Disaster Vocabulary In Khmer: 10+ Essential Words

You never know when គ្រោះធម្មជាតិ (Kroh thommocheate) or natural disasters may come at you without any warning. No matter how many preventive measures you or the country’s government take, bad luck in life will always be synonymous with an unexpected natural disaster. Thus, if you want to make your trip to Cambodia relaxing, we suggest you learn some Disaster vocabulary in Khmer. As a tourist, knowing a few words in the Khmer language will help you communicate in times of need and avail help without panicking. Want to learn more? Keep reading below and unlock a power to reduce tragedy.

Although Cambodia is a top destination for travelers looking for unique culture, the country has undergone a history of catastrophic natural disaster events that have led to the death of thousands. From small floods to tremendously terrifying storms, misfortune may strike at any point in time. Therefore, learning the Khmer language will help you get rid of translation books and websites in emergencies. That said, let’s check out the lists and facts in the Khmer dictionary and disaster status in Cambodia below!

Natural Disaster Status In Cambodia

Before we engage with the various disaster terms with English word translations, let us have a quick peek at the latest disaster situation in the Khmer region to make your learning journey more informative.

  1. Research shows Cambodia is most prone to natural disasters like tropical storms, heavy floods, and landslides. In 2020, Cambodia and Vietnam were struck with tremendous storms that led to unexpected heavy downpours, stopping the regular workflow of human life.
  2. Although naturally gifted, Cambodia is one of the most disaster-prone areas in the Southeast Asian region and has been affected by multiple droughts and floods in recent decades. Around twenty thousand to thirty thousand households were under the grief of losing their home in Cambodia due to river floods and landslides.
  3. Concerning management, the Cambodian government and NGOs have been trying to improve the disaster condition by designing food reserves, early warning systems to prepare the locals, and institution rebuilding. Cambodia Disaster Risk Reduction is one of the leading institutions involved in making reports and caring for communities to protect them from further hazards.

Nevertheless, millions of tourists visit Cambodia without any issues. Of course, we would insist that you check the monsoons and rainy weather forecast before you travel to have a safer journey. Other than natural disasters, Cambodia is full of crime and fear of scams. So, that is a different story to deal with.

Disaster Vocabulary In Khmer: Common Calamities In Cambodia

Disaster vocabulary in Khmer

Now that we have a brief idea about the condition of natural disasters in Cambodia, let’s quickly jump into the words and translations to enhance your language capability. Along with the familiar words, you will also encounter many facts that will make your trip stress-free. So, let’s get right into it!

1. Earthquake- ការរញ្ជួយដី

Let us begin with the most common disaster word that we keep hearing on the news channels, ការរញ្ជួយដី. Earthquake in Khmer is pronounced as karoronhchuoydei, and it is one of the least occurring disasters in the region. In fact, the last karoronhchuoydei that Cambodia experienced was only two weeks ago.

Although moderate in magnitude, the unexpected occurrence of earthquakes in Cambodia has led to danger in the rural areas that still accommodates mud and bamboo houses. But for the most part, Cambodia is situated far from the Volatile tectonic plates, making it earthquake free in most of its senses.

2. Flood- ទឹកជំនន់

As per disaster research in Cambodia, one of the most frequently occurring natural hazards is ទឹកជំនន់. Pronounced as tukchomnn, flood disasters happen commonly in the Khmer region due to heavy rainfall across much of the country. The risky rising water level of the Mekong River and Prek Tnaot River marks one of the main reasons behind flooding in villages, causing damage to households, accompanied by the illness of children. Even major national celebrations have been delayed and affected due to the continuous showers.

Such regularity of flood events in the country has been confirmed for a decade as the country hits flood hazards almost every two years. According to the National Committee for Disaster Management, flooding has become a major issue that the Khmer natural disaster sectors have been fighting in recent times.

3. Drought- គ្រោះរាំងស្ងួត

Apart from flood events, droughts or គ្រោះរាំងស្ងួត, pronounced as kroh reangosnguot, have left the country at the edges of the perceived risk of catastrophic events. For many years, severe droughts have struck Cambodia, leaving various consequences from province to province. Takeo and Battambang are the most affected areas, experiencing the most prolonged and hazardous disaster of all time.

The National Ethics Committee for Health Research has conducted fieldwork for the recent concerns raised regarding drought as reports have stated a 100 million dollar rice-production loss. Cambodia’s farmers face challenging times, requesting the government to take the required initiative.

4. Wildfire- ភ្លើងឆេះព្រៃ

Another upcoming high-risk disaster that the research program of Cambodia has stated is ភ្លើងឆេះព្រៃ. Pronounced as phleung cheh prei, forest fire, or wildfire in Cambodia has seen its new rise. Although the scenario seems under control, reports such as 500 hectares of rubber plantation being destroyed led to further attention towards drought.

The ministry of agriculture is now opting for several qualitative data techniques to prevent and curb forest fire and provide comfort to the people. However, frequent fires are caused by human activities themselves. Thus, the locals of Cambodia have been warned about their actions.

5. Storm- ព្យុះ

Another natural disaster that has killed many hundreds in vulnerable Cambodia is ព្យុះ. ព្យុះ means storm and is pronounced as pyouh. Among floods, drought, and fire, pyouh is another hazardous calamity in Cambodia that has made family members of the nation sleep in fear. Among all southeast Asia countries, Cambodia has the most frequently occurring typhoons, damaging crops and lives. On average, they happen almost seven to eight times a year.

