In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Khmer, the Cambodian language. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from Cambodia or if you’re travelling there.
Khmer is the official language of Cambodia and is spoken by around 16 million people. It is the native language of the Khmer people who mainly reside in Cambodia however there are small populations in Thailand and Vietnam.
Whilst many people in Cambodia will speak English, it’s always a good idea to learn some phrases in Khmer as the people in Cambodia will be happy to see you trying to speak their language.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Khmer
To ask ‘how are you?’ in Cambodia, simply say:
| How are you? | Neak sok-sabai te? |
You can also shorten this to just – Sok-sabai?
This phrase literally means ‘safe and happy’ but is used to ask how someone is.
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Khmer
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question. I’ve also included how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| Thank you | Ar-koon |
In Khmer, the way of asking ‘how are you?’ and responding ‘I’m fine’ is almost the same.
| I’m fine/I’m good | Kh-nyom sok-sabai |
| I’m not good | Kh-nyom ot sok-sabai te |
| I’m okay | Kh-nyom min-ai-te |
| I’m sick | Kh-nyom chew-hai |
| I’m very happy | Kh-nyom rik-rey ne |
| I am very tired | Kh-nyom hat-ne |
| I am very sad | Kh-nyom pi-be-ak chatne |
Check out the video below to hear the pronunciation of these words:
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| And you?/What about you? | Choh anak vinh? |
Example Conversation:
Person 1: Neak sok-sabai te? (How are you?)
Person 2: Kh-nyom sok-sabai, ar-koon. Choh anak vinh? (I’m fine, thank you. And you?)
Person 1: Kh-nyom sok-sabai. (I’m fine)
Thanks for reading this post on how to say ‘how are you?’ in Khmer, the Cambodian language. You should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Someone’s birthday coming up? Learn how to wish them a happy birthday in Khmer.
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