Khmer phrasebook

Knowing a few Khmer words will help you earn some respect while in Cambodia.

• If you are male the word for 'yes' is pronounced 'baht' (បាទ) as in the sound of a sheep followed by a hard T.
• If you are female the word for 'yes' is pronounced 'jah' (ចា) as in the first part of 'jar'.
• The word for 'no' is pronounced 'otDay' (អត់ទេ/ទេ) with a short 'ot with an emphasis on the D following.
• The word for 'thank you' is pronounced 'awkunh' (អរគុណ) sounds a little like raccoon.
• To express greater thanks (thank you very much), use the word 'awkunh ch'ran' (អរគុណច្រើន).
• The word for 'hello' is pronounced 'sue-saw-day' (សួស្តី) with sue as in a woman's name, saw as in a thing you cut with, and day as in sunday.
• The word for 'sorry' is pronounced 'somtoh' (សុំទោស).
• The word for 'toilet' is pronounced 'dakuhn' (បង្គន់) or 'pahkuhn' (បន្ទប់ទឹក). Similarly to how you would pronounce the kunh in thank you, but with a short 'ba' in front.
• Scooter/mopeds with carriages pulled behind are called a 'tuk-tuk' (តុកតុក) better pronounced with the U sound from the back of your throat, like tulk-tulk.
• Scooter/mopeds by themselves are pronounced 'moto' (ម៉ូតូ) with an emphasis on 'mo'.
• Rickshaws are called 'cyclo' (ស៊ីក្លូ). The cy is pronounced like the word see.

Vowels

Consonants

Common diphthongs

Basics

; Hello. ("formal"): ជំរាបសួរ (chum reap suor)
; Hello. (informal) : សួស្តី (sous-dey)
; Hello. (answering the phone) : អាឡូ (allo)
; How are you? : (niak sok sabai teh?)
; Fine, thank you. : សុខសប្បាយ (akun, sok sabai)
; What is your name? : (niak chmuah ey?)
; My name is ______ . : ខ្ញុំឈ្មោះ (knyom chmuah _____ .)
; Nice to meet you. : (reak reay dae bahn skoal loak )
; Please. : សូម (soum)
; Thank you. : អរគុណ (aw khun)
; Welcome : (soum swa-khom)
; You're welcome. : (m'n ay te) or អញ្ជើញ (un-juhn)
; Yes. : ច៎ា (jaah female) បាទ (baht men)
; No. : (ot teh)
; Excuse me. : សូមទោស (soum toh)
; I'm sorry. : សូមទោស (soum toh)
; Goodbye : (chum reap leah)
; Goodbye (informal) : (leah seun hai)
; I can't speak name of language. : (k'nyom ot seu cheh niyeay pia'saa khmae teh)
; Do you speak English? : (cheh niyeay pia'saa Anglais baan teh?)
; Is there someone here who speaks English? : (miean niak na cheh Anglais teh?)
; Help! : (chuy!)
; Look out! : (mer seun!)
; Good morning. : អរុណសួស្ដី (arun sous-dey )
; Good afternoon. : (tiveah sous-dey )
; Good night. : រាត្រីសួស្ដី (reatrey sous-dey )
; I don't understand. : ខ្ញុំ​មិន​យល់​ទេ ( k'nyom min yul teh)
; Where is the toilet? : (bakun noew ey nah?)
; Happy Birthday! : (reak reay t'gnai khom-not)

Problems

Numbers

Although Khmer uses base-10 numbers, the numbers for 1-9 are effectively spoken as base-5. Thus, six (bpram mouy) literally means five (bpram), one (mouy); whereas sixteen (dop bpram mouy) is ten (dop), five (bprum), one (mouy).
In practice, the word 'sep' is often omitted from the numbers for 30-90. However, it is generally considered more proper to include the word.
; 0 : ๐ (soun)
; 1 : ๑ (muay)
; 2 : ๒ (pee)
; 3 : ๓ (bei)
; 4 : ๔ (buan)
; 5 : ๕ (pbram)
; 6 : ๖ (pbram muay)
; 7 : ๗ (pbram pee)
; 8 : ๘ (pbram bei)
; 9 : ๙ (pbram buan)
; 10 : ๑๐ (dop)
; 20 : (ma'pei)
; 30 : (sam sep)
; 40 : (sae sep)
; 50 : (haa sep)
; 60 : (hok sep)
; 70 : (chet sep)
; 80 : (paet sep)
; 90 : (kao sep)
; 100 : (muay roy)
; 1,000 : (muay poan)
; 10,000 : (muay meun)
; 100,000 : (muay saen)

Time

; Time : ម៉ោង (Maong)

Clock time

; What time is it? : (Maong bon maan?)
; Maong mouy t'ngai (day) : (1 pm)
; Maong mouy yop (night) : (1 am)

Duration

; Hour : ម៉ោង (Maong)
; Minute : នាទី (Neatii)

Days

; Day : (T'ngai) (ថ្ងៃ)
; One day : (Mouy t'ngai) (១ ថ្ងៃ)
; Monday : (Chhan) (ច័ន្ទ)
; Tuesday : (Angkea) (អង្គារ)
; Wednesday : (Poat) (ពុធ)
; Thursday : (Pra-hoah) (ព្រហស្បត្តិ៍)
; Friday : (Sok) (សុក្រ)
; Saturday : (Sao) (សៅរ៍)
; Sunday : (A-tut) (អាទិត្យ)

Months

;Year : (Chnam)
; Month : (Khae)
; January : (Makara)
; February : (Kompheak)
; March : (Mea-neah)
; April : (Mae-sa)
; May : (Osaphea)
; June : (Maytona)
; July : (Kakada)
; August : (Seyha)
; September : (Kanya)
; October : (Tola)
; November : (Vicheka)
; December : (Ta Nou)

Colors

; Color : (Phoa)
; Red : (Phoa Krahom)
; Blue : (Phoa Khiev)
; Yellow : (Phoa Leung)
; White : (Phoa Saw)
; Black : (Phoa Khmao)
; Green : (Phoa Bai-Thong)
; Orange : (Phoa Teuk-Kroit)
; Pink : (Phoa Pkah-Chouk)
; Purple : (Phoa Swai)
; Brown : (Phoa Thnout)​
; Silver : (Phoa P'rak)
; Gold : (Phoa Meas)

Transportation

; Ride : (Che-eh)

Bus and train

; Train : រទេះភ្លើង (ro-teh-plung)

Directions

; Stop : (Choup)
; Turn : (Baat)
; Right : (Sa-daam)
; Left : (Ch-wang)
; Straight : (Thrang)
; Backward : (K'raoy)

Taxi

Accommodation

; house : (p'theh)
; my house : (p'theh k'niom)
; go to my house : (dtow p'theh k'niom)

Money

; Money : លុយ (Loiiy)

Eating

; Eat : ញ៉ាំ (Niam bay)
; Food : ម្ហូប (Mahop)
; Rice : បាយ (Bai)

Bars

Shopping

ne ke ghtu

Driving

; to drive : (baek)
; car : ឡាន (laan)

Authority