Wondering what language is spoken in Cambodia? The Cambodia official language is Khmer and with some effort, you\u2019ll be leaving this page with 10 essential Cambodian phrases in your pocket!<\/p>\n
Are you worried that you may not be able to learn Cambodian<\/a> well and communicate with the locals? Although many Cambodians speak some English, especially in touristy cities such as Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, there are also plenty who don\u2019t speak much English at all! Don\u2019t fret though! You CAN learn Khmer language easily and I\u2019m here to help you out.<\/p>\n If you are visiting Cambodia for a long stay or just a few days, some phrases in Khmer (the Cambodian language) will definitely help you out!<\/p>\n Learning some Khmer words will be particularly useful if you are planning to venture off the beaten track, or if you are planning to spend much time in Phnom Penh.<\/p>\n Just knowing a couple of phrases will take you really far in Cambodia! Even if you\u2019re only exploring the temples and the beach; knowing the Khmer language will help endear you to the people you meet, and may get you some discounts as well! Now that would be good wouldn\u2019t it!<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be switching from English to Khmer in no time at all, and be able to translate Khmer to English in your head like a boss! Let\u2019s get to it!<\/p>\n Trying to learn Khmer pronunciation can be challenging, as there are some strange sounds that have no equivalent in English. Yet, you will find that locals usually aren\u2019t shy about you on how to pronounce Khmer. You\u2019ll be able to learn quite fast and change from English to Cambodian easily.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get you off to a great start with out English to Khmer translation with pronunciation.<\/p>\n These essential Cambodian phrases will\u00a0make your Khmer study easy and your adventure to Cambodia a successful one!<\/p>\n Everything you need to know: shopping, eating, transport, accommodation.<\/p>\n Grab your copy on Amazon here<\/a><\/p>\n The Khmer language and its phrases change depending on who you are talking to, as a sign of respect.<\/p>\n In this guide you will find\u00a0the standard transcription for each phrase, and a pronunciation guide which is as phonetic as possible. Capital letters show the stressed syllables.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s learn how to say hello in Khmer! There are a couple of different ways to say hello in the Cambodian language, depending on how formal you want to be.\u00a0Both of these phrases can be used at any time of day.<\/p>\n When you are meeting someone older or more important than yourself, you should use the formal \u2018jom reab suar\u2019<\/em>. It is pronounced \u2018jom REE-up SOO-wer\u2019.<\/p>\n When you meet someone who is the same age or younger than yourself, you can use the informal \u2018suasdey\u2019.\u00a0<\/em>It is pronounced \u2018SOO-wer sa-DUH-ee\u2019.<\/p>\n If you would like to say \u2018good morning\u2019 in Khmer, you can say\u00a0arun suasdey<\/em>. It is pronounced \u2018Arun\u00a0SOO-wer sa-DUH-ee\u2019.<\/p>\n For a traditional Cambodian greeting, it is polite to use the \u2018sampeah\u2019,\u00a0<\/em>a gesture performed by placing your palms together in front of your body like the Thai\u00a0wai.\u00a0<\/em>The height of the\u00a0sampeah\u00a0<\/em>varies depending on how formal you want to be. When meeting someone older than yourself, your fingertips should touch your nose, but when you meet someone your own age, a\u00a0sampeah\u00a0<\/em>at chest height is fine. Urban Cambodians may offer Westerners a handshake but will be pleased if you know the\u00a0sampeah.<\/em><\/p>\n Saying goodbye in Cambodian is not difficult either. Let\u2019s give it a go shall we?<\/p>\n Say \u2018jom reap lia\u2019. It is pronounced \u2018<\/em>jom REE-up LEE-er\u2019.<\/p>\n Say \u2018lia haeuy\u2019. It is pronounced<\/em>\u00a0\u2018LEE-er HIGH\u2019.<\/p>\n Sok sabai\u00a0<\/em>literally means \u201csafe and happy\u201d. This phrase is great because you can use it to ask how someone is, to say that you are fine, and to wish someone well at the end of a conversation. How\u2019s that for multipurpose?<\/p>\n Be a pro by saying the following:\u00a0sok sabai te<\/em>\u00a0(sock sa-BYE tay).<\/p>\n If you are being asked you can reply \u2018I\u2019m fine\u2019 by saying\u00a0khnyom sok sabai\u00a0<\/em>(knyom sock sa-BYE)<\/p>\n Saying \u2018take care\u2019 is really easy. Just say the same word:\u00a0sok sabai!<\/em><\/p>\n Everything you need to know: shopping, eating, transport, accommodation.