Khmer language: beginners' questions
Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
He's your man,
Perfect teacher of the Khmer language.
Perfect teacher of the Khmer language.
- Jamie_Lambo
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Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
i think ee i think is short for Yeay - Grandmother? and used to address an elderly woman, its not really a word i use though, unless im talking about my own grandparents, im always a bit cautious addressing older folk in case they take offense lol i limit myself to Pu, Ming, Om and Om Sreysiliconlife wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:01 pmI call them "E" (pronounced "ee") to be more casual. I learned this in Battambang. Do you know of this word for 'ming'?Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:54 pmit might be abit different for me as im only 31 and any lady around my mothers age id respectfully call 'Ming'timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:40 pm Quick one from me:
Is it ok to call a random older lady 'ming' (aunt) at the market etc, as in "or kun, ming" ?
if the lady is around your parents age i shouldnt see it being any sort of problem
And yes, all of these terms are dependent on the age difference of the speakers.
Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
I only know bong.Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:47 pm i think ee i think is short for Yeay - Grandmother? and used to address an elderly woman, its not really a word i use though, unless im talking about my own grandparents, im always a bit cautious addressing older folk in case they take offense lol i limit myself to Pu, Ming, Om and Om Srey
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Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
heres some more for you lolkps wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:35 amI only know bong.Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:47 pm i think ee i think is short for Yeay - Grandmother? and used to address an elderly woman, its not really a word i use though, unless im talking about my own grandparents, im always a bit cautious addressing older folk in case they take offense lol i limit myself to Pu, Ming, Om and Om Srey
A child/teenager
A-oun / អាអូន (m/f), Oun / អូន (m/f) - "little one" - to use with toddlers and young children.
Kaun / កូន (m/f) - "Child" - to use when you're close to the child, such as your own child, a nephew or niece.
Kmouy / ក្មួយ (m/f) - "Nephew/Niece" - to use when you address a child or teenager you don't know.
Chav / ចៅ (m/f) - "Grandchild" - to use when you address a child or teenager who could be your grandchild.
A visibly younger person
Oun / អូន (m/f) - "Young brother/sister" - to use when you're close to the person, and with caution when addressing woman as it can be misconstrued as a term of endearment or courtship.
P'oun / ប្អួន (m/f) - "Young brother/sister" - to use when you're acquainted with the person or a person you don't know.
Kmouy / ក្មួយ (m/f) - "Nephew/Niece" - to use when you address a young adult you are acquainted to or don't know.
Neang / នាង (f) - "young lady, miss" - to address young women you don't know.
Kanha / កញ្ញា (f) - "Miss" - to address young women you are familiar with/don't know (to be used with caution though as it can be perceived as sleazy.)
A person of about the same age
Bong / បង (m/f) - "Older brother/sister" - It is often used between persons of the same age as a sign of respect.
Lauk / លោក (m) - "Sir" - formal appellation
Ne'k / អ្នក (m/f) - "Madam, Sir" - formal appellation
A visibly older person
Bong / បង (m/f) - "Older brother/sister" - You can add "bros" or "srey" to "bong" to make it more respectful.
Pou / ពូ (m), Lauk Pou / លោកពូ (m), Lauk Srey / លោកស្រី (f), Ming / មីង (f), Ne'k Ming / អ្នកមីង (f) - "Uncle, Mister, Aunt, Madam" - To address someone who is older than you but younger than one of your parents.
Mday ming / ម្ដាយមីង (f), Mak ming / ម៉ាក់មីង (f) - "Aunty" - To address an aunt who is your mother or father's younger sister.
Om / អ៊ំ (m/f), Lauk Om / លោកអ៊ំ (m/f), Om Bros / អ៊ំប្រុស (m), Om Srey / អ៊ំស្រី (f) - "Uncle, Mister, Aunt, Madam" - To address someone who is older than you and older than both of your parents.
Pa Om / ប៉ាអ៊ំ (m), Mak Om / ម៉ាក់អ៊ំ (f) - "Uncle, Aunt" - To address an uncle or aunt who is close to you or your parents.
An elderly person
Ta / តា (m), Lauk ta / លោកតា (m), Yeay / យាយ (f), Lauk yeay / លោកយាយ (f), Mak yeay / ម៉ាក់យាយ (f) - "Grandpa, Grandfather, Granny, Grandma, Grandmother" - can be used to address any elderly person, except Mak Yeay which is specifically used to address your own grandmother.
A professional
A doctor: Lauk kru peth / លោកគ្រូពេទ្យ (m), Ne'k kru peth / អ្នកគ្រូពេទ្យ (f), Lauk kru (m), Ne'k kru (f)
A nurse: Ne'k kru peth / អ្នកគ្រូពេទ្យ (f)
A teacher: Lauk kru (m), Ne'k kru (f)
A professor: Lauk Sastracha / លោកសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ (m), Lauk Srey Sastracha / លោកស្រីសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ (f)
A craftsperson: Cheang / ជាង (m/f)
A person with a honorific title
A government/public person: Ek Oudom / ឯកឧត្តម (m), Lauk Chomtiev / លោកជំទាវ (f) - "Excellency" - Title has to be bestowed officially through a government decree.
