Cambodians in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap speak relatively good English and sometimes French. This is particularly noticeable among those working with travelers: guides, vendors, hotel staff, and tuk-tuk drivers.

However, you'll find yourself more than once playing a game of charades with locals to make yourself understood.

You'll quickly discover how much local populations appreciate seeing you fumble through a few words of Khmer. Cambodians are generally very forgiving of our pronunciation approximations and sometimes even pretend to understand just to spare our feelings! If you wish to connect with the local community, they'll usually be delighted to teach you some basics of Khmer.

Khmer is an accessible language because it has no tonal system and its grammar is far less complex than our beloved French grammar.

Basic Khmer Vocabulary

Here are some useful words to learn in the first days of your trip to Cambodge. (Note: pronunciation can vary from one city to another)

Hello: Sou(r) sdey Good morning: Tchum riep su(r) > formal greeting (for monks, superiors, etc.), pronounced with hands joined at chin level Thank you: Au(g)koun Thank you very much: Au(g)koun tchran Please: Som The bill, please: Som Ket Loi Yes: Ba(t) if you are a man, Cha if you are a woman No: Até

Note that in Khmer you don't say "no thank you"—you simply say "no." Foreigners who struggle often say "Até Au(g)koun" to remain polite, which never fails to amuse Cambodians!

To ask where a place is located, you can say the place name followed by "Ne Na" with a rising intonation, just like asking questions in English.

Example: Wat Lanka Ne Na?

Useful Travel Vocabulary

Some vocabulary to help you navigate by tuk-tuk or motodop

Stop: Chop Here: Tini Straight ahead: Trang Left: Tchweng Right: Sdam Turn: Bot

You can use certain terms of address to appeal to your conversation partner based on their age. This is very common in Cambodge. You can place it at the end of each sentence if you wish. Here are some tips:

Someone younger than you: Aun (regardless of the person's gender) Someone your age or slightly older: Bong (regardless of the person's gender) Someone older than you, but younger than your parents: Pou (if addressing a man), Minh (if addressing a woman) Someone clearly much older, older than your parents, for example: Ohm (regardless of the person's gender) Someone very elderly: Ta (if addressing a man), Yeille (if addressing a woman)

You can combine these words to form simple sentences. For example, to give directions to a tuk-tuk or motodop driver who claimed they knew where your hotel is, but clearly seems lost (an amusing situation that happens fairly often).

For example: Turn right, sir: Pou bot sdam Stop here, friend: Chop tiny bong

NB: letters in parentheses are barely pronounced; these sounds are simply suggested orally. NB: "R"s are rolled except those in parentheses.