaintance with a person, place or thing. A translation based on an undifferentiated English gloss of know can blur those functions.
Read the complete Danish expression before choosing the target wording. Knowing a teacher, knowing a route and being able to play music concern different kinds of knowledge, even if the conversation mentions the same school or performance.
NIU contrasts acquaintance with a learned ability
Northern Illinois University’s Khmer lesson presents ស្គាល់ for acquaintance or familiarity. Its examples ask about a teacher, Phnom Penh and somebody’s house. It separately introduces ចេះ for knowing how to do something, illustrated with speaking Khmer, singing and playing Khmer music.
These examples provide a concrete distinction without making a complete inventory of all Khmer knowledge expressions. A question about factual information may require another construction; neither of the two lesson entries should be stretched to cover every Danish sentence about knowing.
Likewise, knowing where somebody’s house is should not automatically become a claim of personal acquaintance with its occupants. Check what the source identifies as familiar: the person, the location or the skill. A shared place name cannot settle that relationship on its own.
A music arrangement can involve skill, availability and acquaintance
Imagine a Danish organiser asking whether a volunteer can play an instrument at an event. The question could concern musical skill, availability on the day or willingness to perform. If the source context establishes one meaning, preserve it rather than letting the Khmer verb turn the enquiry into a different question.
A volunteer may know how to play but be unavailable that evening. Conversely, somebody may be available to help without having the skill required for the performance. Keep those circumstances separate when translating a reply, especially if Danish leaves the repeated activity unspoken.
The organiser might then ask whether the volunteer knows a particular music teacher. That is a new relationship: acquaintance with another person. Reusing the expression selected for musical ability can make the follow-up sound as though the teacher were a task to perform.
If the exchange mentions familiarity with the venue, distinguish that from knowing the teacher or being qualified to perform there. Visiting a place before does not establish a personal connection with its staff. The target should preserve the limited claim the Danish speaker actually makes.
Finally, check the proposed action at the end of the conversation. Has the volunteer demonstrated a skill, confirmed availability, accepted an invitation or simply identified an acquaintance? These outcomes can lead to different arrangements. The NIU contrast and the Danish dictionary’s range of kunne give a practical reason to resolve the intended meaning before treating a familiar modal or knowledge word as a fixed equivalent.
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