Khmer Lesson for Beginner: Directions

ยท

This is one of the most useful Khmer topics for daily life, especially when asking for a place, giving directions, taking a tuk-tuk, or driving.

1. ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Basic Conversation

KhmerPronunciationไธญๆ–‡English
แžขแžแŸ‹แž‘แŸ„แžŸ!Ot tos.ไธๅฅฝๆ„ๆ€ใ€‚Excuse me.
แž•แŸ’แžŸแžถแžšแž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?Phsar nov ae-na?ๅธ‚ๅœบๅœจๅ“ช้‡Œ๏ผŸWhere is the market?
แž•แŸ’แžŸแžถแžšแž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แžŽแžถ?Phsar nov khang na?ๅธ‚ๅœบๅœจๅ“ช่พน๏ผŸWhich way is the market?
แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹Tov trong.็›ด่ตฐใ€‚Go straight.
แž”แžแŸ‹แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„Bot chhveang.ๅทฆ่ฝฌใ€‚Turn left.
แž”แžแŸ‹แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†Bot sdam.ๅณ่ฝฌใ€‚Turn right.
แž‘แŸ…แž”แŸ’แžšแž แŸ‚แž› แŸฅแŸ แŸ  แž˜แŸ‰แŸ‚แžแŸ’แžšTov prohael pram-roy maet.่ตฐๅคง็บฆ500็ฑณใ€‚Go about 500 meters.
แžœแžถแž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„Ve nov khang chhveang.ๅฎƒๅœจๅทฆ่พนใ€‚It's on the left.
แžœแžถแž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†Ve nov khang sdam.ๅฎƒๅœจๅณ่พนใ€‚It's on the right.
แžขแžšแž‚แžปแžŽแž…แŸ’แžšแžพแž“Aw-kun chraen.้žๅธธๆ„Ÿ่ฐขใ€‚Thank you very much.

2. ๐Ÿงญ Direction Vocabulary

KhmerPronunciationไธญๆ–‡English
แž‘แžทแžŸแžŠแŸ…tis-dovๆ–นๅ‘direction
แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹trong็›ดstraight
แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„chhveangๅทฆleft
แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†sdamๅณright
แžแžถแž„แž˜แžปแžkhang mukๅ‰้ขin front
แžแžถแž„แž€แŸ’แžšแŸ„แž™khang kraoyๅŽ้ขbehind
แžแžถแž„แž›แžพkhang leuไธŠ้ขabove
แžแžถแž„แž€แŸ’แžšแŸ„แž˜khang kromไธ‹้ขbelow
แž‡แžทแžchit่ฟ‘near
แž†แŸ’แž„แžถแž™chhngay่ฟœfar
แž“แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸแŸ‡nov ti nihๅœจ่ฟ™้‡Œhere
แž“แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸ„แŸ‡nov ti nohๅœจ้‚ฃ้‡Œthere
แž•แŸ’แž›แžผแžœplov่ทฏroad
แž•แŸ’แž›แžผแžœแž”แŸ†แž”แŸ‚แž€plov bom-baek่ทฏๅฃ / ๅฒ”่ทฏintersection
แžŸแŸ’แžแžปแž”sdop็บข็ปฟ็ฏ / ไบค้€š็ฏtraffic light
แžŸแŸ’แž–แžถแž“speanๆกฅbridge
แžœแž„แŸ‹แž˜แžผแž›vong moul็Žฏๅฒ›roundabout

3. ๐Ÿšถ Asking "Where Is...?"

Where is the market?

แž•แŸ’แžŸแžถแžšแž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?
Phsar nov ae-na?
ๅธ‚ๅœบๅœจๅ“ช้‡Œ๏ผŸ
โ†’ Where is the market?

Where is the bank?

แž’แž“แžถแž‚แžถแžšแž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?
Thnea-kea nov ae-na?
้“ถ่กŒๅœจๅ“ช้‡Œ๏ผŸ
โ†’ Where is the bank?

Where is the restroom?

แž”แž“แŸ’แž‘แž”แŸ‹แž‘แžนแž€แž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?
Bontup tuk nov ae-na?
ๆด—ๆ‰‹้—ดๅœจๅ“ช้‡Œ๏ผŸ
โ†’ Where is the restroom?

Where is the airport?

แž–แŸ’แžšแž›แžถแž“แž™แž“แŸ’แžแž แŸ„แŸ‡แž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?
Prolean yon-hoh nov ae-na?
ๆœบๅœบๅœจๅ“ช้‡Œ๏ผŸ
โ†’ Where is the airport?


4. ๐Ÿš— Giving Directions

Go straight

แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹แŸ”
Tov trong.
็›ด่ตฐใ€‚
โ†’ Go straight.

Turn left

แž”แžแŸ‹แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„แŸ”
Bot chhveang.
ๅทฆ่ฝฌใ€‚
โ†’ Turn left.

Turn right

แž”แžแŸ‹แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†แŸ”
Bot sdam.
ๅณ่ฝฌใ€‚
โ†’ Turn right.

Stop here

แžˆแž”แŸ‹แž“แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸแŸ‡แŸ”
Chhop nov ti nih.
ๅœจ่ฟ™้‡Œๅœใ€‚
โ†’ Stop here.

