Get to Know the Khmer language and explore Cambodia
The Khmer language is the official and national language of Cambodia, where it is spoken as a first language by around 13 million people. It is also spoken as a second language by minority groups in the country.
The total number of speakers of the Khmer language is thought to be around 18 million, as there are significant communities of speakers in neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam, as well as a much smaller number in Laos.
Why learn the Khmer language?
Though an Austroasiatic language, Khmer has been influenced by Sanskrit and Pali through the popularity of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Old Khmer is the earliest recorded language of the Mon-Khmer family, written and spoken during the Chenla (6th to 9th century CE) and Angkor (9th to 15th century CE) empires.
The Khmer language is written in the Khmer script, an abugida derived from the Brahmi script.
ភាសាខ្មែរ (Phéasa Khmêr) means ‘Khmer language’ in Khmer.
In contrast to other languages of the region like Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, and Burmese, Khmer is not a tonal language.
Map
By ArnoldPlaton, based on the maps Austroaziatisch.PNG and Se asia lang map.png, edited by Nnemo - SVG version of Se asia lang map.png, edited, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18530936
Resources for learning the Khmer language
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Websites and Courses
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Videos
Cambodian Alphabet (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Cambodian for Tourists (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Cambodian Grammar and Phrases (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Learn Cambodian - Part I (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Learn Cambodian - Part II (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Learn Cambodian - Part III (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Cambodian Vocabulary (Playlist) - Learn Cambodian
Cambodian for Foreigners (Playlist) - Khmer Lesson
Khmer Listening Practice (Playlist) - Khmer Lesson
Khmer Folktales (Playlist) - Khmer Lesson
Let’s Learn How to Read Khmer Letters (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Language Lessons (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Lessons : Reading and Listening Skills (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Folktales (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Songs (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Listening Practice for Intermediate and Advanced Students (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Topics You Should Learn When Taking Khmer Lessons (Playlist) - Dara Yin
Khmer Conversation Lessons (Playlist) - Learning Khmer 101
Khmer Word List (Playlist) - Learning Khmer 101
Khmer Language Tutorials - Learning Khmer 101
Learn Khmer Lessons (Playlist) - CambodianSchool
Read and Write Khmer (Playlist) - cvbienert
Khmer Language Lessons (Playlist) - cvbienert
Listen to the Khmer Language of Cambodia : Chantara Speaking Khmer - Wikitongues
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Books
by Lexicon Language Audiobooks
រះអង្គម្ឆាស់តូច (The Little Prince in Khmer)
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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Podcasts
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Articles
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How to Learn Vietnamese eBook
One of the great things about learning Vietnamese is that it makes learning languages like Khmer easier. Not only because Vietnamese and Khmer are both from the Môn-Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family, but also because of the amount of resources available in Vietnamese for learning Khmer.
If you're interested in learning Vietnamese, How to Learn Vietnamese will guide you through the process in a fast and fun way.
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Contact
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