Talking about your job is one of the most common conversation topics when meeting new people in Cambodia.

---

Conversation

Khmer	Pronunciation	English
(តើ) អ្នកធ្វើការអ្វី(ដែរ)?	(ter) Neak tver-kaa avei (der)?	What do you do for work?
ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកជំនួញ។	Khnhom chea neak chomnuanh.	I am a businessman.
អ្នកធ្វើការនៅឯណា?	Neak tver-kaa nov ae na?	Where do you work?
ខ្ញុំធ្វើការនៅក្រុមហ៊ុនមួយ។	Khnhom tver-kaa nov krom-hun muoy.	I work at a company.
តើអ្នកចូលចិត្តការងាររបស់អ្នកទេ?	Tae neak chol-chet kar-ngia robos neak te?	Do you like your job?
បាទ ខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តណាស់។	Baat, khnhom chol-chet nah.	Yes, I like it very much.

---

Common Occupations

Khmer	Pronunciation	English
ការងារ	kar-ngia	job / work
អ្នកជំនួញ	neak chomnuanh	businessman / businesswoman
បុគ្គលិក	bok-kol-lik	employee
អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រង	neak krop-krong	manager
គ្រូ	kru	teacher
វេជ្ជបណ្ឌិត	vech-bon-det	doctor
វិស្វករ	vi-sa-ka	engineer
មេធាវី	me-thea-vey	lawyer
គណនេយ្យករ	kea-na-neak-ka	accountant
អ្នកបើកបរ	neak berk-ba	driver
កសិករ	ka-se-kar	farmer
និស្សិត	nis-set	student

---

Difficult Words

Khmer	Pronunciation	Meaning
ធ្វើការ	tver-kaa	to work
ការងារ	kar-ngia	job
ក្រុមហ៊ុន	krom-hun	company
ចូលចិត្ត	chol-chet	to like
ជំនួញ	chomnuanh	business

---

Grammar & Usage

1. Asking Someone's Occupation

អ្នកធ្វើការអ្វី?

• Neak tver-kaa avei?
• What do you do for work?

A more direct alternative is:

អ្នកមានការងារអ្វី?

• Neak mean kar-ngia avei?
• What is your job?

---

2. Saying Your Occupation

Pattern:

ខ្ញុំជា + Occupation

Examples:

• ខ្ញុំជាគ្រូ។
• Khnhom chea kru.
• I am a teacher.
• ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកជំនួញ។
• Khnhom chea neak chomnuanh.
• I am a businessman/businesswoman.

---

3. Saying Where You Work

Pattern:

ខ្ញុំធ្វើការនៅ + Place

Examples:

• ខ្ញុំធ្វើការនៅក្រុមហ៊ុនមួយ។
• Khnhom tver-kaa nov krom-hun muoy.
• I work at a company.
• ខ្ញុំធ្វើការនៅសាលារៀន។
• Khnhom tver-kaa nov sala-rien.
• I work at a school.

---

Pronunciation Practice

What do you do for work?

អ្នកធ្វើការអ្វី? (neak tver-kaa avei)

I am a businessman.

ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកជំនួញ (khnhom chea neak chomnuanh)

---

Cultural Tip

When talking with Khmer speakers, they may ask about your job soon after asking your name and where you're from. It's considered a normal way to get to know someone.

If you own a business, you can naturally say:

• ខ្ញុំមានអាជីវកម្មផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន។
• Khnhom mean achivakam phtal khluon.
• I own my own business.

If you run a car rental company, you can say:

• ខ្ញុំមានអាជីវកម្មជួលរថយន្ត។
• Khnhom mean achivakam chuol rot-yon.
• I own a car rental business.

---

Practice Challenge

Translate this into Khmer:

"I own a car rental business. I work in Phnom Penh."