At what level do you speak Khmer? Poll.
At what level do you speak Khmer? Poll.
How's your Khmer language skills coming along?
"That was probably Londo...He is always shitty." - Marvin
-
- I have Cheap Mobile Internet
- Reactions: 148
- Posts: 498
- Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:00 pm
I don’t expect anyone to be instantly fluent in their first day. But, it has thrown me just how many people I’ve met here who are actively scornful (or at least bemused) at the fact that I’ve learned how to read, like I’m some sort of weirdo sellout or something. Anyone else here ever been asked “why are you doing that?”
I can't imagine living in a non-English speaking country for more than a few months and not studying the national language for at least an hour a day. These nerds will watch Netflix all day long or read books while inebriated but they always have an excuse about not having time.
So how well do you speak Khmer?Harold wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 12:18 pmI can't imagine living in a non-English speaking country for more than a few months and not studying the national language for at least an hour a day. These nerds will watch Netflix all day long or read books while inebriated but they always have an excuse about not having time.
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
I know quite a few people who have lived here years and barely know more than a few words, and they pronounce those so badly nobody knows what they are saying. I find the script very difficult though, the shapes are too complicated.nerdlinger wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 12:03 pmI don’t expect anyone to be instantly fluent in their first day. But, it has thrown me just how many people I’ve met here who are actively scornful (or at least bemused) at the fact that I’ve learned how to read, like I’m some sort of weirdo sellout or something. Anyone else here ever been asked “why are you doing that?”
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
-
- I have Cheap Mobile Internet
- Reactions: 148
- Posts: 498
- Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:00 pm
I can sympathise with that. It took me about one month of fairly light study to learn Japanese Hiragana + Katakana, and Hangul I pretty much learned on the flight to Seoul. I’m only just now able to muddle through Khmer script after a whole year despite it not having significantly more characters.Lucky Lucan wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 12:24 pmI find the script very difficult though, the shapes are too complicated.
I think it’s because there isn’t a 1-1 mapping for the vowel sounds to English, so there’s not much for my neurons to latch onto. Also the way words are constructed is often not intuitive, so it’s easy to get thrown by words like អ្នក or ទឹកកក.
I knew I was only going to be in Cambodia a couple of years, so I never bothered to learn. It’s not like it’s a major language that would stand you in good stead anywhere else.
If that makes me lazy, so be it.
If that makes me lazy, so be it.
-
- I have Cheap Mobile Internet
- Reactions: 148
- Posts: 498
- Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:00 pm
I’m not even necessarily planning on retiring here or getting a job that needs Khmer. The reason I take lessons is that you can’t turn back time and get that 10 years practice in when you do find yourself here for longer than you planned.Lucky Lucan wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 12:24 pmI know quite a few people who have lived here years and barely know more than a few words, and they pronounce those so badly nobody knows what they are saying.
You can't really survive in Thailand for anything longer than a holiday without learning some reasonable amount of Thai, simply because Thais can't - or perhaps wont - speak English.
Cambodians on the other hand, are very eager to speak English, and are generally more proficient than Thais (in my opinion)
I've travelled many places in Cambodia, and I like exploring off the beaten track places. It has always amazed me that you can be in the middle of nowhere, and there will always be somebody who speaks English.
The necessity factor is simply not there or not to such an extent as it is in Thailand, and Khmer is far more difficult to learn than Thai, imo.
Cambodians on the other hand, are very eager to speak English, and are generally more proficient than Thais (in my opinion)
I've travelled many places in Cambodia, and I like exploring off the beaten track places. It has always amazed me that you can be in the middle of nowhere, and there will always be somebody who speaks English.
The necessity factor is simply not there or not to such an extent as it is in Thailand, and Khmer is far more difficult to learn than Thai, imo.
'The general population doesn't know what's happening, and it doesn't even know that it doesn't know.'
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
- ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ
- Daylight, I need Daylight !?!
- Reactions: 685
- Posts: 4715
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 4:42 pm
Learning to read accelerated my development language proficiency no end.nerdlinger wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 12:03 pmI don’t expect anyone to be instantly fluent in their first day. But, it has thrown me just how many people I’ve met here who are actively scornful (or at least bemused) at the fact that I’ve learned how to read, like I’m some sort of weirdo sellout or something. Anyone else here ever been asked “why are you doing that?”
I don’t read Khmer often, but I can read at about the level of a 4th grader. So many times I’ve read a word and realised that I had been pronouncing it wrongly. I can battle through official docs, but it is a slog. Much quicker for a staff member to read it to me.
Learning the alphabet is hard, but i think it initially seems harder than what it actually is. Once you get a few weeks into it there is a point - at least for me - when things started to flow much quicker.
I haven’t had people ask me why I learned the script. But it’s a handy party trick to show off in a group of locals - it blows their mind that a pointy nose can read Khmer. But then it gets tedious quickly as they keep writing words down for you to read - and it isn’t the polite words.
Recent polls suggest that most posters can't afford Khmer lessons because they spend too much money on hookers, booze, tuk tuks, and membership fees for the Woody Allen Appreciation Society.
I've been here for 10 years and for another 5 I resided in Thailand. I mainly picked up listening skills in both languages. Speaking to some degree and more work related than general conversation.
I noticed a blank stare more often in Cambodia than Thailand. The Thai tried to guess what you meant but is way harder due to the tones.
I noticed a blank stare more often in Cambodia than Thailand. The Thai tried to guess what you meant but is way harder due to the tones.
That sounds reasonable. If you're only in the country because of work and you won't be in the country too long then you won't really get much out of it.Bertie Wooster wrote: ↑Tue May 30, 2023 1:37 pmI knew I was only going to be in Cambodia a couple of years, so I never bothered to learn. It’s not like it’s a major language that would stand you in good stead anywhere else.
If that makes me lazy, so be it.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 18 Replies
- 3546 Views
-
Last post by khmerhit
Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:39 am
-
-
What does it mean to be the fittest/strongest when we speak of survival?
by violet » Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:26 am » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 277 Replies
- 36847 Views
-
Last post by Scranter
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:49 pm
-
-
-
What do you like most about Cambodia? Poll.
by Londo » Fri Sep 22, 2023 11:55 am » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 13 Replies
- 7268 Views
-
Last post by guest9
Wed Oct 04, 2023 5:33 pm
-
-
-
How many times have you been married? Poll.
by Londo » Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:32 pm » in Cambodia Speakeasy - 3 Replies
- 834 Views
-
Last post by MarkinAston
Sun Jun 18, 2023 8:28 pm
-