I just had this thought cross my mind that I have never shown you all what any of our languages are like here! So I guess it’s time I gave you a glimpse! So here we go, let’s start with Khmer (Cambodian)…

The alphabet is made up of: 33 consonants, 32 sub-scripts, 24 dependent vowels, and 14 independent vowels. (plus various other signs and symbols)

So first the consonants:

 

ក – găw           ខ – kăw           áž‚ – go           ឃ – kō           áž„ – ngō

áž… – jăw            ឆ – chăw         ជ – jō            ឈ – chō       ញ – nyō

ដ – dăw           áž‹ – tăw            ឌ – dō           ឍ – toe          ណ – năw

ត – đăw           ថ – tăw            áž‘ – đō           áž’ – toe            áž“ – no

áž” – băw           áž• – păw           áž– – þō           áž— – pō            ម – mō

áž™ – yō            ážš – rō                áž› – lō           ážœ – wō

ស – săw          áž  – hăw         áž¡ – lăw        អ – ăw

 

The Sub-scripts (which have to go under an existing consonant):

(these have the same sounds as above)

 

ក្ក           ខ្ខ           គ្គ           ឃ្ឃ           ង្ង

ច្ច         ឆ្ឆ           ជ្ជ             ឈ្ឈ             ញ្ញ

ដ្ដ           ឋ្ឋ           ឌ្ឌ           ឍ្ឍ              ណ្ណ

ត្ត           ថ្ថ           ទ្ទ            ធ្ធ                ន្ន

ប្ប         ផ្ផ           ព្ព                 ភ្ភ               ម្ម

យ្យ        រ្រ             ល្ល               វ្វ

ស្ស        ហ្ហ  no sub-script      អ្អ

 

 

The Dependent Vowels: (the letter អ is used as a place holder when typing vowels by themselves)

 

(1^st series / 2^nd series)

អា – a / ear           អិ – ǽt / Ä“^t           អី – āy / ē           អឹ – ut / Å­t

អឺ – ur / ŭŭ           អុ – ō^t / oo^t          អូ – ō / oo          អួ – oo^wr / oo^wr

អើ – ăur / Å­r        អឿ – Å­Å­^r / Å­Å­^r    អៀ – ear / ear    អេ – ā / ay _or ey

អែ – Ä«^e / è             អៃ – Ä«Ä“ / ey         អោ – ow / ō       អៅ – ow’ / Å“w

អុំ – òm / ōm        អំ – ŏm / ōm       អាំ – ăhm / ōam  អះ – ăh’ / ëah

អិះ – eh’ / Ä“h’       អុះ – oh’ / ooh’^? អេះ – eh’ / Ä“h’     អោះ – ăh’ / ooh’!

 

The Independent Vowels:

 

អ – ăw           ឥ – ǽt‘           ឦ – ^uāy           ឧ – ō^{t         Â}  áž© – ō

ឪ – ō^uoo        áž« – roo‘         ឬ – roo            áž­ – loo’        áž® – loo

ឯ – īĕ            áž° – īē             áž±, áž² – ow        áž³ – au’

 

Now for some useful words and phrases:

 

ចំរាបសួរ                               jom reaþ soor                     Hello

អ្នកសុខសប្បាយទេ?         neak’ sok sabÄ«Ä‘ay?            How are you?

ខ្ញុំឈ្មោះ…                             knyom chmooh’…             My name is…

លាហើយ                             lear howy                            Goodbye

…ខ្មែរថាប៉េច?                      … kmÄ«r tar might               How do you say … in Khmer?

 

Until next time enjoy learning a little bit of Khmer! And maybe next time you can get a glimpse of another one of our many languages.