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One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:41 pm
by taabarang
I suspect many of you are aware of this idiom already which is "Kom ches !" It is literally a command construction which means Don't know! However with most idioms a literal translation misses the point. It's real meaning is " it's none of your business " or " mind your own business! ". It can be reasonably strong depending on circumstances. A parent can say it to a child but highly impolite for a child to talk that way with a parent. I also don't suggest using it with a stranger, say an armed policeman for example.
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:56 pm
by jah steu
I thought "che" was understand.
As in "ut che anglais", don't understand English.
It still makes sense as your idiom - telling someone to not understand or to mind their own business.
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Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:37 pm
by taabarang
Actually "Che's" is one of three verbs meaning to know. Without exploring the differences of scoal, deung, and ches in depth, the latter verb means to know in the sense of knowing how to do something. So while your understanding in your given example is about the same, it doesn't convey the inherent subtle meaning. Furthermore trying to lean on the literal meaning of words in an idiom is tenuous at best. Example:
I'm sure you catch my drift.
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 9:36 pm
by Username Taken
There is a difference between
ot che (I don't know)
and
gom che (you don't need to know)
Nonetheless, it's good to know.
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:43 pm
by Jamie_Lambo
jah steu wrote:
I thought "che" was understand.
As in "ut che anglais", don't understand English.
It still makes sense as your idiom - telling someone to not understand or to mind their own business.
Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2017 9:36 pm
There is a difference between
ot che (I don't know)
and
gom che (you don't need to know)
Nonetheless, it's good to know.
yeah as UT says..
អត់ចេះ = Ot Jeh = (i) Not/Don't Know, speaking informally the word Khnom is often not spoken
កុំចេះ = Kom Jeh = Do Not Know (how), Kom is a command/demand to 'Not Do/Do Not Do' something and is usually spoken at the start of a sentence, when telling someone not to do something
the word for understand is... យល់ = Yol, Yol ot = understand?, (Khnom) Ot Yol = (i) don't understand
saying "Ot Jeh Anglais" is just an informal way of saying Khnom Ot Jeh Piasaa Anglais (i dont know the English Language)
example...
the informal way - Jeh Khmer Ot? = Know Khmer?
the formal way - Ter Bong Will Jeh Piasaa Khmer Men Te? = Will, do you know the Khmer language?
as for the Idiom, i can see where it comes from with this.. Kom Jeh! = Do not know! (its not yours to know!/none of your business!)
thanks again TaaBarang you know i love these
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:39 pm
by StroppyChops
Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:43 pm
jah steu wrote:
I thought "che" was understand.
As in "ut che anglais", don't understand English.
It still makes sense as your idiom - telling someone to not understand or to mind their own business.
Username Taken wrote: ↑Mon Jun 12, 2017 9:36 pm
There is a difference between
ot che (I don't know)
and
gom che (you don't need to know)
Nonetheless, it's good to know.
yeah as UT says..
អត់ចេះ = Ot Jeh = (i) Not/Don't Know, speaking informally the word Khnom is often not spoken
កុំចេះ = Kom Jeh = Do Not Know (how), Kom is a command/demand to 'Not Do/Do Not Do' something and is usually spoken at the start of a sentence, when telling someone not to do something
the word for understand is... យល់ = Yol, Yol ot = understand?, (Khnom) Ot Yol = (i) don't understand
saying "Ot Jeh Anglais" is just an informal way of saying Khnom Ot Jeh Piasaa Anglais (i dont know the English Language)
example...
the informal way - Jeh Khmer Ot? = Know Khmer?
the formal way - Ter Bong Will Jeh Piasaa Khmer Men Te? = Will, do you know the Khmer language?
as for the Idiom, i can see where it comes from with this.. Kom Jeh! = Do not know! (its not yours to know!/none of your business!)
thanks again TaaBarang you know i love these
Building on this and hijacking your post, what's the appropriate syntax for "don't be rude" and "don't be stupid"?
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:59 pm
by taabarang
I wrote a long explanation of this and dramatically related issues which disappeared into the point internet ether. So here is the short version.
In these commands in Khmer the verb for to be plays no role. Thus
stupid=pleu
rude= chhloeui
Simply add Kom +adjective.
Kom pleu! Don't be stupid!
That is how the commands are rendered into Khmer, at least in my village.
No hijacking involved bro.
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:31 pm
by StroppyChops
taabarang wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:59 pm
I wrote a long explanation of this and dramatically related issues which disappeared into the point internet ether. So here is the short version.
In these commands in Khmer the verb for to be plays no role. Thus
stupid=pleu
rude= chhloeui
Simply add Kom +adjective.
Kom pleu! Don't be stupid!
That is how the commands are rendered into Khmer, at least in my village.
No hijacking involved bro.
Thanks taa
Help on pronouncing chhloeui please?
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:30 pm
by Username Taken
ឈ្លើយ = chhleuy = rude/impolite
Re: One Cambodian idiom
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:54 pm
by taabarang
Well I just lost another fucking long post, but no matter just show UT's written Cambodian to any literate but patient Khmer for guidance.
It's one of those vowel sounds Anglophones make only when they are extremely ill.