<\/p>\n Grab your copy on Amazon here<\/a><\/p>\n You are likely to be offered all kinds of things when walking down any street in Cambodia, including but not limited to tuk-tuk rides, massages, pedicures, postcards, books and souvenirs.<\/p>\n Vendors can be a little persistent but they usually aren\u2019t pushy, and will leave you alone once they realise you\u2019re not interested.<\/p>\n By learning to say no thank you in Khmer, you\u2019ll be able to politely express your lack of intention to buy anything.<\/p>\n You can say\u00a0\u2018ort te, or kun\u2019<\/em>\u00a0(ort-TAY or-KUN).<\/p>\n Want to know how to say thank you in Cambodian?\u00a0Cambodians are more economical with \u2018thank you\u2019 than, say, British people are.<\/p>\n Saying \u2018or kun\u2019\u00a0<\/em>(or-KUN)just once at the end of a transaction is fine: no need to overuse it.<\/p>\n Save \u2018or kun chraeun\u2019\u00a0(or KUN CHRA-ern)\u00a0<\/em>for when you are feeling really extra-specially grateful.<\/p>\n After a hard day\u2019s temple-hopping in the sweltering heat, you\u2019re thirsty. It\u2019s understandable! Luckily you\u2019re rarely more than a stone\u2019s throw away from a big red cooler box full of ice-cold refreshments. Woohoo.<\/p>\n Cambodian beer costs from 2,000 riel (50c) for a can or glass of draft. The local big brands are Cambodia, Angkor and Anchor, and in order not to confuse the last two, you have to pronounce the \u2018ch\u2019 in Anchor the same as \u2018ch\u2019 in \u2018cheese\u2019!<\/p>\n Som coca ma kompong\u00a0<\/em>(pronounced \u2018som co-CA ma kom-PONG\u2019)<\/p>\n Som tuk ma dorp\u00a0<\/em>(pronounced \u2018som TUCK ma DORP\u2019)<\/p>\n som beer ma dorp\u00a0<\/em>(pronounced \u2018som BEER ma DORP\u2019)<\/p>\n Local markets are a great place to experience the sights, smells and sounds of everyday Cambodian life and pick up some bargains to boot. Haggling is expected, so don\u2019t accept the first price you are given \u2013 offer a lower price and prepare to meet somewhere in the middle. If you speak a little Khmer and English, and negotiate in a friendly manner, you are likely to get a good result (although you will almost certainly still pay more than a local for the same product).<\/p>\n Ah nih thlai ponmaan?\u00a0<\/em>(ah NIH thlai pon-MAAN)<\/p>\n Yoa nih muay<\/em>\u00a0(yo nih MOO-ee)<\/p>\n Thlai nah!\u00a0(tlayee NAH)<\/em><\/p>\n The good news is, when you learn the Khmer numbers from 1 to 10, things start to look familiar after you\u2019ve learnt the first five. The word for six is formed by combining the words for five and one, and so on. Seven is a special case, as it is often called\u00a0brampel<\/em>\u00a0as well as\u00a0bram pee<\/em>.<\/p>\n In Phnom Penh pronunciation,\u00a0bram\u00a0<\/em>sounds more like\u00a0pyam,\u00a0<\/em>but in most other Cambodian accents the \u2018r\u2019 is rolled as in Spanish.<\/p>\n 1 =\u00a0muay<\/em>\u00a0(MOO-ee)<\/p>\n 2 =\u00a0pee\u00a0<\/em>(pee)<\/p>\n 3 =\u00a0bey<\/em>\u00a0(BUH-ee)<\/p>\n 4 =\u00a0buan<\/em>\u00a0(BOO-ern)<\/p>\n 5 =\u00a0bram\u00a0<\/em>(bram)<\/p>\n 6 =\u00a0bram muay<\/em>\u00a0(bram MOO-ee)<\/p>\n 7 =\u00a0bram pee \/ brampel\u00a0<\/em>(bram PEE \/ bram PULL)<\/p>\n 8 =\u00a0bram bey<\/em>\u00a0(bram BUH-ee)<\/p>\n 9 =\u00a0bram buan<\/em>\u00a0(bram BOO-ern)<\/p>\n 10 =\u00a0dop<\/em>\u00a0(dop)<\/p>\n Everything you need to know: shopping, eating, transport, accommodation.<\/p>\n Grab your copy on Amazon here<\/a><\/p>\n Guesthouses and hostels in Cambodia are cheap and plentiful, and you can rent a basic room from just a few dollars per night. There isn\u2019t really a specific word for \u2018hostel\u2019 in Khmer, but asking for \u2018a cheap guesthouse\u2019 will get the same result.<\/p>\n khnyom roa phteh somnak thaok<\/em>\u00a0(khnyom ROW pa-TEAR som-NACK TOWK)<\/p>\n Rolling off the bus after an eight-hour ride, you hail the nearest tuk-tuk driver and tell him the name of your guesthouse. He merrily assures you that he knows exactly where it is, repeating the name back to you several times.<\/p>\n You realise he might not know where he is going half an hour later, when he stops another tuk-tuk driver to ask for directions. Checking Google Maps, you realise you\u2019ve gone for miles in the wrong direction!<\/p>\n Many tuk-tuk drivers (especially in Phnom Penh) don\u2019t know the English names for places, can\u2019t read maps and don\u2019t know street numbers. They often pretend to know where you want to go and hope they\u2019ll work it out on the way.<\/p>\n Save yourself some trouble by looking up your route in advance and helping your driver to navigate.