Admonishing someone / saying “Don’t do this!” — Cultural note


មានរឿងប្រៀបប្រដូចមួយដែលជនជាតិខ្មែរតែងលើកមកនិយាយនៅពេលមនុស្សដែលមានអាយុច្រើនជាងឋានៈខ្ពស់ជាងបង្ហាញឥរិយាបថថាគេមិនដែលខុស គឺ មានមនុស្សឈ្មោះកំពុងអង្គុយនៅក្បែរកែវទឹកមួយ ពេលនោះ មនុស្សឈ្មោះបានដើរមកប៉ះកែវទឹកធ្វើឲ្យកំពប់ទឹកបានស្ដីឲ្យថាឯងដើរមិនមើលកែវទឹកទេ?”។ ប៉ុន្តែ នៅពេលជាអ្នកដើរមកប៉ះកែវទឹកធ្វើឲ្យកំពប់វិញ ស្រាប់តែបន្ទោសទៀតថាឯងដាក់កែវមិនមើលមនុស្សដើរទេ?”។

Link to overview page
Link to dictionary

KhmerPronunciationEnglish/Notes
មាន mien 1. to have, possess, own
2. to exist, there is, there are
3. to be rich, own property
4. indicates the accomplishment of an action, to happen to, to have occasion to
Notes: in spoken Khmer, negated មាន (មិនមាន or គ្មាន) can be contracted into មាន, e.g., មានអ្នកណាចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there's nobody who wants to meet you’ — contrast this with the affirmative: មានគេចង់ជួបឯង = ‘there’s somebody who wants to meet you’
រឿង rɨəŋ 1. story, novel
2. cause, case, event, conflict
ប្រៀប priəp 1. to compare with one another, match (up with)
2. comparison, analogy
ប្រដូច prɑdouc 1. to compare, match with
2. to be alike
3. like, as, such as
Notes: root: ដូច
មួយ muəy 1. one {មួយៗ = one by one}
2. one person/myself {សុំចេញមួយ = Please let me [go] out!} {សុំទៅមួយ = Please give way [for me one person]!} {សុំចុះមួយ = Please let me [one person] get off [the bus]!}
ដែល dael 1. who, whom, which, where, when
2. of/to/in/at which/whom
3. the fact/reason that
4. ever, happened to, having done at least once, having been to, already, always, had occasion to, have ever {អត់ដែលដឹងសោះ = I’ve never known this!}
ជនជាតិ cɔɔn ciet 1. citizen, people {ជនជាតិខ្មែរ = Khmer people}
2. nationality
ខ្មែរ kmae Khmer, Cambodian
តែង taeŋ 1. constantly, always, used to {អតិថិជនតែងគិតថា […] = customers always think that […]}
2. to arrange, decorate, beautify
3. to compose, create, draft, write {តែងសេចក្ដី = essay}
4. to set up, erect, establish
លើក lǝǝk 1. to lift, raise, elevate, boost, hoist {លើកដៃសំពះ = to raise the hands in a greeting or respectful gesture} {លើករបស់ = to lift something} {លើកទូរស័ព្ទ = to pick up the phone}
2. to erect, build, establish, create
3. to form
4. to levy/raise (e.g., troops)
5. to perform/celebrate (a ritual or ceremony)
6. to exalt
7. to rouse
8. to transport
9. to exhume, dig up
10. to postpone, adjourn, cancel
11. time, occasion, instance, session {លើកមុន = last time}
12. except, unless
មក mɔɔk 1. to come (toward the speaker in space or time)
2. to come to/towards (often used as a final particle indicating that the action began at some point in the past and continued up to the present)
3. (from then) on, (from that time) forth
4. to, toward
និយាយ niʔyiey to speak, say, talk, relate, tell, to narrate, to talk over, discuss
នៅ nɨv 1. in, at
2. to be located at, to live in or at, to reside, to stay, to be in
3. still, yet (pre-verbal marker of a durative or continuative aspect, as a final particle in the tag question ហើយឬនៅ it means 'yet' and as a reply to a question of this kind, it means 'not yet') {ញ៉ាំអីហើយនៅ? = Have you eaten already?}
ពេល peel 1. time
2. moment, instant, period of time
មនុស្ស mɔnuh, meaʔnuh human being, person
អាយុ ʔaayuʔ 1. to be ... years old
2. age
ច្រើន craən 1. much, many, numerous, very much
2. mostly, often
ជាង cieŋ 1. (more) ... than, in excess of, exceeding, to a greater extent than
2. marks the comparative degree of an adjective {ល្អជាង = better}
3. craftsman, artisan, skilled worker, smith {ជាងថត = camera man}
rɨɨ 1. or
2. phrase-final interrogative particle {មិនមែនឬ = Isn't it true?}
ឋានៈ tʰaanaʔ 1. grade, level, position, standing, status
2. duty
3. reason, motive, cause
ខ្ពស់ kpʊəh high, tall
បង្ហាញ bɑŋhaaɲ 1. to show, exhibit, reveal, to indicate
2. to demonstrate, to teach
3. to introduce (someone to someone)
ឥរិយាបថ ʔeʔreʔyaabɑt 1. manner, position, pose, attitude, conduct
2. point of view
3. mode of movement
4. the four postures: standing, sitting, walking, lying down
ថា tʰaa 1. to say, tell, pronounce
2. that (introduces a question or indirect discourse)
