Language/Central-khmer/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant
Ordering food and drinks at a restaurant in Central Khmer can be a little different than in western cultures. In this lesson, we will learn how to order food and drinks, including menu items, polite requests, and dietary restrictions.
Vocabulary
Before we begin, let's review some basic vocabulary.
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| បង្កើត | bɑŋkɨət | to create, to make |
| ចំណាកស្រូប | cmaŋnaɑksrorb | to order (food) |
| មីននាក់ | miin nəaak | vegetarian |
| ហើយ | həy | yes |
| ទេ | te | no |
| អក្សរខ្មែរវិថី | ʔaʔsaa kʰmaeɾ vətʰi | Central Khmer cuisine |
| ទឹក | tʰɨk | water |
| សូរត្រី | suɑ traɪ | beer |
| ស្រអាប់ | sraab | wine |
| ម្ហូប | mhoop | food |
| នំ | num | bread |
| ដំណាំប់ | dmanh pʰop | soup |
| សាច់ | saach | meat |
| ប្រហុក | prohuk | pork |
| ម្សិលមិញ | msiəl miən | beef |
| មមុយស្សី | mamuy səi | chicken |
| ស្រទេសដើមចិន | srahtey daəmcin | Chinese-style food |
| បង្គាំងគ្រឿង | baŋkaamɑng kruəng | kitchen |
Simple Phrases
Here are some simple phrases you can use when ordering food and drinks at a restaurant:
- ជម្រាបសិនពីអ្នកបានមួយ? (chhɔmraab sɨn pi neak baan muəy?) - What would you like to order?
- មួយគ្រឿងទេសាច់បាយឬទ? (muəy kruəng tʰɨ saach bɑy aʔ tɑe?) - One serving of meat and rice, please.
- ខ្ញុំមិនចង់សាច់ឬអាហារណា។ (knhom min cɑŋ saach aʔ ɑhəa nhaa) - I do not want meat or fish.
- ខ្ញុំចង់បាយ菜ទេសាច់និងទឹកដោយសំណល់។ (knhom cɑŋ bɑy tsaa tʰɔksaach niəng tʰɨk daeu somnol) - I want a vegetarian dish with water without ice.
Useful Vocabulary
Here are some more useful vocabulary words to help you order and make requests:
| Central Khmer | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ចម្រៀងស្រុក | cmaereiŋ srok | folk music |
| ផ្សេង | psɨn | more, also |
| សម្រាប់ជម្រាបសិន | saɑmraab cɔmraab sɨn | for the order |
| កុំផ្លាស់ | kom pɑlas | do not add sugar |
| បរិមាណ | brɨmaanɑ | quantity |
| ប្រយ័ត្ន | prɨjaatnəa | spicy |
| មុខទីក្រុង | mukhtɨkɑrɔung | city-style food |
Cultural Tips
When dining in Cambodia, it is important to know that it is customary to share dishes. In some restaurants, diners might order two or three dishes and share them among the table. People typically use chopsticks to eat their meals.
It is also good to know that tipping is not a common practice in Cambodia. If you receive good service, it is recommended to round up your bill as a token of appreciation for the staff.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned some basic vocabulary words, phrases to use when ordering food, useful vocabulary when making requests, cultural tips about dining in Cambodia. With these new vocabulary words and phrases, you'll be able to order your meal confidently, making your dining experience more enjoyable.