This lesson comes from my intermediate book, Learn Khmer Now. The chapter starts off with a vocabulary list with some important Cambodian transportation words. The Khmer words are written in a romanization script which is not perfect, and then there is the perfect Khmer script.

Then after the vocabulary list there are mini conversations. Most words have already been introduced, but there are a few new words. After that there is a quick multiple choice section and matching. Then matching the picture to the Khmer word, and then writing English to Khmer or Cambodian to English. Finally there is a section for those that can read Khmer script. I hope you enjoy this chapter from my book. Feel free to share on facebook!

Lesson 2

Mee-rian dtii bpii   មេរៀនទី២        

Transportation: Kaa-dek-jon-joon ការដឹកជញ្ជូន

Practice Khmer Conversation 1:

Srey Tol:       How long does it take to your house?
ស្រី តូល          ប្រើពេលអស់ប៉ុន្មានទៅផ្ទះអ្នក?
Bprau bpeel os bon-maan tov ptaeh nek?

Chan:            If have traffic jam, it will take a long time. I really hate traffic jams.
ចាន់               ប្រសិន  បើ  ស្ទះចរាចរ   វានឹងចំនាយពេលយូរ      . ខ្ញុំ     ស្អប់   ស្ទះចរាចរណាស់.
Bro-sen bau stias-jor-raa-jor, vwia neng jom-naay bpeel yoor. Knom saorb stias-jor-raa-jor                                                nas.

Srey Tol:     Me too….If traffic is bad, can go on back street.
ស្រីតូល          ខ្ញុំដែរ……        ប្រសិនបើ     ស្ទះចរាចរ   អាចទៅតាមផ្លូវក្រោយ.
Knom del……bro-sen-bau stias-jo-rah-jo arch tov taam plov kraoy.

Chan:           Yes, but the back streets are very narrow.
ចាន់              ចាស, ប៉ុន្តែ     ផ្លូវក្រោយចង្អៀតណាស់.
Jaa, bun-dtee plov-kraoy jong-iat nas.

Khmer Conversation Practice 2:

Lina:             Where are you?
លីណា            អ្នកនៅណា?
Nek nov naa?

Panuth:         I am on the way, I went the wrong way at first.
ផានុត            ខ្ញុំ     នៅ        តាមផ្លូវ      ខ្ញុំ    ទៅ   ខុសផ្លូវ  លើកដំបូង.
Knom nov dtaam-plov, knom tov kos plov lauk dom boong.

Lina:            Sorry you go the wrong way.
លីណា            សុំទោស ដែល អ្នក ទៅ ខុសផ្លូវ.
Som-dtoos del   nek tov kos plov.

Panuth:        It is okay. I did not see the bridge, and I don’t know the back streets in the suburb too.
ផានុត           មិន   អី   ទេ. ខ្ញុំ        មិន  ឃើញស្ពាន  ហើយខ្ញុំ        ក៏ មិនស្គាល់ផ្លូវក្រោយនៅជាយក្រុងដែរ.
Min ey dtee.  Knom min kaun spian   hoy knom kor min sgoal plov kraoy nov jaiy-krong del.

Lina:           Why not call me when you were lost?
លីណា           ហេតុអ្វីមិន តេ មកខ្ញុំ នៅពេលអ្នកវង្វេងផ្លូវ?
Het a-wey min tee  mok knom nov bpeel nek vwoong-vweeng plov?

Panuth:       Because Ally get carsick and I had to help her and clean my seat.
ផានុត          ពីព្រោះ        អាលី  ពុលឡាន ហើយ ខ្ញុំ        ត្រូវ    ជួយ  នាង    នឹង     សំអាត    កន្លែងអង្គុយ
Bpii bprua Ally   bpol-laan hoy knom trov juay niang neng som-art kon-laeng-ong-kuy.

Lina:            Sorry I can not help you.
លីណា            សុំទោស   មិនអាចជួយអ្នកបាន.
Som-dtoos min arch juay nek baan.

Chunn:       It is okay because I am not lost now.
មិនអីទេ      ពីព្រោះ ឥឡូវ នេះ  ខ្ញុំ              មិន         វង្វេង            ផ្លូវ     ទេ
Min-ey-dtee bpii-bros ey-lov nih knom       min vwoong-vweeng plov dtee .

Khmer Conversation Practice 3:

Q:                 How is the traffic?
ចរាចរយ៉ាងម្តេចដែរ?
Jor-raa-jor yaang-mij del?

Chunn:        Easy, but the traffic light is always red.
ងាយស្រួល  ប៉ុន្តែ     ភ្លើង       ចរាចរ        តែងតែ    ពណ៌ក្រហម
Ngiay srol, Bun-dtee plaung-jor-raa-jor dtaeng-dtae poul kro-horm.