<\/p>\n Bot sdam\u00a0<\/em>(bot SDAM)<\/p>\n Bot chwaing\u00a0<\/em>(bot CHWAING)<\/p>\n Tow trong\u00a0<\/em>(tow TRONG)<\/p>\n Rice and noodles are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Cambodia. A portion of fried rice or noodles costs from about a dollar, and you usually get condiments such as chilli and soy sauce so you can season it how you like. Cambodian food is delicious!<\/p>\n You can say\u00a0\u2018bai chha\u2019<\/em>, pronounced\u00a0BYE CHAR<\/p>\n Say\u00a0\u2018mee chha\u2019,\u00a0<\/em>pronounced\u00a0ME CHAR<\/p>\n The word for please is \u2018som\u2019\u00a0<\/em>(som)\u00a0and you use it at the beginning of the sentence when you want to ask for something.<\/p>\n Everything you need to know: shopping, eating, transport, accommodation.<\/p>\n Grab your copy on Amazon here<\/a><\/p>\n Cambodian men think it is fine to tell a woman that she is beautiful, even if they don\u2019t know her. You shouldn\u2019t feel threatened by this, as it generally doesn\u2019t mean that they have any bad intentions. But it\u2019s good to know the phrase, as well as when someones says I love you in Khmer, so that you can respond in the way that you want!<\/p>\n Srey sa<\/em>\u2019art<\/em>\u00a0(pronounced sruh-ee sa-ART)<\/p>\n Broh sa<\/em>\u2019art\u00a0<\/em>(bro sa-ART)<\/p>\n khnyom srolanh neak\u00a0<\/em>(khnyom sro-LINE nehk)<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be a mug. Please don\u2019t leave for your adventure without travel insurance. However careful you are, things can still go wrong. I\u2019ve ended up in hospital in Russia, had stuff cut out of my arm in Vietnam and don\u2019t even get me started on that time I was vomiting my guts up in Poland.<\/p>\n Do the right thing right now.\u00a0Get a travel insurance quote.<\/a><\/p>\n Get your visa for Cambodia swiftly and quickly.\u00a0Order your visa online here.<\/a><\/p>\n What Cambodian phrases do you know?<\/p>\n Avoid the baby milk scam in Cambodia<\/a><\/p>\n Face to face with death in Cambodia<\/a><\/p>\n Eating beef and ants whilst dodging knives in Cambodia<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Cambodian](\"https:\/\/www.teacaketravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cambodian-Phrases-11-1030x684.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>Why you should learn some Cambodian phrases<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>How hard is the Khmer language?<\/h2>\n
Best Cambodian Phrasebook<\/h3>\n
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How to be polite in Khmer<\/h2>\n
![\"Cambodian](\"https:\/\/www.teacaketravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cambodian-Phrases-6.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>How to say hello in Cambodian<\/h2>\n
Formal Hello<\/h3>\n
Informal Hello<\/h3>\n
Good morning<\/h3>\n
Extra culture points!<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>How to say goodbye in Khmer<\/h2>\n
Formal Goodbye<\/h3>\n
Informal Goodbye<\/h3>\n
Saying \u2018How are you?\u2019 in Khmer<\/h2>\n
How are you?<\/h3>\n
I\u2019m fine<\/h3>\n
Take care<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/a><\/figure>\nBest Cambodian Phrasebook<\/h3>\n
Saying thank you and no thank you in Cambodian<\/h2>\n
No thank you<\/h3>\n
Thank you<\/h3>\n
![\"Cambodian](\"https:\/\/www.teacaketravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cambodian-Phrases-4.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>How to order a drink in Khmer<\/h2>\n
A can of coke please<\/h3>\n
A bottle of water please<\/h3>\n
A bottle of beer please<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>Buying something at the market in Khmer<\/h2>\n
How much is this?<\/h3>\n
I\u2019ll take one of these<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s too expensive!<\/h3>\n
Khmer Numbers from 1 to 10<\/h2>\n
![\"Cambodian](\"https:\/\/www.teacaketravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cambodian-Phrases-9.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>Best Cambodian Phrasebook<\/h3>\n
Finding a guesthouse in Cambodia<\/h2>\n
I\u2019m looking for a cheap guesthouse<\/h3>\n
![\"Cambodian](\"https:\/\/www.teacaketravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Cambodian-Phrases-3.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>Giving directions in Khmer<\/h2>\n
Turn right<\/h3>\n
Turn left<\/h3>\n
Go straight<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/a>Ordering food in Cambodia<\/h2>\n
Fried Rice<\/h3>\n
Fried Noodles<\/h3>\n
Please<\/h3>\n
Best Cambodian Phrasebook<\/h3>\n
Flirting (or not) when you hear I love you in Cambodian<\/h2>\n
Pretty Lady<\/h3>\n
Handsome Man<\/h3>\n
I love you<\/h3>\n
You have travel insurance right?!<\/h3>\n
Visa for Cambodia<\/h3>\n
Comment Below!<\/h3>\n
Related Reading<\/h3>\n
Pin Me<\/h3>\n
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