Greetings and politeness in Khmer
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Khmer words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Khmer phrases in this lesson
- ααααΆααα½αchum-reap SUOR
- Hello
- α’αα»ααα½ααααΈa-run suos-DEY
- Good morning
- ααΆααααα αα½ααααΈsa-YON suos-DEY
- Good evening
- ααααΆαααΆchum-reap LEA
- Goodbye
- αα½αααααΆααααααααjuop knea pel kraoy
- See you
- ααΌαSOHM
- Please
- α’ααα»αor-KUN
- Thank you
- α’ααα’αΈααot EY teh
- You're welcome
- αα»ααααsom TOHS
- Sorry
- ααΌαα’ααααααsohm a-PHEY tohs
- Excuse me
- ααΈαααΆααααααΆαααααΆααα’αααreek-REAY dael baan SKOAL neak
- Nice to meet you
The polite hello, said with palms pressed together, the sampeah. Among friends, αα½ααααΈ (suos-DEY).
Literally "dawn greetings". Mostly heard in hotels and on the radio.
The formal evening greeting.
The polite goodbye. Casually, ααΆα αΎα (lea HAEY), I'm off.
Literally "meet each other later", the friendly goodbye. ααααΆαααΆ (jum-reap LEA) is the polite one.
Placed before a request: ααΌαααΉα (sohm TUK), water, please.
"α’ααα»αα αααΎα" (or-kun CHRAEN) is thank you very much.
Literally "it's nothing", the reply to thanks and to apologies.
The everyday sorry.
A polite "pardon me", to pass or interrupt.
Literally "happy to have known you".