Q:                 I hate red lights.
ខ្ញុំ       ស្អប់   ភ្លើង   ពណ៌ក្រហមណាស់
Knom sa-orb plaung poul-kro-horm.

Multiple choice

1. My house is 30 minutes away from the city. I live in a _______
   ផ្ទះ            របស់ខ្ញុំនៅឆ្ងាយពីទីក្រុង.                   ខ្ញុំនៅ         _______
   Pteah ro-bos knom nov chhngaay pbii dtii krong. Knom nov

1. Daum-plov តាមផ្លូវ
2. Jiay-krong ជាយក្រុង
3. Bpol-laan ពុលឡាន
4. Baat បាត់

2. Bprau bpeel os bon maan? ប្រើពេលអស់ប៉ុន្មាន?

1. Bpii maong ពីរម៉ោង
2. Maong-bpii ម៉ោងពីរ
3. Bpii ពីរ
4. Bpeel ពេល

3.What does kon-sao mean in English?
ពាក្យ កូនសោរ ភាសាអង់គ្លេសមានន័យដូចម្តេច?
Bpiak kon-sau pbia-saa ong-glee mian nai doj mdej?

1. Lock a door
2. Plan
3. Car park
4. Key

4. What does traffic mean in Khmer?
   ពាក្យ traffic ភាសាខ្មែរមានន័យដូចម្តេច?
   Bpiak traffic pbia-saa khmer mian nai doj mdej ?

1. Jor-rahh-jo ចរាចរ
2. Stia- jor-raa-jor ស្ទះចរាចរ
3. Juas-jul ជួសជុល
4. Kanh-jok កញ្ចក់

5. I drive a car on a _____ from Phnom Penh to Diamond Island.
   ខ្ញុំបើកឡានលើ     _____  ពី  ភ្នំពេញ  ទៅ កោះពេជ្រ.
   Knom bauk laan lau ____ bpii Phnom Penh tov kos-pich.

1. Kon-sao កូនសោរ
2. Jaak-sao ចាក់សោរ
3. Spian ស្ពាន
4. Bat បាត់

Khmer to English and English to Khmer Matching

1. ___Kanh-jok កញ្ចក់                           A.) Mirror
2. ___Jiay-krong ជាយក្រុង                  B.) Daum plov តាមផ្លូវ
3. ___ Here                                             C.) Car sick
4. ___ There                                           D.) Dtii nis ទីនេះ
5. ___ Bpol-Laan ពុលឡាន                  E.) Suburb
6. ___ On the way                                 F.) Kon-laeng-na-moouy ន្លែងណាមួយ
7. ___ Somewhere                                G.) Dtii nuh ទីនោះ

Please write or speak the Cambodian word under the picture it belongs to:

ស្ពាន                         កន្លែងចតឡាន                                 ភ្លើងចរាចរ                                      ស្ទះចរាចរ

SPIAN                      KON KAENG JOT LAAN           PLAUNG JOR RAA JOR        STIAS JOR RAA JOR                                                              

           _____              ________________                 _________________            ________________

Please write the correct Khmer word in Khmer script or in Romanization

• Bridge =                ____________
• Traffic =                ____________
• Traffic light =       ____________
• Lost =                    ____________
• Traffic jam =        ____________
• I’m lost =              ____________
• Repair =                ____________

Read the sentences

1. ស្ទះចរាចរណាស់សូមត្រលប់ក្រោយ។
2. អត់ទោសមានកន្លែងអង្គុយទេ?
3. ខ្ញុំនៅតាមផ្លូវទៅខេត្តសៀមរាម។ តើអ្នកនៅណាដែរ?
4. ខ្ញុំពុលឡានដូច្នេះ ខ្ញុំចង់អង្គុយនៅកៅអីមុខ។
5. តើអ្នកមានគម្រោងទៅណានៅថ្ងៃចូលឆ្នាំ?
6. ឡានខ្ញុំខូច អ្នកស្គាល់កន្លែងជុសជុលទេ?
7. សំបុត្រកុនថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?

Khmer Words: To Need

Some Khmer words will have two words for only one English equivalent. On example is the verb: to need. The two Khmer words to to need are dtruaw and dtruaw-gaa. These words seem that that both have the same meaning, but really they have two different ways of being used.

First dtuaw means to need to do something….not an object, but more of an action.

• Kynum dtrauw tov psaa = I need to go to the market.

Dtruaw-gaa means to need something as in needing an object, not an action.

• Kynum dtruaw-gaa prahok = I need prahok (cambodian food)

So those are the two Khmer words for the English word, ‘to need’. To need is a very important verb to know and understanding that there are 2 khmer words for it is very important.