Have you always wanted to travel to Cambodia, but you’ve been too afraid or intimidated to learn Khmer? If that’s the case, you’re not alone. Learning a new language, especially one like the Khmer language, can leave you confused about where to start. Should you start with speaking, writing, or reading? To help you, we’ve come up with tons of easy Khmer vocab for daily life!
Eighty-nine might seem like a big number, so to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed, you can start with just a few useful phrases and a few words and slowly build up your vocabulary until you’ve learned all 89! After all, language learning is a journey. As long as you make time to practice every day, you’re going to see progress, no matter if it’s fast or slow.
To start, we’ll be talking a little about the structure of the Khmer language and then give a brief background on Cambodia. It’s always good to get a refresher, especially if you’re planning on traveling there in the future. After that, we’ll share the basic Khmer vocab for daily life!
Easy Khmer Vocab For Daily Life
Now that you’re more familiar with the structure of Khmer and the country of Cambodia, you can start learning some practical, common vocab and phrases to help you get around in daily life!
We’ve broken up the vocabulary into five categories to make it easier. If you’re interested in learning the vocabulary of all five categories, then start practicing! But, if you’re looking to learn or refresh your memory on just a couple of categories, then that’s fine too! The categories are listed below:
- Meeting People
- Essential Pronouns
- Dining Out
- Essential Verbs
- Essential Nouns
So, let’s begin!
Meeting People
English | Cambodian Transliteration | Cambodian | |
Hello! | Suo Sdei! | សួស្តី! | |
How are you? | Neak Sok Sabay Chea Te? | អ្នកសុខសប្បាយជាទេ? | |
I am fine! | khnhom Sok Sabay! | ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយ! | |
I am sad. | Khnhom Pibak Chet. | ខ្ញុំពិបាកចិត្ត។ | |
What is your name? | Taeu Neak Mean Chhmuoh Avei? | តើអ្នកមានឈ្មោះអ្វី? | |
My name is… | Chhmuoh Roboah Khnhom Kueu… | ឈ្មោះរបស់ខ្ញុំគឺ… | |
Where are you from? | Taeu Neak Mok Pina? | តើអ្នកមកពីណា? | |
I am from… | Khnhom Mok Pi… | ខ្ញុំមកពី… | |
Can you speak Khmer? | Taeu Neak Cheh Pheasa Khmer Te? | តើអ្នកចេះភាសាខ្មែរទេ? | |
I’m sorry, I can’t speak Khmer. | Khnhom Somtos Khnhom Min Cheh Khmer Te. | ខ្ញុំសុំទោស ខ្ញុំមិនចេះខ្មែរទេ។ | |
Do you speak English? | Taeu Neak Cheh Pheasa Angkles Te? | តើអ្នកនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេសទេ? | |
Do you understand? | Taeu Neak Yol Te? | តើអ្នកយល់ទេ? | |
I understand. | Khnhom Yol. | ខ្ញុំយល់។ | |
I don’t understand. | Khnhom Min Yol Te. | ខ្ញុំមិនយល់ទេ។ | |
Yes! | Baht! | បាទ | |
No | Te | ទេ | |
No problem! | Khmean Panhaha! | គ្មានបញ្ហា! | |
It’s nice to meet you! | Rikreay Dael Ban Chuob Neak! | រីករាយដែលបានជួបអ្នក! | |
Where are you going? | Taeu Neak Kampong Tov Na? | តើអ្នកកំពុងទៅណា? | |
I am going to… | Khnhom Nueng Tov… | ខ្ញុំនឹងទៅ… | |
Where is the market? | Taeu Phsar Now Aena? | តើផ្សារនៅឯណា? | |
Thank you! | Or Kun! | អរគុណ! | |
See you later! | Chuob Knea Pel Kraoy! | ជួបគ្នាពេលក្រោយ! | |
See you tomorrow! | S’aek Chuob Knea! | ស្អែកជួបគ្នា! | |
Goodbye! | Ot Teh! | លាហើយ! |
Essential Pronouns
English | Cambodian Transliteration | Cambodian |
Me | Khnhom | ខ្ញុំ |
You | Neak | អ្នក |
She | Neang | នាង |
Her | Roboas neang | របស់នាង |
He/Him | Koat | គាត់ |
It | Vea | វា |
We | Yeung | យើង |
Us | Puok Yeung | ពួកយើង |
They | Puok Ke | ពួកគេ |
Them | Puok Ke | ពួកគេ |
Dining Out
English | Cambodian Transliteration | Cambodian |
I am hungry! | Khnhom Khlean! | ខ្ញុំឃ្លាន! |
I am thirsty! | Khnhom Srektuek! | ខ្ញុំស្រេកទឹក! |
Can I order? | Taeu Khnhom Ach Kom Mong Ban Te? | តើខ្ញុំអាចកម្មង់បានទេ? |
I’d like to order… | Khnhom Chang Kom Mong M’houb… | ខ្ញុំចង់កម្មង់ម្ហូប… |
Water, please? | Soum Tuek Ban Te? | សូមទឹកបានទេ? |
I am a vegetarian. | Khnhom Chea Neak Nham Aha Buos. | ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកញ៉ាំអាហារបួស។ |
No spicy, please. | Min Hel Te. | មិនហឹរ។ |