3. I've [just] said, [...]
គេ kee 1. he, she
2. one, someone
3. other(s)
មិនដែល mɨn dael 1. never [to have done something] (used only for past actions)
2. nonsense {វាមិនដែល = មិនដែលអេ៎ = it is nonsense}
ខុស kʰoh 1. different
2. wrong, incorrect
3. mistake, fault, defect
គឺ kɨɨ 1. to be (equal to)
2. as follows, namely
ឈ្មោះ cmʊəh 1. name
2. to be named/called
kɑɑ 1st consonant of the Khmer alphabet
កំពុង kɑmpuŋ to be in the process of (doing something)
អង្គុយ ʔɑŋkuy to sit, to sit down
ក្បែរ kbae to be near, close to
កែវ kaev 1. glass
2. clf. for glassfuls
ទឹក tɨk 1. water, juice, liquid
2. round (e.g., of a boxing match)
នោះ nuh 1. that, those (often serves simply to emphasize something already referred to or something distant in time or space)
2. then
kʰɑɑ 2nd consonant of the Khmer alphabet
បាន baan 1. to have completed/done something
2. to intend to complete something
3. marker of completed action
4. to get, obtain, acquire, to achieve, have been able to, to get/have the opportunity to do something
5. to get someone or something to do something (often translated by the English passive in this sense)
6. to be able to
7. not ... until, then and only then
8. to pass to someone through inheritance
9. to be OK, fine, all right
10. [spoken language] however, though, in contrast {ម្សិលមិញបានក្ដៅខ្លាំង = yesterday, however, it was very hot}
11. {បានហើយ = I'm done, I give up, I'm finished (depending on the context)}
ដើរ daə 1. to walk, to go, to move
2. (of machines) to run
ប៉ះ pah 1. to hit, to collide with
2. to touch, come in contact with
3. to meet, encounter, confront
ធ្វើឲ្យ tvəə ʔaoy 1. to cause, make (someone) do (something)
2. to do (something) for (someone) (often used to form causative compounds)
កំពប់ kɑmpup 1. to spill, tip over
2. to strew, scatter
ស្ដីឲ្យ sdǝy ʔaoy to blame/scold/reprimand directly
Notes: ជើង ដ
ឯង ʔaeŋ 1. you
2. self, oneself, by oneself
3. used after personal pronouns or names to make the address more polite
4. surely, obviously
មិន mɨn negative particle not, non- (usually requires the final particle ទេ)
មើល məəl 1. to look at, to watch, to watch for, to observe
2. to read (to oneself), to review (a lesson)
3. to examine, survey, inspect
4. to observe
5. to treat (medically)
6. to care for, take care of
7. to consider, regard
8. particle: come on, give it a try
9. let me see!
10. phrase-final: softens a command or request {ជួយបង្ហាញតិចមើល = Please show me!}
ទេ tee 1. particle: negative particle occurring in phrase final position especially after មិន, ពុំ, etc.
2. interrogative particle occurring in phrase final position, often in the combination ឬទេ
3. neutral/positive particle to add emphasis {ខ្ញុំសុខសប្បាយទេ = I'm fine!} {យកតែមួយទេ = I’ll take only one!}
ប៉ុន្តែ pontae but, however
Notes: ជើង ត; root: តែ
ជា cie 1. to be (equal to), to be as
2. to be well, in good health, recovered
3. to be effective (of medicines)
អ្នក neak 1. you (to equals of both sexes)
2. person, one who... (used as an agentive particle to create nouns from predicatives)
វិញ vɨɲ again, back, instead
ស្រាប់តែ srap tae 1. suddenly
2. all of a sudden, immediately, as soon as
3. unexpectedly, surprisingly, illogically, unfairly
បន្ទោស bɑntooh 1. to blame, attribute guilt/sin/criminal action to, to charge (with a crime), accuse
2. to implicate, find fault with
3. to reprimand, bawl out
4. to criticize
Notes: root: ទោស
ទៀត tiət 1. again, still, more, further, yet, additional
2. to be different, other
ដាក់ dak 1. to put, place
2. to deposit
3. to add (ingredients)
4. to set (e.g., a trap)
5. to establish
6. to assign
7. to locate, settle, station
8. to lock up
9. to fasten
10. to use
11. to strike, hit hard
12. to affect
13. to subject someone to
14. to be hard hit, suffer a setback
15. to have bad luck, cause bad luck
16. to feel unwell, have an upset stomach (especially after eating certain fruits)
17. to contract for
18. to subscribe to
19. to renounce (a throne)
20. to put aside (religious vows)
21. in, into, on
22. to eat, drink
23. to kneel
24. command to an elephant to kneel by bending the rear legs