ខ្មោច
khmaoc
The English word "ghost" is translated into Khmer as ខ្មោច (khmaoc).
ខ្មោច refers to a spirit appearing after death. Colloquially, it is also used to describe someone who is extremely pale or looks sickly.
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
khmaoc
Did you know?
- In Cambodia, the concept of ខ្មោច is often intertwined with 'Neak Ta', local ancestral spirits who protect the land and villages.
- There is a distinction in Khmer between a general ខ្មោច and a 'Preta', a hungry ghost with a tiny mouth and a huge belly from Buddhist tradition.
- When talking about ខ្មោច in a fearful context, Cambodians may use specific gestures or avoid mentioning the word directly to avoid attracting the spirit.
Examples in context
- ខ្ញុំខ្លាចខ្មោចណាស់។khnhom khlach khmoch nah.I am very afraid of ghosts.
- តើអ្នកធ្លាប់ឃើញខ្មោចទេ?tae neak thloab kheunh khmoch te?Have you ever seen a ghost?
- មានរឿងខ្មោចនៅភូមិយើង។mian rueang khmoch nov phum yeung.There is a ghost story in our village.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries ខ្មោច, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
