Language

The Cambodian language is Khmer, which is inherited itself - and advanced in education with application of Indic languages Pali and Sangkrit from India. Also, the Khmer language is influenced by spoken and written Thai. Some technical languages are borrowed from French. However, English is commonly communicated in hotels and business compounds at present days.

Learn Khmer

Here are some useful Khmer words and phrases, written phonetically, that will come in handy.  Khmer may sound confusing. But with a little patience and practice, you can get by.  

There are 33 consonants and 26 vowels.  "Ai" is pronounced as in Thai; "ay" as in pay; "dt" takes the t sound while "bp" takes the p sound.  "Oo" is pronounced as in cook and "ao" as in Laos.

 

English	Khmer	English	Khmer
Hello How are you? Good morning Good night Afternoon My name is..... Yes No Please Thank You Excuse me Goodbye I don't understand I want a... Water Tea Rice (cooked) Rice (uncooked) Meat Fish Chicken Bread Restaurant Where is the...? Market Bank Post Office Doctor Bus Train Cycle Policeman Turn left Turn right Go straight Morning Midnight Night Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday	jum-reap soo-a tau neak sok sapbaiy teh? arun sour sdei tiveah sour sdei reah-trey sour sdei k'nyom tchmouh... baat dteh suom mehta or-koon sohm dtoh joom-reap leah k'nyom men yoo-ul tee k'nyom jang baan... teuk tai  bia angkoh saich t'ray moan num pung haang bai noev eah nah...? p'sah tho neea kear bprai sa nee peth laan ch'noul ra dteah plerng see kloa bpoa leeh or norkor-bahl bot dtoy ch'wayng bot dtoy s'dum dtov dtrong bpreuk aa-tree-at yoop t/ngai aa-dteut t'ngai jan t'ngai ong-gee-a t'ngai bpoot t'ngai bpra-hoa-a t'ngai sok t'ngai sao	Yesterday Today Tomorrow Month Year Last Year New Year Next Year January February March April May June July August September October November December One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Night Ten Eleven Twenty Thirty Forty Fifty Sixty Seventy Eighty Ninety Hundred Thousand Ten thousand Hundred thousand Million	m'serl menh t'ngai nih t'ngai sa-aik khaeh ch'nam ch'nam moon ch'nam thmey ch'nam groy ma ga raa kompheak mee nah meh sah oo sa phea mi thok nah ka kada say haa kan'ya to laa wech a gaa t'noo moo ay bpee bay boun bpram bpram moo ay bpram bpee bpram bay bpram buon dahp dahp moo ay m'pay saam seup sai seup ha seup hok seup jeht seup bpait seup gao seup moo-ay roy moo-aybpoan moo-ay meun  moo-ay sain moo-ay lee-un