Numbers and classifiers
❃ Numbers and classifiers
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ខ្ញុំសុំកាហ្វេមួយកែវ
[ khnom som kaphe muoy kaev ] -
I would like one coffee
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ទឹកបរិសុទ្ធពីរដប
[ teuk borisot pir dop ] -
Two bottles of water
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មនុស្សបីនាក់
[ monus bei neak ] -
Three people
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បួនថ្ងៃ
[ buon thngay ] -
Four days
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ប្រាំដុល្លារ
[ pram dollar ] -
Five dollars
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ប្រាំមួយម៉ោង
[ pram muoy maong ] -
Six hours
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ប្រាំពីរ
[ pram pir ] -
Seven
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ប្រាំបី
[ pram bei ] -
Eight
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ប្រាំបួន
[ pram buon ] -
Nine
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ដប់
[ dop ] -
Ten
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ម្ភៃ
[ mphey ] -
Twenty
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សាមសិប
[ sam sep ] -
Thirty
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ហាសិប
[ ha sep ] -
Fifty
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មួយរយ
[ muoy roy ] -
One hundred
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មួយពាន់
[ muoy poan ] -
One thousand
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ខ្ញុំចង់បានពីរ
[ khnom chong ban pir ] -
I want two of them
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សុំបន្តិច
[ som bantech ] -
A little bit, please
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ច្រើនណាស់
[ chraen nas ] -
A lot / Very much
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មិនសូវច្រើនទេ
[ min sov chraen te ] -
Not too much
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ច្រើនពេកហើយ
[ chraen pek haey ] -
Too much
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សុំពាក់កណ្ដាល
[ som peak kandal ] -
Half, please
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ខ្ញុំមានបងប្អូនប្រុសពីរនាក់
[ khnom mean bong p'oun bros pir neak ] -
I have two brothers
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សូមឲ្យខ្ញុំបី
[ som aoy khnom bei ] -
Give me three, please
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នេះជាទីមួយ
[ nih chea ti muoy ] -
This is the first one
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ទាំងអស់
[ teang os ] -
All / Everything
Counting in Khmer is a fascinating logical exercise. The number system is built on a "base-5" structure. While numbers 1 through 5 have their own distinct words—such as Pram (ប្រាំ) for 5—the numbers 6 through 9 are literally formed by combining 5 with 1, 2, 3, or 4. For instance, six is Pram muoy (ប្រាំមួយ), meaning "five-one." However, the real linguistic hurdle for English speakers learning Khmer is the absolute necessity of using "classifiers" (or measure words) when counting objects or people. In English, we simply say "two coffees" or "three people." In Khmer, just like in many Asian languages, you must state the noun, then the number, and finally the classifier. Therefore, "two coffees" becomes "coffee two glasses" — Kaphe pir kaev (កាហ្វេពីរកែវ). "Three people" becomes "person three individuals" — Monus bei neak (មនុស្សបីនាក់). If you try to translate "two coffees" directly without the measure word, it sounds incredibly broken and confusing to a local. Understanding and memorizing the most common classifiers (for cups, bottles, flat objects, people, etc.) is the ultimate secret to successfully haggling at the market or placing a precise order in a restaurant.
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