Signification
Expressing the need to eat.
Contexte culturel
Rice is sacred. Dropping rice or wasting it is often seen as bad luck or disrespectful to the 'Mother of Rice' (Preah Mae Posop). In villages, 'khlean bay' is often met with an immediate invitation to sit down, even if you are a stranger. Younger generations use 'khlean bay' to refer to sushi, pizza, or burgers, showing the linguistic shift of 'bay' to mean any meal. Monks do not eat after noon. If you say you are 'khlean bay' in front of them in the evening, they will understand, but they won't join you.
The 'Bay' Rule
Always add 'bay' after 'khlean' unless you are in a very casual setting. It sounds more complete and natural.
Thirst vs Hunger
Never say 'khlean teuk'. Cambodians will understand you, but it sounds very strange.
Signification
Expressing the need to eat.
The 'Bay' Rule
Always add 'bay' after 'khlean' unless you are in a very casual setting. It sounds more complete and natural.
Thirst vs Hunger
Never say 'khlean teuk'. Cambodians will understand you, but it sounds very strange.
Greeting or Hunger?
If someone asks 'Nham bay nov?' they aren't always asking if you're hungry. It's often just a 'Hello'.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word to say 'I am very hungry.'
ខ្ញុំ___បាយណាស់។
'ឃ្លាន' (khlean) means hungry, which fits the context of 'bay' (rice/meal).
How do you ask a friend if they are hungry yet?
Which sentence is correct?
All these are natural ways to ask about hunger or eating in Khmer.
Match the Khmer phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are the core vocabulary words for dining.
Complete the dialogue.
A: ឃ្លានបាយទេ? B: បាទ ___. តោះទៅញ៉ាំអី។
Since B suggests going to eat, they must be very hungry.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesខ្ញុំ___បាយណាស់។
'ឃ្លាន' (khlean) means hungry, which fits the context of 'bay' (rice/meal).
Which sentence is correct?
All these are natural ways to ask about hunger or eating in Khmer.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the core vocabulary words for dining.
A: ឃ្លានបាយទេ? B: បាទ ___. តោះទៅញ៉ាំអី។
Since B suggests going to eat, they must be very hungry.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
3 questionsRarely. It's almost exclusively for physical hunger. For 'hungry for power' or 'hungry for success', different words are used.
Yes, it's neutral. However, adding 'khnhom' (I) at the beginning makes it more polite.
You can say 'ឃ្លានបន្តិចបន្តួច' (khlean bon-tich bon-tuoch).
Expressions liées
ស្រេកទឹក
similarThirsty
ឆ្អែតហើយ
contrastFull already
ញ៉ាំបាយ
builds onTo eat rice/a meal
ឃ្លានចំណី
specialized formHungry for snacks
