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"Remorque" will take you afar
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A bit of etiquette and some dos and don'ts to make your stay more enjoyable. We've copied some basic idioms from the Gnarfgnarf Phnom Penh site. People in Siem Reap have a very different accent from Phnom Penh folks, and use typically local expressions as well.
1. Don't make any joke on the present King or on the Old Kings. Your humor will not be appreciated, and you will need heavy weaponry to leave the country alive.
2. To smile is to be polite. Not to smile is to be impolite. If you wear a frown for no reason, you will be considered very rude, or even worse, "without lineage".
3. It is not because people are smiling that they think you are a god, or really handsome or making a pass at you.
4. If you want to get things done, do not raise your tone, simply say that you are not happy "meun sabay chet", or disappointed "orn chet".
Basics Sok Sabay - Peace and joy (standard greeting) Or Kon - Joyful gratefulness (thank you) Chneh Satruv - Defeat your enemies (farewell) Som Toh - Grant me forgiveness (sorry) Baat - Yes (if you are a man/boy) Chaa - Yes (if you are a woman/girl) Ort Te - No Khyom - I/me/my/mine Srok Khmer - the Land of the Khmer (Cambodia)
Civilities Khyom Bor Rotay - I am a cart driver (I am a foreigner) Khyom Barang - I am a white foreigner / French Sok Sabay Te - Do joy and peace favor you? (How are you?) Khyom Sok Sabay - Peace and joy favor me (I am fine) Lok - Master (sir or mister) Lok Sreign - Mistress (madam or missus) Neang - Maiden (mademoiselle or miss) Gna - Maiden (mademoiselle or miss) Siem Reap Expression Komloh - Bachelor (sir or mister for bachelors)
Chit Chat Laor - Nice, good, pretty, beautiful Sambom - Extremely Laor Sambom - Very nice Sabay - Fun Sabay Nah - Lots of fun Chnagn - Tasty Khyom Srolagn - I like Orh Toah - Without limit (Great!) Tlai - Expensive Taok - Cheap Or eye teh - Never mind, don't worry
Insult (use with care!) Ort Pouch - Without lineage (you are uncouth)
Other useful expressions Som Chouy - Grant me assistance (Help!) Noam Khyom Teuv Toot Amerik - Get me to the US Embassy! Avot Paramano - Nuclear weapon Srom Anamay - Hygiene sheath (condom) Mean Loy - I have money Ort Mean Loy - I have no money Ompoc Alouy - rot (corruption)
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