ឆ្មា
chmaa
The English word "cat" is translated into Khmer as ឆ្មា (chmaa).
ឆ្មា is used to refer to the domestic species of cat.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
chmaa
Did you know?
- In Cambodian folklore, a ឆ្មា is sometimes believed to be able to see ghosts or spirits that are invisible to humans.
- While ឆ្មា refers to the animal, Khmer uses different classifiers when counting cats, as the language requires specific markers depending on the type of object or creature.
- The word ឆ្មា shares a phonetic root with words for 'cat' in other Mon-Khmer languages, reflecting a deep ancestral connection across Southeast Asia.
Examples in context
- រកឆ្មា។Find the cat.This sentence shows how to use the word ឆ្មា in a command to find something.Tatoeba #11475083 by Vethya, translation #1345901 by CK
- ឆ្មាស៊ី ។The cat eats.This sentence demonstrates the word ឆ្មា as the subject of an action.Tatoeba #4504444 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #1188694 by cntrational
- ខ្ញុំអត់មានឆ្មា។I do not have a cat.This sentence illustrates the use of ឆ្មា when expressing possession.Tatoeba #5669460 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #259880 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chinda and Ratanak are talking about a pet in the garden.
- រតនៈ Ratanakមើលឆ្មានេះចុះ!meul chhmah nis choh!Look at this cat!
- ចិន្តា Chindaវាជារបស់អ្នកមែនទេ រតនៈ?vea chea roboh neak men te Ratanak?Is it yours, Ratanak?
- រតនៈ Ratanakទេ ខ្ញុំមិនស្គាល់ឆ្មានេះទេ។te khnhom min skoal chhmah nis te.No, I don't know this cat.
- ចិន្តា Chindaវាគួរឱ្យស្រឡាញ់ណាស់។vea kuor oy srolanh nah.It is very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries ឆ្មា, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
