Favorite Khmer words/expressions
- Miguelito
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Favorite Khmer words/expressions
What are some of your favorite words/expressions that we might not have in other languages?
For instance, I like the word "k'jab" -- to take away food -- as it's a very simple but useful word. Instead of having to say "may I take this to go?", there's a word for that.
For instance, I like the word "k'jab" -- to take away food -- as it's a very simple but useful word. Instead of having to say "may I take this to go?", there's a word for that.
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K’jul
The universal word to explain why you haven’t done something. Often translated as lazy, but can be a combination of:
1. Didn’t want to do it
2. Couldn’t be bothered to do it
3. Didn’t know how to do it and was too embarrassed to ask
4. I don’t have a reason for not doing it.
5. It was too difficult to do
6. If I didn’t do it I thought no one would notice.
7. It wasn’t a priority.
The universal word to explain why you haven’t done something. Often translated as lazy, but can be a combination of:
1. Didn’t want to do it
2. Couldn’t be bothered to do it
3. Didn’t know how to do it and was too embarrassed to ask
4. I don’t have a reason for not doing it.
5. It was too difficult to do
6. If I didn’t do it I thought no one would notice.
7. It wasn’t a priority.
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If you say it quickly then you’ll probably be understood fine but the word for packet is closer to kanhchab than k’jab.Miguelito wrote:
For instance, I like the word "k'jab" -- to take away food -- as it's a very simple but useful word. Instead of having to say "may I take this to go?", there's a word for that.
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I learned early on that speaking quickly and not getting hung up on particularities certainly helps me be understood. But yes, I constantly need to work on my pronunciations.ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ wrote:If you say it quickly then you’ll probably be understood fine but the word for packet is closer to kanhchab than k’jab.Miguelito wrote:
For instance, I like the word "k'jab" -- to take away food -- as it's a very simple but useful word. Instead of having to say "may I take this to go?", there's a word for that.
"Ch'gai" always had a good ring to it & it is the year of the dog, so why not. #Woof
Prefixing with "a" or "mey" for those moments you want to get fisty at GSM at 4am, "ack" when describing prahoc, suffixing it with "un-cay-see" when you see a two-bagger.
Prefixing with "a" or "mey" for those moments you want to get fisty at GSM at 4am, "ack" when describing prahoc, suffixing it with "un-cay-see" when you see a two-bagger.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
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this ones easy for me...
my favourite Khmer word is ញញឹម - Smile, Pronounced Nhor Nhum it has two of the spanish sounding ñ in it,
and you can go even better by using the word for Smiling - ញញឹមញញែម - which has 4 of them - Nhor Nhum Nhor Nhem
you can hear it in this song - កុំមកញញឹមញញែម - Kom Mok Nhor Nhum Nhor Nhem - Don't come smiling
(you might of heard this song before at parties)
my favourite Khmer word is ញញឹម - Smile, Pronounced Nhor Nhum it has two of the spanish sounding ñ in it,
and you can go even better by using the word for Smiling - ញញឹមញញែម - which has 4 of them - Nhor Nhum Nhor Nhem
you can hear it in this song - កុំមកញញឹមញញែម - Kom Mok Nhor Nhum Nhor Nhem - Don't come smiling
(you might of heard this song before at parties)
Mean Dtuk Mean Trey, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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Somehow I always liked the word Pan-ya-ha (problem), which is usually expressed in the negative, Ot pan-ya-ha/Kmean pan-ya-ha : គ្មានបញ្ហា
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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haha yeah i remember this being one of the first words i learnt hahaLucky Lucan wrote:Somehow I always liked the word Pan-ya-ha (problem), which is usually expressed in the negative, Ot pan-ya-ha/Kmean pan-ya-ha : គ្មានបញ្ហា
Mean Dtuk Mean Trey, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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- Jamie_Lambo
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nice!Nasty Canasta wrote:I love 'att hoi' (romanisation?) fly poo, for freckles.
but i think its actually អាចម៍រុយ - Ach(Ak) Ruy
អាចម៍ - Ach(Ak) = Poo
+
រុយ - Ruy = Fly,
put together = Freckles/Beauty spots
lol
Mean Dtuk Mean Trey, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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Thanks Jamie. I just love the humour in that.
Another one that came up recently was describing girls who frequent nightclubs as Jai (headlice for the club, something like that).
I didn't catch the Khmer, can you explain that one?
Another one that came up recently was describing girls who frequent nightclubs as Jai (headlice for the club, something like that).
I didn't catch the Khmer, can you explain that one?
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haha yeah ចៃ - Jai = Lice or Parasites lolNasty Canasta wrote:Thanks Jamie. I just love the humour in that.
Another one that came up recently was describing girls who frequent nightclubs as Jai (headlice for the club, something like that).
I didn't catch the Khmer, can you explain that one?
not too sure of the explanation as to why,
but i can guess its very similar to the reason why they call the girls down the chicken farm/wat phnom/freelancers as mosquitoes/mosquito girls lol
Mean Dtuk Mean Trey, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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Does it ever freak you out that you know about shit like this that people who have been here far longer than you have no idea about?Jamie_Lambo wrote:haha yeah ចៃ - Jai = Lice or Parasites lolNasty Canasta wrote:Thanks Jamie. I just love the humour in that.
Another one that came up recently was describing girls who frequent nightclubs as Jai (headlice for the club, something like that).
I didn't catch the Khmer, can you explain that one?
not too sure of the explanation as to why,
but i can guess its very similar to the reason why they call the girls down the chicken farm/wat phnom/freelancers as mosquitoes/mosquito girls lol
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not really, i enjoy integrating in this country, learning new shit all the time, meeting new people, keeps life interestingkansaicanuck wrote:Does it ever freak you out that you know about shit like this that people who have been here far longer than you have no idea about?Jamie_Lambo wrote:haha yeah ចៃ - Jai = Lice or Parasites lolNasty Canasta wrote:Thanks Jamie. I just love the humour in that.
Another one that came up recently was describing girls who frequent nightclubs as Jai (headlice for the club, something like that).
I didn't catch the Khmer, can you explain that one?
not too sure of the explanation as to why,
but i can guess its very similar to the reason why they call the girls down the chicken farm/wat phnom/freelancers as mosquitoes/mosquito girls lol
Mean Dtuk Mean Trey, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
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