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Khmer Food Words — Cambodian Food Vocabulary & Phrases

Food is one of the most immediate ways to connect with Cambodian culture. From fish amok to kuy teav noodle soup, Khmer cuisine has a rich vocabulary. Knowing food words helps diaspora learners navigate family meals, Cambodian restaurants, and conversations about home cooking.

Essential Phrases

បាយ

bay

Rice / a meal

ទឹក

tek

Water

ឆ្ងាញ់

chngaign

Delicious

ហូបបាយ

hob bay

To eat (a meal)

អាហារ

a-har

Food

ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?

thlay pon man?

How much does it cost?

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More Khmer Food Words Vocabulary

តុ

tok

table

កៅអី

kao-ey

chair

ចាន

chan

plate

ស្លាបព្រា

slab-prea

spoon

សម

sorm

fork

កែវ

keov

cup

ដប

dorb

bottle

ក្រដាសជូតមាត់

krordas chout moat

napkin

Cultural Context

Rice (បាយ, "bay") is so central to Cambodian culture that "eating" is literally "eating rice" (ហូបបាយ, "hob bay"). Cambodians often greet each other with "Have you eaten yet?" (ហូបបាយហើយឬនៅ?) as a way of expressing care — similar to asking "How are you?" in English.

Learn in a Structured Course

These phrases are covered in depth in the ReanKhmer Khmer language course — a full beginner-to-advanced curriculum built for heritage speakers. Related units: