Khmer Word List

How do you say...?

Cambodians speak Khmer, which is pronounced "K'mai" or "Kmy"
The following is just a short simple list of a few words you might like to know as an adoptive parent. This list is courtesy of Ngasha Beck-Huy, author of Children of Sovanna-Phum, The Golden Land of Cambodia.

You can hear the pronunciations by clicking on the symbol.

Hello - Suesday (soo-ess-DAY)

Goodbye - Lieh HAOY (LEE-uh howie)

Thank you - Ah-kun

Yes (females) - Chah

Yes (males) - Baht

No - Aht-tay

Cambodian Currency - riel (like the english word "real")

Child - Koun (cone) or K'chai

Children - koun-k'chai

Family - kruesa (crew-ess-AH)

Parents - Mae-Eu

Mommy - Mae (pronounced "my")

Daddy - Eu (or) Pa

Grandma - Yiey (between yee-ay and "yay")

Grandpa - Taa

Older brother - Bong proh

Younger brother - P'ohn proh

Older sister - Bong srei (the ei sounds like the letter 'A')

Younger sister - P'ohn srei

Boy child/son - Kaun-proh (the "kaun" is pronounced like "cone")

Girl child/daughter - Kaun-srei

I love you very much - Knyom sraw-line ne-uh nah (the 'n' in Knyom is so slightly pronounced that it is often not even picked up)

Child.wav

(58k)

Christina C.,

Apr 6, 2010, 6:48 PM