អាល្ងង់
a lgnorng
The Khmer word for idiot is អាល្ងង់ (a lgnorng).
អាល្ងង់ is used to describe a person of low general intelligence.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the prefix អា (a), which is used for people in a derogatory or highly informal way and ល្ងង់ (lgnorng), meaning stupid or ignorant.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of the prefix អា makes this term highly informal and often insulting. It is suitable only among very close friends in a joking manner or when expressing genuine anger.
How does it change in a sentence?
This term functions as a noun phrase that can be used as a direct address or as a subject or object within a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
a lgnorng
Did you know?
- The prefix អា used in អាល្ងង់ is also commonly used as a prefix for names of animals or pets. Using it for a person is a way of stripping them of their human dignity.
- Using អាល្ងង់ to a stranger in Cambodia is a significant social transgression that can lead to immediate physical confrontation.
- Khmer has a distinct system of pronouns based on social status, meaning the word idiot is often paired with a pronoun that signals exactly how much the speaker looks down on the other person.
Examples in context
- កុំធ្វើខ្លួនជាអាល្ងង់ពេក។kom thveu khluon chea ah lngong pek.Don't act like an idiot.
- គេហៅគាត់ថាអាល្ងង់។ke hao koat tha ah lngong.They call him an idiot.
- អាល្ងង់ម្នាក់ហ្នឹងធ្វើឱ្យខ្ញុំខឹង។ah lngong mnak neng thveu oy khnom kheung.That idiot makes me angry.
Example conversation
Sokha is frustrated with Narong for making a mistake.
- ណារ៉ុង Narongខ្ញុំធ្វើខុសហើយ។khnhom thveu khos haey.I made a mistake.
- សុខា Sokhaឯងនេះវាអាល្ងង់មែន!eng nih vea a lgnong men!You really are an idiot!
- ណារ៉ុង Narongកុំជេរខ្ញុំបែបនេះ។kom chey khnhom baeb nih.Don't scold me like this.
- សុខា Sokhaព្រោះឯងមិនស្ដាប់ខ្ញុំ។prous eng min sdap khnhom.Because you didn't listen to me.
