Cambodian words with no English equivalent
Cambodian words with no English equivalent
People learning Khmer will learn there are some words with no English equivalent. There are also English words with no Khmer equivalent. You can normally explain these using a number of words.
There are also words where the meaning is similar, but not exactly the same.
I hope this will be beneficial for those learning Khmer.
oosaa
oosaa is the opposite of lazy. You could say a good student, a hard worker, or a person who puts in a lot of effort.
gaaj and sloet
gaaj means a ferocious animal, an aggressive animal, or an animal which may attack you.
sloet means a tame animal.
The same words are used for people. We dont normally say a tame person. Maybe we should introduce this into the English language.
If someone says a girl is gaaj, she may be argumentative, uncooperative, get angry often, and yell a lot.
If someone says a girl is sloet, she may be easy to get along with, cooperative, not normally get angry, and not normally raise her voice.
You also learn, the only way to get good at a language, is by communitating in that language. You will meet Cambodians learning English, and translating everyting into Khmer. That is how one starts out. But the only way to get good at English is by communicating in English. The same applies for people learning Khmer.
I would encourage others to make contributions. Most of us are still learning. We can all learn from each other.
Next time someone asks you what type of girl you would like. One of the most important qualities is being sloet. Being oosaa is also important.
There are also words where the meaning is similar, but not exactly the same.
I hope this will be beneficial for those learning Khmer.
oosaa
oosaa is the opposite of lazy. You could say a good student, a hard worker, or a person who puts in a lot of effort.
gaaj and sloet
gaaj means a ferocious animal, an aggressive animal, or an animal which may attack you.
sloet means a tame animal.
The same words are used for people. We dont normally say a tame person. Maybe we should introduce this into the English language.
If someone says a girl is gaaj, she may be argumentative, uncooperative, get angry often, and yell a lot.
If someone says a girl is sloet, she may be easy to get along with, cooperative, not normally get angry, and not normally raise her voice.
You also learn, the only way to get good at a language, is by communitating in that language. You will meet Cambodians learning English, and translating everyting into Khmer. That is how one starts out. But the only way to get good at English is by communicating in English. The same applies for people learning Khmer.
I would encourage others to make contributions. Most of us are still learning. We can all learn from each other.
Next time someone asks you what type of girl you would like. One of the most important qualities is being sloet. Being oosaa is also important.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
- Jamie_Lambo
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Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
សាហាវ - Sahav is also a similar word - to be savage, wild, untamed, violent, fierce, ferocious, cruel, brutal, inhuman, primitive, pitiless, barbarous...explorer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:24 am
gaaj and sloet
gaaj means a ferocious animal, an aggressive animal, or an animal which may attack you.
sloet means a tame animal.
The same words are used for people. We dont normally say a tame person. Maybe we should introduce this into the English language.
If someone says a girl is gaaj, she may be argumentative, uncooperative, get angry often, and yell a lot.
If someone says a girl is sloet, she may be easy to get along with, cooperative, not normally get angry, and not normally raise her voice.
I would encourage others to make contributions. Most of us are still learning. We can all learn from each other.
Next time someone asks you what type of girl you would like. One of the most important qualities is being sloet. Being oosaa is also important.
Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
Punchy McShortstacks School of Hard Knocks
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Re: Cambodian wtheords with no English equivalent
Please continue to share your cultural insights with us but please drop the "preachy"/tone; the general tone of your posts is condescending. They assume reader ignorance and poster enlightenment when neither may be the case.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
Nom officially translates to cake, but in use it often refers to any starchy snack, sweet or salty. Its a useful word.
Re: Cambodian wtheords with no English equivalent
Wow, I didn't get that feeling from his post at all. Maybe you're projecting?
To be on the safe side we should probably have a sticky thread...
"Taabarang's guide to proper posting etiquette and decorum so as not to annoy easily irascible posters such as taabarang"
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Re: Cambodian wtheords with no English equivalent
It would actually be simpler to silence my posts with the ignore button. As you noted in a previous post you fail as a comedian. Don't lose the day job.Brody wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:30 amWow, I didn't get that feeling from his post at all. Maybe you're projecting?
To be on the safe side we should probably have a sticky thread...
"Taabarang's guide to proper posting etiquette and decorum so as not to annoy easily irascible posters such as taabarang"
Last edited by taabarang on Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
- Felgerkarb
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Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
Also can refer to a woman's coochie. Nom akow laung aht? Has the akow cake risen/swollen up? Double entendre for is the coochie swollen, i.e. ready to rock.
===============
We are all puppets in the hands of an insane puppeteer...
--Brother Theodore
We are all puppets in the hands of an insane puppeteer...
--Brother Theodore
Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
You sweet talker lol
Despite what angsta states, it’s clear from reading through his posts that angsta supports the free FreePalestine movement.
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Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
I had a run-in with my friend.
What word would Cambodians use for run-in.
What word would Cambodians use for run-in.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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Re: Cambodian words with no English equivalent
Actually the word more closely resembles "slot" (long o) when correctly pronounced and is frequently used to describe my father-in-law.explorer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:24 am People learning Khmer will learn there are some words with no English equivalent. There are also English words with no Khmer equivalent. You can normally explain these using a number of words.
There are also words where the meaning is similar, but not exactly the same.
I hope this will be beneficial for those learning Khmer.
oosaa
oosaa is the opposite of lazy. You could say a good student, a hard worker, or a person who puts in a lot of effort.
gaaj and sloet
gaaj means a ferocious animal, an aggressive animal, or an animal which may attack you.
sloet means a tame animal.
The same words are used for people. We dont normally say a tame person. Maybe we should introduce this into the English language.
If someone says a girl is gaaj, she may be argumentative, uncooperative, get angry often, and yell a lot.
If someone says a girl is sloet, she may be easy to get along with, cooperative, not normally get angry, and not normally raise her voice.
You also learn, the only way to get good at a language, is by communitating in that language. You will meet Cambodians learning English, and translating everyting into Khmer. That is how one starts out. But the only way to get good at English is by communicating in English. The same applies for people learning Khmer.
I would encourage others to make contributions. Most of us are still learning. We can all learn from each other.
Next time someone asks you what type of girl you would like. One of the most important qualities is being sloet. Being oosaa is also important.
No need to introduce a new word into English here; we already have the word "gentle."
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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