Do you only have a few days before starting your exhilarating journey to Cambodia? Then I suggest you take a small break from packing and learn specific shopping vocabulary in Khmer to make your trip eventful and stress-free. This blog aims to give you a great insight into the Khmer language and make you speak Khmer effortlessly within a few days.
Shopping is always on our lists when it comes to traveling or visiting new places! The checklist is never-ending, from buying souvenirs to different kinds of traditional attires. Likewise, even if you have mastered some common Khmer vocabulary, words and phrases related to shopping will give you an extra key to exploring the markets without falling into scams and frauds. Thus, this blog brings to you words like ហាង (store) and ម្ចាស់ហាង (shopkeeper) to phrases like តើនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? (How much is this) and much more with proper details. If you want to learn more, continue reading and make your trip successful!
Shopping Culture In Cambodia
Before we hop into the words and translations, here is a quick peek at some facts about the shopping culture in Cambodia, along with some tips that will help you shop the right way!
When it comes to shopping in Cambodia, you will never feel a shortage of things to amaze you. From handicrafts, gemstones, and religious carvings to silk and textiles, the place is filled with unique products that will fill your shopping bag in no time. Khmer craft culture is especially renowned for its excellency in carving religious motifs. Thus, as souvenirs, you must buy wooden boxes and silver bowls shaped into fruits like apples, animals like elephants, etc.
Another must-buy product of Cambodia is silk embroidered with silver and gold threads woven in contrasting vibrant colors with patterns that ensemble forms of ancient creatures. You can find these beauties in clothing, dresses, purses, or other items.
Phnom Penh, the country’s capital, is the perfect place to be when it comes to shopping. It has three main local markets and smaller street markets that sell traditional items and crafts worth seeing if not eventually buying. Especially the Olympic, Night, and central markets have their special aura and character, featuring unique services in settings like nightclubs, bars, stalls on crafts, artworks, etc.
Top Markets To Visit During Your Stay!
Other than the markets mentioned above, many more across the country will still fascinate you. Read the list below to enlighten yourself!
- AHA Fair Trade Village – Krong Siem Reap
- Daughters Of Cambodia – Phnom Penh
- Psar Chaa – Siem Reap
- Psar Thmei – Phnom Penh
- Angkor Night Market – Siem Reap
Learn All The Shopping Vocabulary In Khmer
Now that you know what to buy and where to buy it, let us finally learn some words related to shopping with proper translations and pronunciation in the Khmer language. Understanding these will not only help you shop freely in the streets of Cambodia but also help you become a fluent speaker and make communication with the locals sound and healthy. So, if you are interested, let’s begin.
A-D
| English | Khmer | Pronunciation |
| Accessory | គ្រឿងបន្លាស់ | kruengobanleasa |
| Advertisement | ការផ្សាយពាណិជ្ជកម្ម | karophsaay peanechchokam |
| Assistant | ជំនួយការ | chomnuoy kar |
| Bag | កាបូប | kabaub |
| Boutique | ហាង | hang |
| Bookstore | បណ្ណាគារ | bannakar |
| Basket | កន្ត្រក | kantrak |
| Barcode | បាកូដ | ba kaud |
| Bill | វិក័យប័រត | vi k y b rot |
| Buy | ទិញ | tinh |
| Bargain | ការចរចា | karocharcha |
| Brand | ម៉ាក | meak |
| Cash | សាច់ប្រាក់ | sachbrak |
| Coin | កាក់ | kak |
| Changing room | បន្ទប់ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ | bantob phlasa btau r |
| Cheque | ពិនិត្យ | pinit |
| Cashier | អ្នកគិតលុយ | anak kitlouy |
| Coin | កាក់ | kak |
| Credit Card | កាតឥណទាន | kat intean |
| Customer | អតិថិជន | atethechon |
| Counter | បញ្ជរ | banhchor |
| Cost | ការចំណាយ | kar chamnay |
| Coupon | ប័ណ្ណ | bn |
| Department | នាយកដ្ឋាន | neayokadthan |
| Delivery | ការដឹកជញ្ជូន | kar doekachonhchoun |
| Discount | បញ្ចុះតម្លៃ | banhchouhtamlei |
| Deposit | ដាក់ប្រាក់ | dak brak |
| Debit Card | ប័ណ្ណឥណ្ណពន្ | bnn i nn pon |
E-Z
| English | Khmer | Pronunciation |
| Escalator | ជណ្តើរយន្ត | ch ntae r yon |
| Expensive | ថ្ | thlai |
| Exchange | ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ | phlasa btau r |
| Franchise | ហ្វ្រេនឆាយ | hv re n chay |
| Gift | អំណោយ | amnaoy |
| Grocery | គ្រឿងទេស | kruengtes |
| Hire | ជួល | chuol |
| Inexpensive | មានតំលៃថោក | mean tamlei thaok |
| Lift | លើក | leuk |
| Luxury | ប្រណិត | branet |
| Leaflet | ខិត្តប័ណ្ណ | khettabn |
| Mall | ផ្សារទំនើប | phsaar tomneub |
| Money | លុយ | louy |
| Merchant | ឈ្មួញ | chhmuonh |
| Order | បញ្ជាទិញ | banhcheatinh |
| Pay | បង់ | bng |
| Purchase | ទិញ | tinh |
| Product | ផលិតផល | phlitaphal |
| Price | តម្លៃ | tamlei |
| Purse | កាបូប | kabaub |
| Queue | ជួរ | chuor |
| Rack | រ៉ាកែត | reaket |
| Receipt | បង្កាន់ដៃ | bangkeandai |
| Reduce | កាត់បន្ថយ | katbanthoy |
| Reserve | កក់ទុក | kk touk |
| Rent | ជួល | chuol |
| Reasonable | សមហេតុផល | sam hetophal |
| Return | ត្រឡប់មកវិញ | tralbmokvinh |
| Sale | លក់ | lk |
| Salesman/ Saleswoman | អ្នកលក់/ ស្ត្រីលក់ | anak lk/ strei lk |
| Shop | ហាង | hang |
| Store | ហាង | hang |
| Shopkeeper | ម្ចាស់ហាង | mcheasahang |
| Sell | លក់ | lk |
| Save | រក្សាទុក | roksaatouk |
| Trolley | រទេះរុញ | rtihrounh |
| Wallet | កាបូប | kabaub |
Shopping Phrases In The Khmer Language
Now let us get to learn some common and useful phrases in the Cambodian language that will help you intercommunicate easily during your shopping spree. Memorize each of them as they are daily phrases that will come in handy and make you confident during your journey.
