សួស្តី សុខសប្បាយទេ?
suosdei, sok sabay te?
The English phrase "hi, how are you?" is translated into Khmer as សួស្តី សុខសប្បាយទេ? (suosdei, sok sabay te?)
This phrase is a common friendly greeting used to start a conversation and inquire about someone's well-being.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The component សួស្តី (suosdei) is an informal way to say hello.
How do you pronounce it?
suosdei, sok sabay te?
Did you know?
- In many Cambodian social circles, instead of asking 'how are you?', people often ask if you have 'eaten rice' yet, as a way to show care.
- The height of the hands during a sampeah changes based on the social status of the person you are greeting, with higher hands showing more respect.
- The word សួស្តី comes from the Sanskrit word svasti, which originally meant 'well-being' or 'luck'.
Examples in context
- សួស្តី សុខសប្បាយទេ?suostei, sok sabaay te?Hi, how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries សួស្តី, CC BY-SA 4.0.
