រឹង
rɨng
The Khmer word for hard is រឹង (rɨng).
រឹង is used to describe something that is physically hard or firm, such as a solid object.
Meaning: requiring a lot of effort to do or understand (adj)
Which one should you use?
While English uses the word "hard" for both physical texture and level of difficulty, Khmer distinguishes between the two.
How do you pronounce it?
rɨng
Did you know?
- In Khmer, a 'hard' heart is not described as cold or stone-like, but specifically as ចិត្តរឹង, meaning someone who is determined or emotionally resilient.
- The word រឹង is used in the phrase រឹងរូស to describe someone who is stubborn or headstrong, treating a 'hard' personality as a physical rigidity.
- The concept of 'hard' in terms of effort is closely tied to the word លំបាក, which shares a root with the idea of 'trouble' or 'suffering'.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a homework assignment.
- ម៉ាលី Malyលំហាត់នេះរឹងមែនទេ ណារ៉ុង?lomhat nih reung men te, Narong?Is this exercise hard, Narong?
- ណារ៉ុង Narongបាទ វាពិតជារឹងមែន។bat, vea pit chea reung men.Yes, it really is hard.
- ម៉ាលី Malyតើយើងអាចសួរគ្រូបានទេ?tae yeung ach sour kru ban te?Can we ask the teacher?
- ណារ៉ុង Narongបាទ យើងគួរតែសួរគាត់។bat, yeung kuor tae sour koat.Yes, we should ask him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry រឹង, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
