Here is a simple story I wrote in Khmer, that should be easy to translate for beginners. The vocab focus’ on parts of the body.  I am going to list ten words before the story to help give a refresher on some of the words that appear in the story.

Khmer Vocab

Friend – ពួកម៉ាក​  [Puk-mak]

Age –  អាយុ  [ara-yu]

Height – កំពស់  [ gom-bpuah]

Weight – ទម្ងន់ [dtom-ngon]

Most , Greatest – ជាងគេ [jiang-ge]

Thin – ស្តើង [sdaung]

Skinny – ស្គម  [sgoom]

More,Greater – ជាង [jiang]

Rental – ​ជួួល [jewel]

Explain – ពន្យល់  [bpon-yul]

Homework – កិច្ចការសាលា [kech-kaa-sa-la]

lazy – ខ្ជិល  [kjil]

Poor – ក្រ [graaw]

Rich – មាន  [mian]

Standard of living – ជីវភាព [jii-vbpiab]

Love  – ស្រលាញ់ [sro-lanh]

Khmer Story in Khmer Script

ខ្ញុំមានពួកម៉ាកពីរនាក់ បូផា និងសុភាព។ យើងមានអាយុដូចគ្នា ប៉ុន្តែ កំពស់និង ទម្ងន់ខុស
គ្នា។ បូផា កំពស់ មួយម៉ែត្រហុកសិប ចំនែកសុភាពមានកំពស់មួយម៉ែត្រហុកសិបប្រាំ និង ខ្ញុំ
មានកំពស់ មួយម៉ែត្រហាសិបប្រាំមួួយ ដូច្នេះសុភាពខ្ពស់ជាងគេ ប៉ុន្តែគាត់ស្តើង និង ស្គម។ បូ
ផាមានកំពស់ទាបជាងសុភាពបន្តិច ប៉ុន្តែគាត់ធាត់ និងមានទម្ងន់ធ្ងន់ជាងគេ។

យើងទាំងបី​​​ស្គាល់គ្នា បីឆ្នាំហើយ នៅសកលវិទ្យាល័យ និងជួលផ្ទះជាមួយគ្នា ដោយសារមកពីខេត្តដូចគ្នា ។
យើង យកចិត្តទុកដាក់រៀននៅសាលា និងស្តាប់គ្រូពន្យល់។ នៅពេលថ្នាក់រៀនចប់ យើងដើរ
មកផ្ទះជាមួយគ្នា និយាយគ្នាលង និងធ្វើកិច្ចការសាលាជាមួយគ្នា ។ ដោយសារយើងនៅផ្ទះតែមួយ

ដូច្នេះយើងជួយធ្វើការងារផ្ទះគ្នា ដូចជា លាងចាន បោកខោអាវ សំអាតផ្ទះ …..
ប៉ុន្តែពេលខ្លះសុភាពខ្ជិលអត់ចង់ធ្វើអ្វីទេ គាត់ចូលចិត្តមើលទូរទស្សន៍ និងគេងច្រើន។
គ្រួសារបូផាក្រ ប៉ុន្តែគ្រួសាររបស់សុភាពមានណាស់។ ទោះបីយើងមានជីវភាពខុស
គ្នា ប៉ុន្តែយើងនៅតែស្រលាញ់គ្នា ដូច បងប្អូន។

English Translation of the Khmer Story

My Best Friends

I have two friends named Bopah and Sopeap. We are all the same age, but the height and weight are different. Bopah’s is 160 centimeters tall. Sopeap is 165 centimeters tall, and I am 156 centimeters tall. So Sopeap is the tallest, but she is thin and skinny. Bopah is shorter then sopeap a little bit, but she is fat and heaviest.

The three of us have known each other for three years at university. Also ,we rent a house together because we come from the same province. We pay attention at school, and listen to the teacher. When we finish class, we walk home together while talking with each other. We also do homework together.

Because we stay at the same house, we have housework together such as: wash the dishes, do laundry, clean the house, etc. But sometimes Sopeap is lazy and doesn’t want to do anything. She likes to watch television, eat a lot  and sleep a lot. Bopah’s family is poor, but Sopeap’s family is very rich. Even we have difference in standard of livings, we still love each other like siblings.

Cambodian visas

When you enter Cambodia you will get a one month visa on arrival. This can be achieved 3 ways. The first one is through an international airport like phnom penh or siem reap. The second is crossing a land border at Poipet, Koh Kong, or numerous other border crossings. The third was is to use the internet and get a “e-visa”.

If you want to come for 30 days or less then get a tourist visa. This visa costs 20 dollars and  is valid only once and grants you 30 days in the Kingdom. You can extend for ONE more 30 day period that will cost around another 45 dollars.  You will need a passport photo, or if you forget or dont have a dollar or two will take place of the photo.

Let’s say you want to stay longer then 60 days or plan to travel in and out of the country a lot. I suggest you ask for an “ordinary” or “business” visa. You can not do an E-visa for this type of visa This is 25 dollars and is valid only for 30 days.Some land crossings will ask for extra money or say you need paperwork to show you are doing business. This is not true, and it is up to you on how long you want to sit at the office waiting to get in for the non bribed price.

This visa can be extended for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. The six and twelve month options will allow multiple entries, IE can leave and re-enter without getting a new visa. You will need a travel agent to extend your initial one month visa. A 6 month is around 150 dollars and the year is around 285 dollars.

**another scam at land border crossings is officials trying to get you to pay in Thai baht at horrible exchange rates….1000 baht is usually quoted.  Also guys will come up and ask you if you need help, wave them away unless you want them to ask (demand) money at the end for helping get you through when you dont really need help, it is very simple to cross the border.

Hope this helps!

5.) Baguettes*

The french left some interesting architecture and food influence on Cambodia. I love baguettes, especilly when I see a lady with a basket full of fresh bread. Its so delicious and I can enjoy without the use of jelly or butter. Not only is the taste divine, the smell of a fresh loaf is amazing.

If you want you can put jelly, butter, cheese or sardines in tomato sauce into the baguette. Actually anything you put in the baguette will taste excellent lol.

Another example of putting something in the baguette is ording an egg omelet and stuffing that inside and then dipping the sandwich into a mixture of  dtuk dtrey (fish sauce) and a couple of chillies mixed in the sauce.

4. Samlor Machou Yuon

Samlor Machou mean sour soup and yuon means vietnamese or a racial slur for vietnamese. Here it is not used as a slur and can be called samlor machou yuon. The great thing about Cambodian cuisine is the mixture of the French, Viets, Thais, and Chinese elements in the food. All parts of these cultures have been mixed up and become uniquely Khmer.

3.) Kampot Pepper

Kampot pepper was world renowned pre KR days, but it is starting to become in vogue again. It is hard to write about pepper being a must eat, but to me Kampot pepper is a lot better then the run of the mill pepper.

2.) Fish Amok

Amok dtrey or fish aok is excellent. The fish is coated in coconut milk and kroeung and steamed or cooked. There are many different recipes that differ a little bit. Here is a good recipe for trying Fish Amok.

1.) Prahok

The main typical cambodian dish. Prahok is salted, fermented fish paste that can be eaten alone, with rice, or used as a condiment on pretty much anything. Some people hate and some love it. If you have never ate Prahok, well you never really eaten Cambodian Food