Khmer is written using an Indic script, similar to Thai, Burmese and Lao. Like other Indic scripts, the Khmer script is an abugida, meaning that each letter represents a consonant, and vowels are indicated by modifications to the consonant letter (e.g. with a diacritic mark).

Knowing a few Khmer words will help you earn some respect while in Cambodia.

• If you are male the word for 'yes' is pronounced 'baht' (បាទ) as in the sound of a sheep followed by a hard T.
• If you are female the word for 'yes' is pronounced 'jah' (ចា) as in the first part of 'jar'.
• The word for 'no' is pronounced 'otDay' (អត់ទេ/ទេ) with a short 'ot with an emphasis on the D following.
• The word for 'thank you' is pronounced 'awkunh' (អរគុណ) sounds a little like raccoon.
• To express greater thanks (thank you very much), use the word 'awkunh ch'ran' (អរគុណច្រើន).
• The word for 'hello' is pronounced 'sue-saw-day' (សួស្តី) with sue as in a woman's name, saw as in a thing you cut with, and day as in sunday.
• The word for 'sorry' is pronounced 'somtoh' (សុំទោស).
• The word for 'toilet' is pronounced 'dakuhn' (បង្គន់) or 'pahkuhn' (បន្ទប់ទឹក). Similarly to how you would pronounce the kunh in thank you, but with a short 'ba' in front.
• Scooter/mopeds with carriages pulled behind are called a 'tuk-tuk' (តុកតុក) better pronounced with the U sound from the back of your throat, like tulk-tulk.
• Scooter/mopeds by themselves are pronounced 'moto' (ម៉ូតូ) with an emphasis on 'mo'.
• Rickshaws are called 'cyclo' (ស៊ីក្លូ). The cy is pronounced like the word see.

Vowels edit

Consonants edit

Common diphthongs edit

Basics edit

Hello. ("formal")

ជម្រាបសួរ (chum reap suor)

Hello. (informal)

សួស្តី (sous-dey)

Hello. (answering the phone)

អាឡូ (allo)

How are you?

(niak sok sabai teh?)

Fine, thank you.

សុខសប្បាយ (akun, sok sabai)

What is your name?

(niak chmuah ey?)

My name is ______ .

ខ្ញុំឈ្មោះ (knyom chmuah _____ .)

Nice to meet you.

(reak reay dae bahn skoal loak )

Please.

សូម (soum)

Thank you.

អរគុណ (aw khun)

Welcome

(soum swa-khom)

You're welcome.

(m'n ay te) or អញ្ជើញ (un-juhn)

Yes.

ច៎ា (jaah female) បាទ (baht men)

No.

(ot teh)

Excuse me.

សូមទោស (soum toh)

I'm sorry.

សូមទោស (soum toh)

Goodbye

(chum reap leah)

Goodbye (informal)

(leah seun hai)

I can't speak Khmer.

(k'nyom ot seu cheh niyeay pia'saa khmae teh)

Do you speak English?

(cheh niyeay pia'saa Anglais baan teh?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

(miean niak na cheh Anglais teh?)

Help!

(chuy!)

Look out!

(mer seun!)

Good morning.

អរុណសួស្ដី (arun sous-dey )

Good afternoon.

ទិវាសួស្តី(tiveah sous-dey )

Good night.

រាត្រីសួស្ដី (reatrey sous-dey )

I don't understand.

ខ្ញុំ​មិន​យល់​ទេ ( k'nyom min yul teh)

I don't know

k'nyom ort deung

Where is the toilet?

បង្តន់នោ់ឯណា (bakun noew ey nah?)

Happy Birthday!

(reak reay t'gnai khom-not)

Problems edit

Numbers edit

Although Khmer uses base-10 numbers, the numbers for 1-9 are effectively spoken as base-5. Thus, six (bpram mouy) literally means five (bpram), one (mouy); whereas sixteen (dop bpram mouy) is ten (dop), five (bprum), one (mouy).

In practice, the word 'sep' is often omitted from the numbers for 30-90. However, it is generally considered more proper to include the word.

0

๐ (soun)

1

๑ (muay)

2

๒ (pee)

3

๓ (bei)

4

๔ (buan)

5

๕ (pbram)

6

๖ (pbram muay)

7

๗ (pbram pee)

8

๘ (pbram bei)

9

๙ (pbram buan)

10

๑๐ (dop)

20

(ma'pei)

30

(sam sep)

40

(sae sep)

50

(haa sep)

60

(hok sep)

70

(chet sep)

80

(paet sep)

90

(kao sep)

100

(muay roy)

1,000

(muay poan)

10,000

(muay meun)

100,000

(muay saen)

Time edit

Time

ម៉ោង (Maong)

Morning

pruk

Moon

thngai-trang

Afternon

r-siel

Evening

ingeach

Night

yb

Midnight

athreat

Clock time edit

What time is it?

(Maong bon maan?)

Maong mouy t'ngai (day)

(1 pm)

Maong mouy yop (night)

(1 am)

Duration edit

Hour

ម៉ោង (Maong)

Minute

នាទី (Neatii)

Days edit

Day

(T'ngai) (ថ្ងៃ)

One day

(Mouy t'ngai) (១ ថ្ងៃ)

Monday

(Chhan) (ច័ន្ទ)

Tuesday

(Angkea) (អង្គារ)

Wednesday

(Poat) (ពុធ)

Thursday

(Pra-hoah) (ព្រហស្បត្តិ៍)

Friday

(Sok) (សុក្រ)

Saturday

(Sao) (សៅរ៍)

Sunday

(A-tut) (អាទិត្យ)

Months edit

Year

(Chnam)

Month

(Khae)

January

(Makara)

February

(Kompheak)

March

(Mea-neah)

April

(Mae-sa)

May

(Osaphea)

June

(Maytona)

July

(Kakada)

August

(Seyha)

September

(Kanya)

October

(Tola)

November

(Vicheka)

December

(Ta Nou)

Colors edit

Color

(Phoa)

Red

(Phoa Krahom)

Blue

(Phoa Khiev)

Yellow

(Phoa Leung)

White

(Phoa Saw)

Black

(Phoa Khmao)

Green

(Phoa Bai-Thong)

Orange

(Phoa Teuk-Kroit)

Pink

(Phoa Pkah-Chouk)

Purple

(Phoa Swai)

Brown

(Phoa Thnout)​

Silver

(Phoa P'rak)

Gold

(Phoa Meas)

Transportation edit

Ride

(Che-eh)

Bus and train edit

Train

រទេះភ្លើង (ro-teh-plung)

Directions edit

Stop

(Choup)

Turn

(Baat)

Right

(Sa-daam)

Left

(Ch-wang)

Straight

(Thrang)

Backward

(K'raoy)

North

Kang-cheung

South

Kang-dboeng

East

Kang-keut

West

Kang-lich

Taxi edit

Accommodation edit

house

(p'theh)

my house

(p'theh k'niom)

go to my house

(dtow p'theh k'niom)

Money edit

Money

លុយ (Loiiy)

Eating edit

Eat

ញ៉ាំ (Niam bay)

Food

ម្ហូប (Mahop)

Rice

បាយ (Bai)

Bars edit

Shopping edit

ne ke ghtu

Driving edit

to drive

(baek)

car

ឡាន (laan)

Authority edit

• Listen to some basic Khmer by native speakers at Wikiotics ^{[formerly dead link]}