Accidents, deaths, and the threat of severe damage are some expected consequences of storms that Khmer-speaking medical anthropologists and study reports have mentioned. Many have died instantly, while many others have fallen to their beds forever. Even tourists from around the world that visited Cambodia have shared a common experience. The importance of preventive measures has been therefore rising in recent years.

6. Landslide- ការរអិលបាក់ដី

Landslide, kar rel bak dei in the Khmer dictionary, has also been a reason for the acute trauma of many families and victims in Cambodia. Environmental changes, hot water arousal, heavy rainy season, and storms have caused flooding and triggered many dangerous landslides. Such events have resulted in damage to cultural society and class, according to research ethics committees. The population that resides in the hilly or mountain areas becomes the victims of the notorious kar rel bak dei in Cambodia.

Efforts of introducing therapeutic intervention and establishing short initial contact with the victims to process their pain and provide help have evolved a way of coping with the lost lives. The focus on health also falls on non-native people who visit Cambodia, as landslides are also expected on new roads and railways built on steep slopes. So, take great care during your travel.

7. Tsunami- រលកយក្សស៊ូណាមិ

While flooding, earthquake, storms, and landslides have made the nation accident-prone, pushing the communities beyond their safe range, the force of រលកយក្សស៊ូណាមិ, rolk yoksa saou na mi in the Khmer dictionary, is out of the picture. According to disaster response and the study reported, Cambodia lies at a distance from the influence of tsunamis, and there is only a 2% potential chance of tsunamis occurring in the provinces in the next 50 years.

While tsunamis have a history of dangerous life-taking events, studies have exposed that Cambodia is free from such movement. So, you don’t have to worry about tsunamis, although floods may become a pain in your shoulder.

More Natural Disasters In The Khmer Language

The previous section explained some common calamities that take place in Cambodia. Now, we will go through more disaster words that will help you explore the language in a more profound sense.

EnglishKhmerPronunciation
Avalancheផ្ទាំងទឹកកកphtang tukakak
Blizzardsព្យុះព្រិលpyouh pril
Erosionសំណឹកsaamnoek
Famineទុរ្ភិក្សtourphik
Firesភ្លើងphleung
Heat wavesរលកកំដៅrolk kam daw
Hailstormព្យុះភ្លៀងpyouhphlieng
Lava flowលំហូរកម្អែលlomhaur kamael
Rockslideថ្មរអិលthm rel
Sandstormព្យុះខ្សាច់pyouh khsaach
Typhoonព្យុះទីហ្វុងpyouh ti hvo ng
Volcanic eruptionការ​ផ្ទុះ​ភ្នំភ្លើងkar​ phtoh​ phnomphleung
Whirlpoolទឹកហូរtukhaur

Emergency Phrases In Khmer

Third and final night Khmer - Disaster vocabulary in Khmer

This section will allow you to learn common emergency phrases to use in needy hours.

EnglishKhmerPronunciation
Can you please help me?សូមជួយខ្ញុំផង?tae anak ach chuoy khnhom ban te?
Please take care of your childrenសូមថែរក្សាកូនរបស់អ្នក។saum theroksaa kaun robsa anak
Do not panicកុំភ័យខ្លាចkom phyokhlach
Call the ambulanceហៅឡានពេទ្យhaw lanpet
Don’t leave your belongingsកុំទុករបស់របររបស់អ្នក។kom touk robsarobr robsa anak
Stay away from the fireនៅឱ្យឆ្ងាយពីភ្លើងnow aoy chhngay pi phleung
Someone, please help the old ladyសូម​អ្នក​ណា​ម្នាក់​ជួយ​ស្ត្រី​ចំណាស់​saum​ anak​ na​ mneak​ chuoy​ strei​ chamnasa​
Everybody be carefulសូមប្រុងប្រយ័ត្នទាំងអស់គ្នាsaum brongobraytn teangoasaknea
Stay calm and keep breathingរក្សាភាពស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ ហើយបន្តដកដង្ហើមroksaa pheap sngabsngat haey bant dakadangheum
Don’t leave me aloneកុំទុកខ្ញុំឱ្យនៅម្នាក់ឯងkom touk khnhom aoy now mneakeng

Over To You!

Did you find the article helpful? It did not only address words and translations but also enlighten you with some facts that will keep you safe during your trip. Learning these will allow you to be active and alert during pressing times. Most people panic and make wrong decisions at times of urgency. But with such knowledge, you have already made your trip a calming one.

However, for further learning and research on the Khmer language and people, you can download the Ling App! It is the best way to learn more about the Khmer dictionary.

Learn Khmer With Ling

Ling Khmer Disaster

If you want to learn more, the Ling app is the best app for you, and here are some reasons why.

The Ling app provides unique content on various topics such as clothes, flavors, pronouns, food, etc. In just one go, you get to learn all the daily vocabulary that will make you a fluent speaker.

Other than that, the Khmer language is not the only language it proffers. Ling covers more than 60 languages, and you can switch to any language you like with just a few clicks. From Spanish to Japanese, nothing is left behind in Ling.

To access all this data, you must download the app from Appstore or Playtsore and use it on your chosen device. No longer expensive books and courses are required. So, what are you waiting for? Learn Khmer with Ling Now!

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