Short answers
❃ Short answers
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បាទ / ចាស
[ bat (M) / cha (F) ] -
Yes
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ទេ / អត់ទេ
[ te / ot te ] -
No
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យល់ព្រម / អូខេ
[ yol prom / okhe ] -
Agreed / OK
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ពិតមែនហើយ
[ pit maen haey ] -
That's right
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ខ្ញុំគិតថាអញ្ចឹង
[ khnom kit tha anjeung ] -
I think so
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ខ្ញុំមិនគិតអញ្ចឹងទេ
[ khnom min kit anjeung te ] -
I don't think so
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ប្រាកដណាស់
[ prakat nas ] -
Of course / Sure
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ប្រហែលជា
[ prohael chea ] -
Maybe
-
នៅទេ
[ nov te ] -
Not yet
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ល្អហើយ
[ l'a haey ] -
It is good / Fine
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ត្រឹមត្រូវ
[ treum trov ] -
Correct
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ពិតមែនឬ?
[ pit maen rü? ] -
Really?
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ពុទ្ធោ!
[ puttho! ] -
Oh my Buddha! (Oh my God!)
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គំនិតល្អ
[ kumnit l'a ] -
Good idea
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មិនអីទេ / អត់បញ្ហា
[ min ey te / ot banh-ha ] -
Never mind / No problem
When engaging in natural conversation in Cambodia, you will quickly notice a unique linguistic feature that catches many foreigners off guard: the word for "Yes" is gendered based on the speaker. This is a fundamental aspect of Khmer identity. If you are a man, you say Baht (បាទ) to mean "Yes" or to acknowledge that you are listening. If you are a woman, you say Cha (ចាស). Using the incorrect gendered "Yes" will undoubtedly result in giggles from the locals, though they will quickly forgive the mistake. These short answers are the lifeblood of Khmer interaction. Cambodians are active listeners; they will constantly interject with Baht or Cha while you are speaking to show they are engaged. Beyond "yes" and "no" (Te / ទេ), learning natural reactions is a game-changer. For example, exclaiming Puttho! (ពុទ្ធោ!)—which translates to "Oh my Buddha!" or "Oh my God!"—when surprised or shocked will instantly endear you to Cambodians, as it shows you have embraced their conversational habits. Incorporating these short agreements, natural sounds, and culturally specific exclamations into your vocabulary bridges the gap between sounding like a textbook and sounding like a true resident of Cambodia.
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