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
| Hello | Suosday |
| Goodbye | Lea heuy |
| How are you? | Sok sabai chea tay? |
| I’m fine | Knhum sok sabai chea tay |
| Yes | Baat (for man) Cha (for woman) |
| No | Otay |
| Thank you | Akun |
| Thank you very much | Akun jann |
| Sorry | Sohm 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 Khmer | Nis hauv thameich pheasar khmer? |
| Speak slowly | Nee yeay yeut yeut |
| My name is … (Arun) | Knum chhmua … (Arun) |
| I understand | Khnum yol |
| I don’t understand | Khnum ot yol |
| How do you say this in Khmer | Thar mech chea pheasar khmer? |
| Where are you going? | Teu nak kampong toev na? |
| See you tomorrow | Saek chuob knea |
Shopping
| How much for this? | Teu nis thlay pun mann? |
| Expensive | Thlaiy |
| Market | Phsar |
Directions
| Please take me to… | Sohn york knhum toev… |
| Where is | Noev ey na |
| Slow down (you’ll need this one!) | Banthoy L’boeun |
| Stop here | Chhop tee nis |
| Turn right | Bort sdam |
| Turn left | Born chhveng |
| Go straight | Toev trang |
Places
| Bank | Thorneakea |
| Pharmacy | Or soth s’than |
| Toilet | Bongkun |
| Hotel | Santhakea |
| Guesthouse | Ph’teah som nak |
| Embassy | S’thantoot |
…And more
| English | ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | សូមស្វាគមន៍ (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 see | ខានជួបយូរហើយ (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 you | ខ្ញុំត្រេកអរណាស់ដែលបានស្គាល់លោក (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 night | រាត្រីសួស្តី (réatri suŏ sdei) |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) | លាសិនហើយ (léa sĕn haeuy) ជួបគ្នាថ្ងៃក្រោយ (chuŏb knéa thngey kroŭy) |
| Good luck! | សូមឲ្យបានជោគជ័យ (som aôyy ban choŭk chôy) |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) | ជល់មួយ (chôl muŏy) លើកដាច់ (leuk dach) |
| Have a nice day | Mien tingay la-aw |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal | អញ្ជើញពិសាឲ្យបានឆ្ងាញ់ (’ânhcheunh pĭsaa ôyy ban chhngéanh) |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey | ទៅអោយបានសុខ (tŏu’ aôy ban sŏkh) |
| I understand | |
| I don’t understand | មិនយល់ទេ (mĭn yôl té) |
| Please speak more slowly | សូមនិយាយយឺតៗ (som nĭyéay yœt yœt) |
| Please say that again | សូមនិយាយម្តងទៀត (som nĭyéay mtâng tiĕt) |
| Please write it down | សូមសរសេរពាក្យនោះឱ្យខ្ងុំ (som sârsér péak noŭh aôyy khnyŭm) |
| Do you speak Khmer? | អ្នកចេះនិយាយភាសាខ្មែរទេ? (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? | ខ្មែរថាម៉េច? (… khmêr tha mât?) |
| Excuse me | សុំទោស (sŏm toŭs) |
| Pardon? | អ្នកនិយាយថាម៉េច (ânâk nĭyéay tha mât?) |
| How much is this? | នេះថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? (néh thley bôméan?) |
| Sorry | សុំទោស (sŏm toŭs) |
| Please | សូម (sohm) |
| Thank you | ឣរគុណ (’âu kŭn) |
| Reply to thank you | ឣត់ឣីទេ (’ât ei té) សូមអញ្ជើញ (som ’ânhcheunh) |
| Where’s the toilet? | បង្គន់នៅឯណា? (bâng-kôn nŏuv aina?) |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | |
| This lady will pay for everything | |
| Would you like to dance with me? | អ្នកចង់រាំជាមួយខ្ញុំទេ? (ânâk châng réam chéa-muŏy khnyŭm té?) |
| I love you | ខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់អ្នក (khnhôm sârlânh ’ânâk) ខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់បង (khnhôm sârlânh bâng) – m>f ខ្ញុំស្រលាញ់អូន (khnhôm sârlânh ’on) – f>m |
| Get well soon | ឆាប់ជា (chhab chéa) |
| Leave me alone! | កុំប៉ះពាល់! (kŏm bâ péal!) |
| Help! | ជួយខ្ញុំផង! (chuŏy khnyŭm phâng!) |
| Fire! | ភ្លើងឆេះ! (phleung chhéh!) |
| Stop! | ឈប់! (chhôb!) |
| Call the police! | ជួយហៅប៉ូលិសមក! (chuŏy hau bolĭsâ môk!) |
| Christmas and New Year greetings | រីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែល ហើយសួស្ដីឆ្នាំថ្មី (rikréay thngey bŏn no’êl haeuy suŏsdei chhnéam thmi) |
| Easter greetings | រីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យប៉ាក (rikréay thngey bŏnyabâk) |
| Birthday greetings | រីករាយថ្ងៃខួបកំណើត (rikréay thngey khuŏb kâmnaeut) |
| One language is never enough | ភាសាតែមួយមិនដែលគ្រប់គ្រាន់ទេ (phéasa têmuŏy mĭn dêl krôbâkréan té) |
| My hovercraft is full of eels Why this phrase? | សុទ្ធតែអន្ទង់ពេញទូកហោះយើង (sŏtth tê ’ântông pénh tuk haoh yeung) |