1. How Much Is This? – តើនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?
The first search for a phrase that will be constant during your stay in Cambodia is តើនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?. It is pronounced as tae nih tamlei bonman? And as we know, shopping cannot be complete without this phrase. From asking the vendor about the item’s price to enquiring about the measure of the item, this is a common expression you will need.
2. Please Lower The Price – សូមបញ្ចុះតម្លៃ
The following most helpful phrase that will help you bargain in the Cambodian streets is សូមបញ្ចុះតម្លៃ- saum banhchouh tamlei. It is a polite way to ask the keeper to reduce the price, bargain, and come to an equally benefiting position and price.
3. Do You Have Other Colors/Designs? – តើអ្នកមានពណ៌/ការរចនាផ្សេងទៀតទេ?
When you have set your eyes on a product, but you want to explore more of its colors or designs, you can use the phrase តើអ្នកមានពណ៌/ការរចនាផ្សេងទៀតទេ? Pronounced as tae anak mean pnr/ karorochna phsaengtiet te? it will let the keeper understand that you want to see similar items with different patterns.
4. Do You Accept Card Payment? – តើអ្នកទទួលយកការទូទាត់តាមកាតទេ?
Although carrying cash during a foreign trip is a must, you never know when you will fall short of them. Thus, to make sure that the vendor accepts other forms of payment like debit or credit card payment before you decide to purchase any item, you can use the phrase តើអ្នកទទួលយកការទូទាត់តាមកាតទេ?- tae anak ttuol yk kar touteat tam kat te?
5. It Is Very Expensive – វាថ្លៃខ្លាំងណាស់
Sometimes expressing your thoughts is very helpful. If you find something overpriced, you can say វាថ្លៃខ្លាំងណាស់- vea thlai khlang nasa. Speaking your review on the item will help the vendor reduce the price accordingly and bring a settlement that will satisfy both sides.
6. What Is The Lowest Price? – តើអ្វីទៅជាតម្លៃទាបបំផុត។?
When you are under a budget, the most innovative way to bargain is by asking the question តើអ្វីទៅជាតម្លៃទាបបំផុត។- tae avei tow chea tamlei teab bamphot? It will allow the vendor to understand that you need something cheap and give you the prices accordingly.
7. Please Pack These Items – សូមខ្ចប់របស់របរទាំងនេះ
Once you have decided what items you want, use the phrase- saum khchab robsarobr teangnih as you point out which are the final products. It will remove confusion and signal the keeper what you want and what you don’t.
More Phrases To Improve Your Speech
Here is a list of additional phrases that will improve your shopping and help you practice the Khmer vocabulary and language daily.
| English | Khmer | Pronunciation |
| Do you take online payment? | តើអ្នកទទួលយកការទូទាត់តាមអ៊ីនធឺណិត | tae anak ttuol yk kar touteat tam ainthunet |
| Can I exhcange this item? | តើខ្ញុំអាចដោះដូរទំនិញនេះបានទេ។ | tae khnhom ach daohdaur tomninh nih ban te . |
| I need a bag, please! | ញុំត្រូវការកាបូបមួយសូម | khnhom trauvkar kabaub muoy saum |
| Show me the best you have. | បង្ហាញខ្ញុំនូវអ្វីដែលល្អបំផុតដែលអ្នកមាន | bangheanh khnhom nouv avei del la bamphot del anak mean |
| You have a beautiful store. | អ្នកមានហាងដ៏ស្រស់ស្អាត | anak mean hang da srasa saat |
| I love your artworks. | ញុំស្រលាញ់ស្នាដៃសិល្បៈរបស់អ្នក។ | khnhom sralanh snadai selb robsa anak . |
| Can you show me something less expensive? | តើអ្នកអាចបង្ហាញខ្ញុំនូវអ្វីដែលថ្លៃជាងនេះបានទេ? | tae anak ach bangheanh khnhom nouv avei del thlaichang nih ban te? |
| When will you open tomorrow? | តើអ្នកនឹងបើកថ្ងៃស្អែកនៅពេលណា? | tae anak nung baek thngaisaek nowpel na? |
| I have no change. | ខ្ញុំគ្មានការផ្លាស់ប្តូរទេ។ | khnhom kmean kar phlasa btau r te |
| I would like to buy it. | ញុំចង់ទិញវា។ | khnhom chng tinh vea . |
| Do you have any special discount? | តើអ្នកមានការបញ្ចុះតម្លៃពិសេសទេ? | tae anak meankar banhchouhtamlei pisesa te? |
| Thank you for your service. | សូមអរគុណចំពោះសេវាកម្មរបស់អ្នក។ | saum arkoun champoh sevakamm robsa anak . |
Wrapping Up!
So there you go! Now you know the best ways to support your shopping excitement and get unique gifts for your family and friends back home. Understanding these lines and words will also enhance your language skills and help you interact more easily with the locals of Cambodia.
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