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Ever wonder how to politely refuse a monk when they've making their rounds begging? I never felt comfortable saying "k'mian" since everyone knows foreigners have enough jing in their pockets to buy a little merit. Well, here it is and I've test flown it successfully a few times in Phnom Penh. The expression is is simple and stems from the old days when monks primarily collected food and not money. These simple phrases ate known by most new timers and mean " not yet." They are:

1) min toan te or ot toan te.

As I said they stem from the days when the monks would stop in front of a house and whoever was cooking told the monk(s) that the food was not yet ready. Even in these days of alms begging it is considered a polite and acceptable refusal.

Looks like I have been saying the wrong thing.

You have monks come past your house? Not meaning to be rude but just how rural is rural?

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Yes rural enough that they still pass by houses on
National Rd. 7. However as I mentioned this is a vestige lof former times but is still respected at outdoor restaurants in PP where I tested it

Barang chgout wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2017 9:03 pm You have monks come past your house? Not meaning to be rude but just how rural is rural?

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We live in Boeung Tompun and we get monks past the house - don't you?

Monks go everywhere (cities as well as countryside). I don't know why you feel compelled to say anything. I've never heard a local say anything to a monk if they don't have any money. They'll just hang out for 30sec-1min and if nothing is provided they just move on. No need to say "men toan te". I think you're just feeling guilty. The monks don't expect cash or rice every day. If the lady doesn't go for her wallet within 20-45secs they usually just move on. Just ignore them if you don't have money readily available (or don't want to give that day), that's what locals do. Besides, I find getting blessed is more awkward than having monks stare at me...

A colleague simply comments "I'm not Buddhist" and they move one, seemingly without having taken offence.

"I don't know why you feel compelled to say anything."

I don't feel compelled, I simply enjoy polite interaction with Khmer. Being quiet is certainly acceptable as is saying "k'mian." As far as guilt goes, that a wrong assumption. I post Khmer language issues because I want to share what I enjoy. I don't try to teach people how to behave in Cambodia but try to help out with vocabulary.

do you just say "Kmean" without saying anything else?
គ្មាន - Kmean as you will know means without/to not have,
but if you are the one firstly saying it, you would usually follow it with whatever it is you dont have, otherwise it kind of sounds like "(I) dont have.....or (I'm) without...."
"kmean" by its self, would be said in response to a question, "Bong kmean songsa men?"... "kmean", "you dont have a girlfriend right?"... "(I) dont have"
just a thought

Nope Jamie, they know and you know it's about money. An understood subject which requires no sophistication on the part of either party.