Greetings
❃ Greetings
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ជម្រាបសួរ
[ choum reap sour ] -
Hello (formal)
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សួស្ដី
[ suosdey ] -
Hello (informal)
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តើអ្នកសុខសប្បាយជាទេ?
[ tae neak sok sabay chea te? ] -
How are you?
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ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយ
[ khnom sok sabay ] -
I am fine
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ចុះអ្នកវិញ?
[ choh neak vinh? ] -
And you?
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អរុណសួស្ដី
[ arun suosdey ] -
Good morning
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ទិវាសួស្ដី
[ tivia suosdey ] -
Good afternoon
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សាយ័ណ្ហសួស្ដី
[ sayon suosdey ] -
Good evening
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រាត្រីសួស្ដី
[ riatrey suosdey ] -
Good night
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ជម្រាបលា
[ choum reap lea ] -
Goodbye (formal)
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លាហើយ
[ lea haey ] -
Goodbye (informal)
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ជួបគ្នាពេលក្រោយ
[ chuop knea pel kraoy ] -
See you later
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ជួបគ្នាថ្ងៃស្អែក
[ chuop knea thngay saek ] -
See you tomorrow
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សូមស្វាគមន៍
[ som svakoum ] -
Welcome
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ធ្វើដំណើរឲ្យបានសុខសប្បាយ
[ thveu damnaer aoy ban sok sabay ] -
Have a good trip
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សូមឲ្យមានថ្ងៃល្អ
[ som aoy mean thngay l'a ] -
Have a good day
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ថែរក្សាសុខភាព
[ thae reaksa sokhapheap ] -
Take care
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ត្រេកអរណាស់ដែលបានស្គាល់អ្នក
[ trek or nas dael ban skoal neak ] -
Nice to meet you
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ខានជួបគ្នាយូរហើយ
[ khan chuop knea yu haey ] -
Long time no see
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គ្រួសារអ្នកសុខសប្បាយទេ?
[ kruosar neak sok sabay te? ] -
How is your family?
When traveling to Cambodia, understanding the art of greeting is your first step toward true cultural immersion. Unlike Western countries where a firm handshake is the standard, Cambodians use the Sampeah (សំពះ). This traditional greeting involves pressing your palms together in front of your chest, similar to a lotus flower, and bowing your head slightly. The higher your hands are placed, the more respect you show. For instance, greeting a monk requires hands at eyebrow level. Linguistically, you must distinguish between formal and informal situations. The formal greeting is Choum reap sour (ជម្រាបសួរ), which should always be accompanied by the Sampeah. This is used when meeting elders, officials, or someone for the first time. On the other hand, the informal Suosdey (សួស្ដី) is used with friends or younger people, often accompanied by a simple smile or a friendly wave. Learning to speak Khmer goes beyond memorizing vocabulary; it's about connecting with the locals. When expats or tourists make the effort to use Choum reap sour correctly, Cambodians respond with immense warmth and appreciation, immediately breaking the ice and enriching your travel experience in the Kingdom of Wonder.
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