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Khmer phrasebook

Khmer is the main and official language of Cambodia.

Pronunciation guide
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'( ) as in the sound of a sheep followed by a hard T.
If you are female the word for 'yes' is pronounced 'jah'() as in the rst part of 'jar'.
The word for 'no' is pronounced 'Awt Tay'(
/).
The word for 'thank you' is pronounced 'aw-koon'(
) sounds a little like raccoon.
To express greater thanks (thank you very much), use the word 'aw-koon ch'ran'(

).
The word for 'hello' is pronounced 'Sues-Day" Sues is pronounced exactly like author Dr. Seuss
The word for 'sorry' is pronounced 'somtoh'(
).

The word for 'toilet' is pronounced 'dakuhn' or 'pahkuhn'(

/

)) 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'(

) better pronounced with the U sound from the back of

your throat, like tulk-tulk.
Scooter/mopeds by themselves are pronounced 'moto'(

) with an emphasis on 'mo'.

Rickshaws are called 'cyclo'(
). The cy is pronounced like the word see.

Khmer script

Vowels
aa ia
e i
ey ee
u ugh
eu ugghhh (gugh)
o u
oo uu
ooa
ar er (yeurng) ugh eagh (rein) a ey (gei) ie ayy ai
ighe ow oew (geu) ou ough (nough)

om
om
um ah
eh
oh eh oh

Consonants

ka kha ko kho ngo ca cha co cho o ta thaa to thoo no da tha do tho na Ba pha po Pho
mo yo ro lo Wo sa ha la aa

Common diphthongs

Phrase list
Basics
Common signs
OPEN
CLOSED
beut
ENTRANCE
chaul
EXIT
PUSH
chomrounh
PULL
tieng
TOILET
bantub dakk
MEN
broh
WOMEN
satrey
FORBIDDEN
hahmkoat

Hello. (formal)

(chum reap suor)

should be combined with the gesture of joining your palms in front of your heart and slightly lowering the head
Hello. (informal)

(sous-dey)
Hello? (answering the phone)
All? cf. Fr.
How are you? (formal)

? (tae lohk sokh sabbay chea teh?)

How are you? (informal)

? (sokh sabbay chea teh?)

Fine, thank you.

(chah (f.)/baht (m.) khom sokh sabbay. orkun.)
What is your name? (formal)

? (lohk mean chmuah tah much?)

What is your name? (informal)

? (neak chmuah ay?)

My name is ______.

___ (khomm chmuah _____.)

Nice to meet you.

(khom trawk or nah dael bahn skoal lohk)
Please.

(soum)
Thank you.

(orkun)
Thank you much.

(orkun cheraown)
Welcome

(soum swa-kumm)
You're welcome.

/

(mun ay te or soum ujaow)
No problem.

(Ort bae-hah teh)

Yes.

(chah female) (baht male)

No.

(ort teh)
Male

(proh)
Female

(srey)
Child
(kmaing)
Excuse me/I'm sorry

(somm toh)
Goodbye (formal)

(chum reap leah)

Goodbye (informal)

(leah sin houwy)

I can't speak Khmer.

(khomm ort cheh piasah khmaaer teh)

Do you speak English?

? (neak cheh piasah ongkleh baan teh?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

? (meean m'neak na cheh piasah ongkleh teh?)

I am going to work

(khom dtouw twer gahr)

Help!

! (chewy khom pawng!)

Bad

(ort la'or)
Good morning.

(arunn sous-dey)
Good afternoon.

(tiveah sous-dey )
Good evening.

(sayoan sous-dey )
Good night.

(reatrey sous-dey)

I don't understand.

(min yuall teh)

Where is the toilet?

? (bantub dakk noew ay nah?)

Happy Birthday!

(reek reay thgnai khom-naowt)

Problems
Numbers
Although Khmer uses base-10 numbers, the numbers for 1-9 are effectively spoken as base-5. Thus, six (prahm muay) literally
means five (prahm), one (muay); whereas sixteen (dahp prahm muay) is ten (dahp), five (prahm), one (muay).
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

(soan)
1

(muay)
2

(bee)
3

(bei)
4

(buan)
5

(prahmm)

(prahmmmuay)

(prahmmbee)

(prahm bei)

(prahm buan)

10

(dahp)
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)
1,000,000
.. (muay liean)

Time
Time
(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
(Maong)
Minute
(Neatii)
Days
Day
(T'ngai) ()
One day
(Mouy t'ngai) ( )
Monday
(Chhan) (
)
Tueday
(Angkea) ()
Wednesday
(Pout) (
)
Thursday
(Pra-hoah) ( )
Friday
(Sok) (
)
Saturday
(Sao) ()
Sunday
(A-thut) (
)
Months
Year
(Chnam)
Month
(Khae)
January

(Makara)
February
(Kompheak)
March
(Meneah)
April
(Meysah)
May
(Osaphea)
June
(Maytona)
July
(Kakada)
August
(Seyha)
September
(Kanya)
October
(Tola)
November
(Vicheka)
December
(Thnou)

Colors
Color
(Phoa)
Red
(Phoa Krahom)
Blue
(Phoa Khiev)
Yellow
(Phoa Loeung)
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 Prahk)
Gold
(Phoa Meas)

Transportation

Ride
(Chis)
Car
(Lanh)
Auto rickshaw
(Tuk Tuk)
Bus and train
Train
(Ah-teh-plerng)
Directions
Stop
(Choup)
Turn
(Bot)
Right
(Sa-dahm)
Left
(Ch-wang)
Straight
(Throng)
Backward
(K'roy)
Taxi

Accommodation
Pthaes - house
Pthaes knyom- my house
dtoh pthaes kynom- go to my house

Money
Money

(brak) or
(Loiy)
Cambodian Riel (KHR) ()

(Loiy khmaer) or (rial)

Euro (EUR) ()

(brak oeroo) or

(Loiy barang)
US-Dollar (USD) ($)

(dollaar')
Where can I find an ATM?

? (A-Tee-Em mean nou ey na?)

currency exchange

(ptour loiy)
How much does it cost?

? (tlay bonmaan?)
costy
(thlay)
affordable
(cheap)
Wouldn't you rather sell it for _____?
_____ ? ( _____ baan teh?)

Eating
Eat
(Nham)
Food
(Mahop)
Rice
(Bai)

Bars
Do you serve ____?
____ ? (now gonlaeng nih mee-an ____ teh?)
One glass of ____, please.

____
(Soum ____ muoi geao.)
One more, please.

(Soum moi ti-at)

Rice wine
(sraah)
Beer
(sraah bire)
Cocktails/Longdrinks
(sraah lee-ay)
Cheers!

(choul mouy)
May I have the Bill/Check, please.

! (Soum git loi!)

He's drunk (on ____ )

( ___ ) (Ko-at sraw vung ( ____ ).)

Call an ambulance!

(chewy how rot yondawsangkroh maok!)

Shopping
Buy
Tinh
Sell
Luhk
Money
Brak
I want to buy...": Kh'nom chong tinh...

Driving
baok (to drive) lanh (car)

Authority
Teacher
(Kru)
High authority, generally monks
(Lok)
Husband, Older Relative/Friend
(Bong)
Wife, Younger Relative/Friend
(Oun)
Relative that is older than your parents/your little brother and little sister kids

(Oum)
Uncle
(Pu)
Your kids call your little sister Aunty/girl who are younger then you
(Ming)
Your kids call your little sister Aunty that carry Chinese bloodline
(Eee)
Grandma
(Yeay)
Grandpa
(Ta)
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Last modified 29 days ago

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