Bargaining
❃ Bargaining
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តើនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?
[ tae nih tamlay ponman? ] -
How much is this?
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ថ្លៃណាស់!
[ thlay nas! ] -
It's very expensive!
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តើអាចចុះថ្លៃបន្តិចបានទេ?
[ tae ach choh thlay bantech ban te? ] -
Can you lower the price a bit?
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ប្រាំដុល្លារបានទេ?
[ pram dollar ban te? ] -
Is five dollars okay?
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គិតថោកបន្តិចមក ខ្ញុំទិញច្រើន
[ kit thaok bantech mok, khnom tinh chraen ] -
Give me a good price, I'm buying a lot
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នេះជាតម្លៃចុងក្រោយរបស់ខ្ញុំហើយ
[ nih chea tamlay chong kraoy robos khnom haey ] -
This is my final price
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ខ្ញុំអត់មានលុយគ្រប់ទេ
[ khnom ot mean luy krop te ] -
I don't have enough money
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មួយម៉ឺនរៀលបានទេ?
[ muoy meun riel ban te? ] -
Can you do 10,000 riels?
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ហាងផ្សេងលក់ថោកជាងនេះ
[ hang phseng lok thaok cheang nih ] -
Other shops sell it cheaper
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បើគិតតម្លៃនេះ ខ្ញុំនឹងយកវា
[ bae kit tamlay nih, khnom nüng yok vea ] -
If you give this price, I will take it
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ខ្ញុំជាម៉ូយប្រចាំ
[ khnom chea moy prochame ] -
I am a regular customer
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ខ្ញុំមិនអាចទិញតម្លៃនេះទេ
[ khnom min ach tinh tamlay nih te ] -
I cannot buy it at this price
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ខ្ញុំទៅមើលកន្លែងផ្សេងសិន
[ khnom tov meul kanlaeng phseng sen ] -
I will go look somewhere else first
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អូខេ ខ្ញុំយកវា
[ okhe, khnom yok vea ] -
Okay, I'll take it
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ទិញពីរ ថែមមួយទេ?
[ tinh pir, thaem muoy te? ] -
Buy two, get one free?
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ខ្ញុំមានតែម្ភៃដុល្លារទេ
[ khnom mean tae mphey dollar te ] -
I only have 20 dollars
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កុំតឹងតែងពេកអី
[ kom teung taeng pek ey ] -
Don't be so strict
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សូមគិតតម្លៃខ្មែរមក
[ som kit tamlay khmaer mok ] -
Please give me the local/Khmer price
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អូខេ យើងយកតម្លៃកណ្តាល
[ okhe, yeung yok tamlay kandal ] -
Okay, let's meet in the middle
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អរគុណដែលបានចុះថ្លៃ!
[ orkun dael ban choh thlay! ] -
Thank you for the discount!
The art of bargaining is deeply woven into the fabric of Cambodian commerce, especially in traditional markets and when dealing with street vendors (though not in modern supermarkets with fixed price tags). However, Westerners often approach haggling with a combative or tense mindset, which is a major cultural faux pas in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, negotiating is meant to be a friendly, almost theatrical interaction where both parties try to reach an agreeable middle ground without losing face. Start by politely asking the price: Tae nih tamlay ponman? (តើនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?). When the vendor gives you a figure, you can act slightly shocked with a warm smile and exclaim Thlay nas! (ថ្លៃណាស់!) — "Very expensive!". You can then follow up by asking softly, Tae ach choh thlay bantech ban te? (តើអាចចុះថ្លៃបន្តិចបានទេ?) — "Can you lower the price a bit?". To encourage a better deal, you might playfully add, Kit thaok bantech mok, khnom tinh chraen (គិតថោកបន្តិចមក ខ្ញុំទិញច្រើន) — "Give me a good price, I'm buying a lot". A classic and effective negotiation tactic is the "walk away"; if the price remains too high, politely say you will look elsewhere. Often, the vendor will call you back with their final, lowest offer. Once a price is agreed upon, accept it gracefully by saying Okhe, khnom yok vea (អូខេ ខ្ញុំយកវា) — "Okay, I'll take it". Remember, arguing fiercely over 50 cents is rarely worth souring a pleasant human interaction; treat the negotiation as a way to engage with the culture.
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