Basic Cambodian Phrases

Basic Cambodian pronunciation, simple sentences when saying hello. The following article shows you how to read and pronounce correctly in Khmer.

Most Khmer people don’t expect a foreigner to be able to speak any of their language and will surely appreciate if you make a little effort and can string a few sentences together in the local language Khmer.

Greetings

HelloSuosday
GoodbyeLea heuy
How are you?Sok sabai chea tay?
I’m fineKnhum sok sabai chea tay
YesBaat (for man)
Cha (for woman)
NoOtay
Thank youAkun
Thank you very muchAkun jann
SorrySohm toh

Getting to Know

Do you speak English?Teu nak niyeay phea sar anglei tay?
What is your name?Chhmua ei?
What is this called in KhmerNis hauv thameich pheasar khmer?
Speak slowlyNee yeay yeut yeut
My name is … (Arun)Knum chhmua … (Arun)
I understandKhnum yol
I don’t understandKhnum ot yol
How do you say this in KhmerThar mech chea pheasar khmer?
Where are you going?Teu nak kampong toev na?
See you tomorrowSaek chuob knea

Shopping

How much for this?Teu nis thlay pun mann?
ExpensiveThlaiy
MarketPhsar

Directions

Please take me to…Sohn york knhum toev…
Where isNoev ey na
Slow down (you’ll need this one!)Banthoy L’boeun
Stop hereChhop tee nis
Turn rightBort sdam
Turn leftBorn chhveng
Go straightToev trang

Places

BankThorneakea
PharmacyOr soth s’than
ToiletBongkun
HotelSanthakea
GuesthousePh’teah som nak
EmbassyS’thantoot

…And more

Englishភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer)
Welcomeសូម​ស្វាគមន៍ (som svakôm)
Hello (General greeting)ជំរាបសួរ (chôm rab suôr) – frm
សួស្ដី (suô-stei) – inf
How are you?អ្នកសុខសប្បាយទេ (ânâk sôkh sâbay té?)
Reply to ‘How are you?’ខ្ងុំសុខសប្បាយទេ ចុះអ្នក?
(khnyŭm sŏkh sâbbay té, chŏh ânâk?)
Long time no seeខានជួបយូរហើយ (khan chuŏb yu haeuy)
What’s your name?អ្នកឈ្មោះអី? (ânâk chhmoŭh ei?)
My name is …ខ្ងុំឈ្មោះ … (khnyŭm chhmoŭh …)
Where are you from?អ្នកមកពីប្រទេសណា? (ânâk mô pi brôté na?)
I’m from …ខ្ងុំមកពី … (khynŭm mô pi …)
Pleased to meet youខ្ញុំ​ត្រេក​អរណាស់​ដែលបាន​ស្គាល់​លោក
(khynŭm ​trék ​’âr na ​dêl ban ​skéal ​loŭk)
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
អរុណសួស្ដី (’ârŭn suŏ sdei)
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)
ទិវាសួស្ដី (tĭvéa suŏ sdei)
Good evening
(Evening greeting)
សាយ័ណ្ហសួស្ដី (sayôn suŏ sdei)
Good nightរាត្រីសួស្តី (réatri suŏ sdei)
Goodbye
(Parting phrases)
លាសិន​ហើយ (léa sĕn ​haeuy)
ជួបគ្នាថ្ងៃក្រោយ (chuŏb knéa thngey kroŭy)
Good luck!សូមឲ្យ​បាន​ជោគ​ជ័យ (som aôyy ​ban ​choŭk ​chôy)
Cheers! Good Health!
(Toasts used when drinking)
ជល់មួយ (chôl muŏy)
លើកដាច់ (leuk dach)
Have a nice dayMien tingay la-aw
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
អញ្ជើញ​ពិសាឲ្យ​បាន​ឆ្ងាញ់
(’ânhcheunh ​pĭsaa ôyy ​ban ​chhngéanh)
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
ទៅអោយបានសុខ (tŏu’ aôy ban sŏkh)
I understand 
I don’t understandមិនយល់ទេ (mĭn yôl té)
Please speak more slowlyសូម​និយាយ​យឺតៗ (som ​nĭyéay ​yœt ​yœt)
Please say that againសូមនិយាយម្តងទៀត (som nĭyéay mtâng tiĕt)
Please write it downសូមសរសេរពាក្យនោះឱ្យខ្ងុំ
(som sârsér péak noŭh aôyy khnyŭm)
Do you speak Khmer?អ្នក​ចេះ​និយាយ​ភាសា​ខ្មែរ​ទេ?
(ânâk ​chéh ​nĭyéay ​phéasa ​khmêr ​té?)
Yes, a little
(reply to ‘Do you speak …?’)
 
Do you speak English?អ្នកចេះភាសាអង់គ្លេសទេ?
(ânâk chéh phéasa ’ângôklésâ té?)
How do you say … in Khmer?ខ្មែរ​ថា​ម៉េច? (… khmêr tha​ mât?)
Excuse meសុំទោស (sŏm toŭs)
Pardon?អ្នក​និយាយ​ថា​ម៉េច (ânâk ​nĭyéay ​tha ​mât?)
How much is this?នេះថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? (néh thley bôméan?)
Sorryសុំទោស (sŏm toŭs)
Pleaseសូម (sohm)
Thank youឣរគុណ (’âu kŭn)
Reply to thank youឣត់ឣីទេ (’ât ei té)
សូម​អញ្ជើញ (som ​’ânhcheunh)
Where’s the toilet?បង្គន់​នៅ​ឯណា? (bâng-kôn ​nŏuv aina?)
This gentleman will pay for everything 
This lady will pay for everything 
Would you like to dance with me?អ្នក​ចង់​រាំ​ជាមួយ​ខ្ញុំទេ?
(ânâk ​châng ​réam​ chéa-muŏy ​khnyŭm té?)
I love youខ្ញុំ​ស្រលាញ់​អ្នក (khnhôm sârlânh ’ânâk)
ខ្ញុំ​ស្រលាញ់បង (khnhôm sârlânh bâng) – m>f
ខ្ញុំ​ស្រលាញ់អូន (khnhôm sârlânh ’on) – f>m
Get well soonឆាប់ជា (chhab chéa)
Leave me alone!កុំប៉ះពាល់! (kŏm bâ péal!)
Help!ជួយ​ខ្ញុំ​ផង! (chuŏy ​khnyŭm​ phâng!)
Fire!ភ្លើងឆេះ! (phleung chhéh!)
Stop!ឈប់! (chhôb!)
Call the police!ជួយ​ហៅ​ប៉ូលិស​មក! (chuŏy ​hau ​bolĭsâ ​môk!)
Christmas and New Year greetingsរីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែល ហើយសួស្ដីឆ្នាំថ្មី
(rikréay thngey bŏn no’êl haeuy suŏsdei chhnéam thmi)
Easter greetingsរីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យប៉ាក
(rikréay thngey bŏnyabâk)
Birthday greetingsរីករាយថ្ងៃខួបកំណើត
(rikréay thngey khuŏb kâmnaeut)
One language is never enoughភាសាតែមួយមិនដែលគ្រប់គ្រាន់ទេ
(phéasa têmuŏy mĭn dêl krôbâkréan té)
My hovercraft is full of eels
Why this phrase?
សុទ្ធ​តែ​អន្ទង់​ពេញ​ទូក​ហោះ​យើង
(sŏtth ​tê​ ’ântông ​pénh ​tuk ​haoh ​yeung)

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