Being polite in Khmer goes a long way. Even a few polite words can make locals appreciate your effort.
Conversation
| Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| សួស្តី | Suo-sdei | Hello |
| សួស្តី! សុខសប្បាយទេ? | Suo-sdei! Sok sabbay te? | Hello! How are you? |
| សុខសប្បាយ អរគុណ។ | Sok sabbay, aw-kun. | I'm fine, thank you. |
| សូមអរគុណ។ | Som aw-kun. | Thank you very much. |
| មិនអីទេ។ | Min ey te. | You're welcome / No problem. |
| សូមទោស។ | Som tos. | Excuse me / Sorry. |
| លាហើយ។ | Lea haey. | Goodbye. |
Essential Polite Expressions
| Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| សួស្តី | Suo-sdei | Hello |
| អរគុណ | Aw-kun | Thank you |
| សូមអរគុណ | Som aw-kun | Thank you very much |
| សូមទោស | Som tos | Sorry / Excuse me |
| មិនអីទេ | Min ey te | It's okay / You're welcome |
| បាទ | Baat | Yes (male speaker) |
| ចាស | Chaa | Yes (female speaker) |
| ទេ | Te | No / Question particle |
| លាហើយ | Lea haey | Goodbye |
Difficult Words
| Khmer | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| សូម | som | please |
| អរគុណ | aw-kun | thank you |
| ទោស | tos | fault, apology |
| មិនអីទេ | min ey te | no problem |
| សុខសប្បាយ | sok sabbay | well, healthy |
Grammar & Usage
1. Saying Thank You
អរគុណ
- Aw-kun
- Thank you
More polite:
សូមអរគុណ
- Som aw-kun
- Thank you very much
2. Saying Sorry / Excuse Me
សូមទោស
- Som tos
- Excuse me
- Sorry
Useful when:
- Getting someone's attention
- Accidentally bumping into someone
- Apologizing
3. Yes (Male vs Female)
Men usually say:
បាទ (Baat)
Women usually say:
ចាស (Chaa)
Examples:
- បាទ អរគុណ។
- Baat, aw-kun.
- Yes, thank you.
- ចាស អរគុណ។
- Chaa, aw-kun.
- Yes, thank you.
4. You're Welcome
មិនអីទេ
- Min ey te
- No problem
- You're welcome
This is one of the most commonly used phrases in Cambodia.
Pronunciation Practice
Thank You
អរគុណ (aw-kun)
Sorry / Excuse Me
សូមទោស (som tos)
Cultural Tip
When speaking with elders, customers, drivers, shop staff, or people you don't know well, adding បាទ (male) or ចាស (female) makes you sound much more respectful.
For example:
- អរគុណ បាទ។
- Aw-kun, baat.
- Thank you.
- សូមទោស បាទ។
- Som tos, baat.
- Excuse me.
Practice Challenge
How would you say:
"Hello. Thank you very much. Goodbye."
