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. ๐ฃ๏ธ Basic Conversation
| Khmer | Pronunciation | ไธญๆ | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| แขแแแแแ! | Ot tos. | ไธๅฅฝๆๆใ | Excuse me. |
| แแแแถแแแ แฏแแถ? | Phsar nov ae-na? | ๅธๅบๅจๅช้๏ผ | Where is the market? |
| แแแแถแแแ แแถแแแถ? | Phsar nov khang na? | ๅธๅบๅจๅช่พน๏ผ | Which way is the market? |
| แแ แแแแแ | Tov trong. | ็ด่ตฐใ | Go straight. |
| แแแแแแแแ | Bot chhveang. | ๅทฆ่ฝฌใ | Turn left. |
| แแแแแแแถแ | Bot sdam. | ๅณ่ฝฌใ | Turn right. |
| แแ แแแแ แแ แฅแ แ แแแแแแ | Tov prohael pram-roy maet. | ่ตฐๅคง็บฆ500็ฑณใ | Go about 500 meters. |
| แแถแแ แแถแแแแแแ | Ve nov khang chhveang. | ๅฎๅจๅทฆ่พนใ | It's on the left. |
| แแถแแ แแถแแแแแถแ | Ve nov khang sdam. | ๅฎๅจๅณ่พนใ | It's on the right. |
| แขแแแปแแ แแแพแ | Aw-kun chraen. | ้ๅธธๆ่ฐขใ | Thank you very much. |
2. ๐งญ Direction Vocabulary
| Khmer | Pronunciation | ไธญๆ | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| แแทแแแ | tis-dov | ๆนๅ | direction |
| แแแแแ | trong | ็ด | straight |
| แแแแแ | chhveang | ๅทฆ | left |
| แแแแถแ | sdam | ๅณ | right |
| แแถแแแปแ | khang muk | ๅ้ข | in front |
| แแถแแแแแแ | khang kraoy | ๅ้ข | behind |
| แแถแแแพ | khang leu | ไธ้ข | above |
| แแถแแแแแแ | khang krom | ไธ้ข | below |
| แแทแ | chit | ่ฟ | near |
| แแแแถแ | chhngay | ่ฟ | far |
| แแ แแธแแแ | nov ti nih | ๅจ่ฟ้ | here |
| แแ แแธแแแ | nov ti noh | ๅจ้ฃ้ | there |
| แแแแผแ | plov | ่ทฏ | road |
| แแแแผแแแแแแ | plov bom-baek | ่ทฏๅฃ / ๅฒ่ทฏ | intersection |
| แแแแปแ | sdop | ็บข็ปฟ็ฏ / ไบค้็ฏ | traffic light |
| แแแแถแ | spean | ๆกฅ | bridge |
| แแแแแผแ | vong moul | ็ฏๅฒ | roundabout |
3. ๐ถ Asking "Where Is...?"
Where is the market?
แแแแถแแแ
แฏแแถ?
Phsar nov ae-na?
ๅธๅบๅจๅช้๏ผ
โ Where is the market?
Where is the bank?
แแแถแแถแแแ
แฏแแถ?
Thnea-kea nov ae-na?
้ถ่กๅจๅช้๏ผ
โ Where is the bank?
Where is the restroom?
แแแแแแแแนแแแ
แฏแแถ?
Bontup tuk nov ae-na?
ๆดๆ้ดๅจๅช้๏ผ
โ Where is the restroom?
Where is the airport?
แแแแแถแแแแแแ แแแแ
แฏแแถ?
Prolean yon-hoh nov ae-na?
ๆบๅบๅจๅช้๏ผ
โ Where is the airport?
4. ๐ Giving Directions
Go straight
แแ
แแแแแแ
Tov trong.
็ด่ตฐใ
โ Go straight.
Turn left
แแแแแแแแแ
Bot chhveang.
ๅทฆ่ฝฌใ
โ Turn left.
Turn right
แแแแแแแถแแ
Bot sdam.
ๅณ่ฝฌใ
โ Turn right.
Stop here
แแแแแ
แแธแแแแ
Chhop nov ti nih.
ๅจ่ฟ้ๅใ
โ Stop here.
It's on the left
แแถแแ
แแถแแแแแแแ
Ve nov khang chhveang.
ๅฎๅจๅทฆ่พนใ
โ It's on the left.
It's on the right
แแถแแ
แแถแแแแแถแแ
Ve nov khang sdam.
ๅฎๅจๅณ่พนใ
โ It's on the right.
5. ๐ Distance
| Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| แแทแ | chit | near |
| แแแแถแ | chhngay | far |
| แแแแ แแ | prohael | approximately |
| แแแแแแ | maet | meter |
| แแธแกแผแแแแแแ | kilo-maet | kilometer |
Examples
แแถแแ
แแทแแแแแ
Ve nov chit nih.
โ It's nearby.
แแถแแแแถแแแถแแแ
Ve chhngay nah.
โ It's very far.
แแ
แแแแ แแ แก แแธแกแผแแแแแแแ
Tov prohael muoy kilo-maet.
โ Go about 1 kilometer.
6. ๐ง Important Grammar
แแถแ + Direction
แแถแแแแแแ = left side
แแถแแแแแถแ = right side
แแถแแแปแ = front
แแถแแแแแแ = behind
For example:
แ แถแแแ
แแถแแแแแแแ
Hang nov khang chhveang.
ๅๅบๅจๅทฆ่พนใ
โ The shop is on the left.
แแ + Direction
แแ
แแแแแ
Tov trong
โ Go straight.
แแ
แแถแแแแแถแ
Tov khang sdam
โ Go to the right.
แแ
แแถแแแแแแ
Tov khang chhveang
โ Go to the left.
7. ๐บ Tuk-Tuk / Taxi Conversation
| Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| แแผแแแ แแแแถแแ | Som tov phsar. | Please go to the market. |
| แแ แแแแแ แ แพแแแแแแแแถแแ | Tov trong haey bot sdam. | Go straight and turn right. |
| แแแแแ แแธแแแแแถแแ แพแแ | Chhop nov ti nih ban haey. | You can stop here. |
| แขแแแแแปแแแแถแ? | Os pon-man? | How much is it? |
| แขแแแปแ (แแ) | Aw-kun (bong) | Thank you (Bong) |
โญ Very useful phrase:
แแผแแแ
แแธแแแแ
Som tov ti nih.
่ฏทๅป่ฟ้ใ
โ Please go here.
You can also show the driver the location on your phone and say this.
8. ๐ฃ๏ธ Mini Practice
Imagine you are asking someone how to get to a market:
You: แแผแแแแแ แแแแถแแแ
แฏแแถ?
Som tos. Phsar nov ae-na?
โ Excuse me. Where is the market?
Local: แแ
แแแแแ แ แพแแแแแแแแแแ
Tov trong haey bot chhveang.
โ Go straight and turn left.
You: แแแแถแแแ?
Chhngay te?
โ Is it far?
Local: แแทแแแแแถแแแแ แแแแ แแ แฅแ แ แแแแแแแ
Min chhngay te. Prohael pram-roy maet.
โ No, it's not far. About 500 meters.
You: แขแแแปแแ
แแแพแ!
Aw-kun chraen!
โ Thank you very much!
๐ฏ 5 Phrases to Memorize First
- แแ แฏแแถ? โ nov ae-na? โ Where is it?
- แแ แแแแแแ โ tov trong โ Go straight.
- แแแแแแแแแ โ bot chhveang โ Turn left.
- แแแแแแแถแแ โ bot sdam โ Turn right.
- แแแแแ แแธแแแแ โ chhop nov ti nih โ Stop here.




