កិនបំបែក
ken bambek
The English word "crush" (referring to a brief infatuation or the object of such affection) is translated into Khmer as កិនបំបែក (ken bambek).
Meaning: love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited) (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ken bambek.
Did you know?
- The Khmer term កិនបំបែក is a literal translation that means 'to grind and break'. In natural conversation, Cambodians rarely use this phrase to describe a romantic 'crush' and instead use the word លួចស្រឡាញ់, which means 'to love secretly'.
- In Cambodian youth culture, English loanwords are common. Many teenagers in Phnom Penh simply use the English word 'crush' written in Khmer script or spoken as ក្រាស់ rather than using traditional Khmer terms.
- The term កិន in កិនបំបែក specifically refers to the grinding motion used with a mortar and pestle, a staple tool in every Khmer kitchen.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their feelings.
- ស្រីនី Sreynyរតនៈ តើអ្នកមានកិនបំបែកទេ?Rotanak, tae neak mean kin bombek te?Rotanak, do you have a crush?
- រតនៈ Ratanakមានម្នាក់ ប៉ុន្តែខ្ញុំមិនហ៊ានប្រាប់គាត់ទេ។mean mnak, pontae khnhom min hien prab koat te.I do, but I don't dare tell her.
- ស្រីនី Sreynyតើអ្នកអាចប្រាប់ខ្ញុំបានទេថាគាត់ជានរណា?tae neak ach prab khnhom ban te tha koat chea norn na?Can you tell me who she is?
- រតនៈ Ratanakខ្ញុំសុំល secrecy ទុកជាការសម្ងាត់សិន។khnhom som tuk chea kar samngat sin.I'd like to keep it a secret for now.
