Learn the Khmer phrases you will use today: greetings, cafΓ© orders, prices and practical requests, with script to keep on your phone.
Start with hello and thank you, then learn the expression you will actually use today: ordering a drink, asking a price or finding the toilet. You do not need fourteen perfect phrases before leaving the hotel. A short exchange, a written amount and the Khmer text on your phone will take you further than a memorised question whose answer you cannot understand.
| Expression | Khmer | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sousdey | αα½ααααΈ | Hello | Start an exchange |
| Arkoun | α’ααα»α | Thank you | After a meal, purchase or ride |
| Ot skor | α’αααααα | No sugar | When ordering a drink |
| Thlai ponman? | ααααααα»ααααΆα? | How much? | Before agreeing a price |
| Chhnganh | ααααΆαα | Delicious | After enjoying a meal |
Keep the Khmer spelling on your phone: showing the word can help when its sound is still unfamiliar.
α’ααα»α means βthank youβ. We use Arkoun here; akun and awkun are other spellings of the same word. The letters are an approximation, so learn the sound from someone speaking Khmer rather than trying to pronounce every English letter.
Use it after someone helps you, serves you or gives you change. Start with this one word if the whole phrase card feels too much. Then add another expression as you become comfortable.
Read the Latin spelling as a reminder, not a pronunciation system. Show the Khmer script if you are not understood, listen, and try again. Different guides write the same sounds differently; that does not necessarily mean one is teaching a different word.
For a greeting or a compliment, an imperfect attempt is enough to begin. For a destination, an allergy or an agreed price, confirm the meaning another way too. A map pin, an ingredient written down or a number on a calculator is often clearer.
Learn them in the order you need them. Hello and thank you work throughout the day; the other three belong to a particular moment.
Sousdey (αα½ααααΈ) is an everyday hello. Use it to open an informal exchange at a counter or with a driver. For a more formal greeting, use Chum reap suor in the next table.
Arkoun (α’ααα»α) means thank you. It also gives an exchange a clear ending: after receiving your order, your change or directions. Keep this one ready even when the rest of the conversation is in English.
Ot skor (α’αααααα) asks for no sugar. Say it when ordering, before the drink is made. If avoiding sugar matters to you, ask about the ingredients too: an already sweetened mixture or condensed milk does not become unsweetened because no extra sugar is added.
Thlai ponman? (ααααααα»ααααΆα?) asks how much something costs. Point to what you want, then confirm the quantity and currency. See how to pay in Cambodia for a worked example of riel and dollar change.
Chhnganh (ααααΆαα) means delicious. Use it when you enjoyed the food, with the person serving or cooking it. A simple way to share your enjoyment at the end of a meal.
The usual word for βyesβ depends on the speaker, not the person being addressed: baat for a man, chaas for a woman.
| What to say | Khmer | Reading aid |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | ααααΆααα½α | Chum reap suor |
| Yes (male speaker) | ααΆα | Baat |
| Yes (female speaker) | α αΆα | Chaas |
| No | αα | Teh |
| Excuse me / sorry | αα»αααα | Som toh |
| Goodbye (formal) | ααααΆαααΆ | Chum reap lear |
| Where is the toilet? | ααααααααΉααα ααΆ? | Bantob teuk nov na? |
| Do you speak English? | α’ααααα·ααΆαα’αααααααααΆααα? | Neak niyeay Anglais ban teh? |
| I am vegetarian | αααα»ααααΆααα½α | Khnyom nham buos |
For an important request, show the Khmer text. Saying βI am vegetarianβ does not replace a discussion about ingredients if you need to avoid particular ones.
| Number | Khmer digit | Khmer word | Reading aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | α‘ | αα½α | muey |
| 2 | α’ | ααΈα | pii |
| 3 | α£ | ααΈ | bey |
| 4 | α€ | αα½α | buen |
| 5 | α₯ | ααααΆα | pram |
| 6 | α¦ | ααααΆααα½α | pram-muey |
| 7 | α§ | ααααΆαααΈα | pram-pii |
| 8 | α¨ | ααααΆαααΈ | pram-bey |
| 9 | α© | ααααΆααα½α | pram-buen |
| 10 | α‘α | ααα | dap |
Six to nine combine five with one to four. Romanisation is a reading aid, not an exact pronunciation guide; listen to a Khmer speaker and repeat the word back.
For prices in riel, also remember α‘α α = 100, α‘.α α α = 1,000 and α‘α .α α α = 10,000. Check which currency is being used. Showing the amount on a phone can be clearer than guessing what you heard.
| Situation | Try this | Confirm before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering a coffee | Sousdey, then your order and Ot skor | Whether the drink uses a sweetened ingredient already |
| Buying something at a market | Thlai ponman? and show the item | Price for one item or the whole quantity, and dollars or riel |
| Finishing a meal | Chhnganh, then Arkoun | No extra phrase is needed if you simply want to thank the cook |
| Taking a ride | Greet the driver and show a map pin | The exact destination and fare before setting off |
If you ask a question and lose the reply, stop there rather than nodding. Show the relevant phrase and ask for the amount or destination to be written down. Learning to handle that moment is more useful than adding ten more questions.
Choose three expressions, listen to them, then copy the pocket card. Keep it somewhere you can open without searching the web.
For further listening and written practice, the Center for Khmer Studies phrase learner and Northern Illinois Universityβs Khmer conversation material provide useful reference points. Their spellings may differ from ours.
For a first outing, our one-day Phnom Penh guide gives these words a setting. Start a conversation; there is no phrasebook test to pass.
Pocket phrase card
Copy one phrase to show on your phone, or copy the complete card before you head out.
From inspiration to the ground
Explore the stops that interest you. For the exact order, realistic timing and coordination, we then shape the trip around your dates.
Ready to put these words to use?
Our team plans around your dates and pace. Explore the service and planning fee, confirmed in a quote before you commit.