A business tycoon: Ne'k Oknha / អ្នកឧកញ៉ា (m), Lauk Chomtiev Oknha / លោកជំទាវឧកញ៉ា (f) - Title has to be bestowed through government decree.
A monk, a member of the royal family: Preah Ang / ព្រះអង្គ (m)
Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
អ្នក translates best as you or person. It does not show any respect, and should only be used for people younger than yourself.
If you got that from a dictionary, the dictionary got it wrong.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
In Khmer aunts and uncles that are younger than your parents are called one thing, and aunts and uncles that are older than your parents are called another.timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:40 pm Is it ok to call a random older lady 'ming' (aunt) at the market etc, as in "or kun, ming" ?
មីង / meeng means an aunt younger than your mother or father.
ពូ / poo means an uncle younger than your mother or father.
អ៊ំ / om means an aunt or uncle older than your mother or father.
To be respectful, you can call people you dont know aunt or uncle.
If they are older, you can use grandmother of grandfather.
Khmer also has words for great grandmother and great grandfather, and great great grandmother and great great grandfather. Most of these are dead. You can use them when talking about ancestors who have died. These are also used for cousins, second cousins and third cousins. That is, relatives of grandparents, relatives of great grandparents, and relatives of great great grandparents.
As you get older, nobody will still be alive who is as old as your grandparents. As you get even older, nobody will still be alive as old as your aunts and uncles. Just imagine you are still in your 20s. Anyone as old as your grandparents when you were in your 20s, you can call grandmother or grandfather. Anyone as old as your aunts and uncles when you were in your 20s, you can call aunt or uncle.
In Khmer, there are Chinese words. The numbers 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 are the same as, or similar to Cantonese. There were/are also other Chinese dialects spoken in Cambodia. There are Chinese in Cambodia who have been here for generations. Many Cambodians are also part Chinese.siliconlife wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:01 pm I call them "E" (pronounced "ee") to be more casual. I learned this in Battambang. Do you know of this word for 'ming'?
ee is Chinese for aunt.
There is also:
je (or je je) which means older sister.
cgong means grandfather (the cg is a sound between c and g) (it is very similar to the word for wheel or bicycle in Khmer)
These are used by Cambodians. They may be used in some provinces more than others.
You can use these words yourself.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
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Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
hahaha the above was written by an educated Khmer person, but your understanding of Khmer is obviously leagues above theirs lol
Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
Better check out "ee" again. In our neck of the woods it is the same as "ming.". Not used very often and probably Chinese in origin.Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:47 pmi think ee i think is short for Yeay - Grandmother? and used to address an elderly woman, its not really a word i use though, unless im talking about my own grandparents, im always a bit cautious addressing older folk in case they take offense lol i limit myself to Pu, Ming, Om and Om Sreysiliconlife wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:01 pmI call them "E" (pronounced "ee") to be more casual. I learned this in Battambang. Do you know of this word for 'ming'?Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:54 pmit might be abit different for me as im only 31 and any lady around my mothers age id respectfully call 'Ming'timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:40 pm Quick one from me:
Is it ok to call a random older lady 'ming' (aunt) at the market etc, as in "or kun, ming" ?
if the lady is around your parents age i shouldnt see it being any sort of problem
And yes, all of these terms are dependent on the age difference of the speakers.
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Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
Yeah, agree with that. Ee is of Chinese origin and means much the same as ming.Chamboy wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:43 pmBetter check out "ee" again. In our neck of the woods it is the same as "ming.". Not used very often and probably Chinese in origin.Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:47 pmi think ee i think is short for Yeay - Grandmother? and used to address an elderly woman, its not really a word i use though, unless im talking about my own grandparents, im always a bit cautious addressing older folk in case they take offense lol i limit myself to Pu, Ming, Om and Om Sreysiliconlife wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:01 pmI call them "E" (pronounced "ee") to be more casual. I learned this in Battambang. Do you know of this word for 'ming'?Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:54 pmit might be abit different for me as im only 31 and any lady around my mothers age id respectfully call 'Ming'timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:40 pm Quick one from me:
Is it ok to call a random older lady 'ming' (aunt) at the market etc, as in "or kun, ming" ?
if the lady is around your parents age i shouldnt see it being any sort of problem
And yes, all of these terms are dependent on the age difference of the speakers.
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- Raven
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Re: Khmer language: beginners' questions
I'd suggest you call her Om. It's more respectful if she is an older aunt.timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:02 pmOh good, because I've been doing it anyway, but only for the old ones cheersJamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:54 pmit might be abit different for me as im only 31 and any lady around my mothers age id respectfully call 'Ming'timmydownawell wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:40 pm Quick one from me:
Is it ok to call a random older lady 'ming' (aunt) at the market etc, as in "or kun, ming" ?
if the lady is around your parents age i shouldnt see it being any sort of problem
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