It's on the left

แžœแžถแž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„แŸ”
Ve nov khang chhveang.
ๅฎƒๅœจๅทฆ่พนใ€‚
โ†’ It's on the left.

It's on the right

แžœแžถแž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†แŸ”
Ve nov khang sdam.
ๅฎƒๅœจๅณ่พนใ€‚
โ†’ It's on the right.


5. ๐Ÿ“ Distance

KhmerPronunciationEnglish
แž‡แžทแžchitnear
แž†แŸ’แž„แžถแž™chhngayfar
แž”แŸ’แžšแž แŸ‚แž›prohaelapproximately
แž˜แŸ‰แŸ‚แžแŸ’แžšmaetmeter
แž‚แžธแžกแžผแž˜แŸ‰แŸ‚แžแŸ’แžškilo-maetkilometer

Examples

แžœแžถแž“แŸ…แž‡แžทแžแž“แŸแŸ‡แŸ”
Ve nov chit nih.
โ†’ It's nearby.

แžœแžถแž†แŸ’แž„แžถแž™แžŽแžถแžŸแŸ‹แŸ”
Ve chhngay nah.
โ†’ It's very far.

แž‘แŸ…แž”แŸ’แžšแž แŸ‚แž› แŸก แž‚แžธแžกแžผแž˜แŸ‰แŸ‚แžแŸ’แžšแŸ”
Tov prohael muoy kilo-maet.
โ†’ Go about 1 kilometer.


6. ๐Ÿง  Important Grammar

แžแžถแž„ + Direction

แžแžถแž„แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„ = left side
แžแžถแž„แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ† = right side
แžแžถแž„แž˜แžปแž = front
แžแžถแž„แž€แŸ’แžšแŸ„แž™ = behind

For example:

แž แžถแž„แž“แŸ…แžแžถแž„แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„แŸ”
Hang nov khang chhveang.
ๅ•†ๅบ—ๅœจๅทฆ่พนใ€‚
โ†’ The shop is on the left.


แž‘แŸ… + Direction

แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹
Tov trong
โ†’ Go straight.

แž‘แŸ…แžแžถแž„แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†
Tov khang sdam
โ†’ Go to the right.

แž‘แŸ…แžแžถแž„แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„
Tov khang chhveang
โ†’ Go to the left.


7. ๐Ÿ›บ Tuk-Tuk / Taxi Conversation

KhmerPronunciationEnglish
แžŸแžผแž˜แž‘แŸ…แž•แŸ’แžŸแžถแžšแŸ”Som tov phsar.Please go to the market.
แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹ แž แžพแž™แž”แžแŸ‹แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†แŸ”Tov trong haey bot sdam.Go straight and turn right.
แžˆแž”แŸ‹แž“แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸแŸ‡แž”แžถแž“แž แžพแž™แŸ”Chhop nov ti nih ban haey.You can stop here.
แžขแžŸแŸ‹แž”แŸ‰แžปแž“แŸ’แž˜แžถแž“?Os pon-man?How much is it?
แžขแžšแž‚แžปแžŽ (แž”แž„)Aw-kun (bong)Thank you (Bong)

โญ Very useful phrase:

แžŸแžผแž˜แž‘แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸแŸ‡แŸ”
Som tov ti nih.
่ฏทๅŽป่ฟ™้‡Œใ€‚
โ†’ Please go here.

You can also show the driver the location on your phone and say this.


8. ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Mini Practice

Imagine you are asking someone how to get to a market:

You: แžŸแžผแž˜แž‘แŸ„แžŸแŸ” แž•แŸ’แžŸแžถแžšแž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ?
Som tos. Phsar nov ae-na?
โ†’ Excuse me. Where is the market?

Local: แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹ แž แžพแž™แž”แžแŸ‹แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„แŸ”
Tov trong haey bot chhveang.
โ†’ Go straight and turn left.

You: แž†แŸ’แž„แžถแž™แž‘แŸ?
Chhngay te?
โ†’ Is it far?

Local: แž˜แžทแž“แž†แŸ’แž„แžถแž™แž‘แŸแŸ” แž”แŸ’แžšแž แŸ‚แž› แŸฅแŸ แŸ  แž˜แŸ‰แŸ‚แžแŸ’แžšแŸ”
Min chhngay te. Prohael pram-roy maet.
โ†’ No, it's not far. About 500 meters.

You: แžขแžšแž‚แžปแžŽแž…แŸ’แžšแžพแž“!
Aw-kun chraen!
โ†’ Thank you very much!


๐ŸŽฏ 5 Phrases to Memorize First

  1. แž“แŸ…แžฏแžŽแžถ? โ€” nov ae-na? โ€” Where is it?
  2. แž‘แŸ…แžแŸ’แžšแž„แŸ‹แŸ” โ€” tov trong โ€” Go straight.
  3. แž”แžแŸ‹แž†แŸ’แžœแŸแž„แŸ” โ€” bot chhveang โ€” Turn left.
  4. แž”แžแŸ‹แžŸแŸ’แžแžถแŸ†แŸ” โ€” bot sdam โ€” Turn right.
  5. แžˆแž”แŸ‹แž“แŸ…แž‘แžธแž“แŸแŸ‡แŸ” โ€” chhop nov ti nih โ€” Stop here.

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