Really spicy, please! | Pitchea Hel Men Ten! | ពិតជាហឹរមែនទែន! |
Do you have…? | Taeu Neak mean … Te? | តើអ្នកមាន…ទេ? |
What is this? | Taeu Nih Chea Avei? | តើនេះជាអ្វី? |
I love it! | Khnhom sralanh Vea! | ខ្ញុំស្រឡាញ់វា! |
It tastes delicious! | Vea Mean Rosacheate Chhnhanh! | វាមានរសជាតិឆ្ងាញ់! |
I don’t like it. | Khnhom Min Choulchet Vea Te. | ខ្ញុំមិនចូលចិត្តវាទេ។ |
How much is it? | Taeu Vea Mean Tamlai Ponman? | តើវាមានតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? |
Expensive | Thlai | ថ្លៃ |
Cheap | Thaok | ថោក |
The bill, please? | Soum Kuet Luy | វិក័យប័ត្រសូម? |
I will definitely come back! | Khnhom Prakad Chea Tralab Mok Vinh! | ខ្ញុំប្រាកដជាត្រលប់មកវិញ! |
Essential Verbs
English | Cambodian Transliteration | Cambodian |
To travel | Thveu Damnaeu | ធ្វើដំណើរ |
To love | Sralanh | ស្រឡាញ់ |
To hate | S’ab | ស្អប់ |
To like | Choul Chet | ចូលចិត្ត |
To agree | Yol Prom | យល់ព្រម |
To disagree | Min Yol Srab | មិនយល់ស្រប |
To date | Mok Tol Pachchoban | មកទល់បច្ចុប្បន្ន |
To eat | Nham | ញ៉ាំ |
To drink | Phoek | ផឹក |
To think | Kit | គិត |
To go | Tov | ទៅ |
To dream | Soben | សុបិន្ត |
To visit | Tov Leng | ទៅលេង |
To translate | Boak Prae | បកប្រែ |
To talk | Niyeay | និយាយ |
Essential Nouns
English | Cambodian Transliteration | Cambodian |
Bathroom | Bantobtuek | បន្ទប់ទឹក |
Toilet | Bangkon | បង្គន់ |
Phone | Tourosap | ទូរស័ព្ទ |
Data | Tinaney | ទិន្នន័យ |
TV | Tourotos | ទូរទស្សន៍ |
Laptop | Kompyouteu Yuordai | កុំព្យូទ័រយួរដៃ |
Book | Sievphov | សៀវភៅ |
Language | Pheasa | ភាសា |
Friends | Mit Pheak | មិត្តភក្តិ |
Trip | Damnaeu Kamsan | ដំណើរកំសាន្ត |
Airplane | Yon Hoah | យន្តហោះ |
World | Piphop Louk | ពិភពលោក |
Address | Asai Than | អាសយដ្ឋាន |
Locals | Neak Srok | អ្នកស្រុក |
Cambodians | Choncheat Khmer | ជនជាតិខ្មែរ |
Plate | Chan | ចាន |
Bowl | Chan Koum | ចានគោម |
Spoon | Slab Prea | ស្លាបព្រា |
Fork | Sam | សម |
Chopsticks | Changkuah | ចង្កឹះ |
Napkin | Kansaeng | កន្សែង |
The Structure Of The Khmer Language
Khmer is categorized as an Austroasiatic language, meaning that it belongs to the language family of Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Interestingly, Khmer was greatly influenced by Sanskrit and Pali. If you’re into linguistics, then the relationship between these three languages might be worth looking into further!
Here are some other essential points to know about the structure of Khmer:
- Not a tonal language
- Words are stressed on the final syllable
- Three main dialects
- Written in Khmer script
- General word order is subject-verb-object
Where Is Khmer Used?
Khmer is the official language of Cambodia, a Southeast Asian country that borders Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The country has approximately 17 million people, but the number of Khmer speakers is estimated to be only around 13 million. If you’re traveling to Cambodia, you’ll most likely end up in Phnom Penh, the capital city.
Fun fact: Texas, a state in the southernmost part of the United States, is 3.8 times bigger than Cambodia!
Can’t Stop Learning? Try The Ling App!
If you want to learn more about Khmer, all you have to do is download the Ling App!
The Ling App is a language learning app that has been explicitly designed for eager language learners like you! It offers 60+ languages and delivers them in the form of daily lessons, mini-games, quizzes, and writing exercises! The app has lessons for beginners and advanced learners alike, so you don’t have to worry about not finding what you’re looking for. Not to mention, the app features a chatbot that you can talk with directly in real-time.
Once you finish a lesson, you can extend your knowledge of that language even more by checking out Ling’s free language blog. The blog covers topics such as culture, food, and much more!
As far as the app itself, it’s easy to navigate, no matter your age, and runs smoothly. It’s also available in the App Store, Google Play, and in a desktop version. So, you really don’t have an excuse not to download it!
Whether you want to master Khmer or you’re looking to learn another language, Ling is there for you!