Tourist Info
Learn Khmer
Even with a small Khmer vocabulary you will be liked by many in Cambodia, they enthusiastically improve your pronunciation and teach you a few more words to reward your efforts.
The Khmer language is non-tonal, but the language has a complex pronunciation, with 33 consonants (some seemingly identical, some in difficult to pronounce consonant combinations), about 28 vowels and diphthongs and about 17 independent vowels.
Khmer is written in a beautiful script, which is derived from Sanskrit. We have tried to approach the proper pronunciation of words and sentences without having to use phonetic charts. Pronunciation is based on the English language.
Google Translate is improving, and some translations have audio which is very helpful.
Greetings
Khmer traditionally greet each other with a gesture called a ‘sompeah’, very similar to the Thai ‘wai’. Some Khmer men have adapted the western handshake.
Hello (informal)
How are you?
I am fine
Sorry
Suo Sdei
Sok sabbye tey?
Knyom sok sabbye
Som toh
Short answers
Yes
No
Thank you
No, thank you
Baat (men); Jaa (women)
Tey
Ar coun
At tey ar coun
Phrases
These phrases are casual, and are the shortest way to get the message across.
Do you speak English?
How much? (price)
I already have it.
Can I have the bill, please?
Ta neah niyeay anglay?
Tlai bon mahn?
Knyom mien haey
Som kot louy
Adjectives and adverbs
Cheap
Expensive
Hot
Cold
Beautiful
Big
Small
Happy
Hungry
Thirsty
Delicious
Thaok
Thlai
Kdaw
Troh Chek
S’aat
Thom
Tauch
Sabbay
Cle-an or Hev
Sreak Tuk
Chnganj
*chnganj – a difficult one, the ch is as in ‘ch’urch, the ng is as in lo’ng’ , a as in b’a’r and the nj as in the Spanish se’ñ’ora. Don’t give up on this one, there is to my knowledge no other way of expressing that you have enjoyed the food.
Food & Drinks
Rice (cooked)
Rice (uncooked)
Noodle
Vegetables
Fruit
Curry
Soup
Restaurant
Water
Coffee
Tea
Bye
Angkor
Mee
Banlai
Play Cher
Karee
Soup
Resturawn
Tuk
Kah-fey
Tai
Transport
Taxi
Bus
Bicycle
Motorbike
Tah-xi
Laan Krong
Chia Khong
Moto
Directions
Go
Straight
Left
Right
Stop
Fast
Slow
Taw
Trang
Chaweng
Sdam
Chob
Luhn
Yut
Numbers
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1000
10000
Muoy
Pee
Buy
Boon
Brahm
Brahm-Muoy (five-one)
Brahm-Pee
Brahm-Buy
Brahm-Boon
Dohb
Mpei
Sam Seb
Sey Seb
Hah Seb
Hok Seb
Jet Seb
Bet Seb
Kaw Seb
Muoy Roy
Muoy Puan
Muoy Meun
Khmer Tutor
If you want to learn more Khmer, check out Vanna’s Learn Khmer Now blog. Vanna also offers Skype lessons for very reasonable prices – ideal if you would like to learn Khmer when you are outside of Cambodia.
Vanna has a BA in English from one of the top universities in Phnom Penh, and she has 7 years experience in teaching foreigners the Cambodian language.
Khmer Language apps
Cambodian Language Guide & Audio by World Nomads on Apple App Store
Simply Learn Khmer Language by Simya Solutions on Google Play
Translations
This post on the Khmer language is to help tourists and other visitors to Cambodia with their very first steps in the language. I am not a linguist, and am far from fluent in the language – I only recognise a couple of the letters of their script.