ឬ
rœ
The English word "or" is translated to Khmer as ឬ (rœ).
ឬ is a conjunction used to connect two or more possibilities or alternatives.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ឬ is the standard, formal way to express "or" in written and spoken Khmer. In spoken language, speakers often add ក៏ to the conjunction, resulting in ឬក៏, to make the transition between alternatives sound more natural.
How does it change in a sentence?
When presenting multiple alternatives in a list, Khmer often repeats the conjunction ឬ before each option. To turn a statement into a "whether or not" question or to express doubt, the particle ឬទេ is often used at the end of the clause.
How do you pronounce it?
rœ
Did you know?
- In its ancient form, the word ឬ functioned as a 'topicalizer', a grammatical tool used to highlight a new subject or a displaced object in a sentence.
- In traditional Khmer poetry and formal rhetoric, the placement of ឬ can be shifted for aesthetic balance, sometimes appearing far from the options it connects.
- Depending on the dialect and region, the pronunciation of ឬ can shift slightly, though it remains the universal standard for formal writing across Cambodia.
Examples in context
- ធំឬតូច?Large or small?This example shows how to use ឬ for a simple choice between two adjectives.Tatoeba #11475229 by Vethya, translation #275473 by CM
- ខ្ញុំមិនទាន់ដឹងថា តើគាត់បានទៅដល់ទីនោះឬទេ។I have not yet learned whether he reached there or not.This example demonstrates using ឬ within a 'whether or not' construction at the end of a clause.Tatoeba #2849472 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #28946 by al_ex_an_der
- ទោះបីជាឈ្នះឬចាញ់ ខ្ញុំសង្ឃឹមថាយើងអាចលេងបាល់បានសមរម្យ។Win or lose, I hope we manage to play some decent football.This example illustrates how to use ឬ to connect two opposing outcomes.Tatoeba #11467408 by Vethya, translation #10260591 by sundown
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- សុខ Sokតើអ្នកចង់ញ៉ាំបាយ ឬ គុយទាវ?Tae neak chong nham bay reu kuy teav?Do you want to eat rice or noodles?
- ម៉ាលី Malyខ្ញុំចង់ញ៉ាំគុយទាវ។Knhom chong nham kuy teav.I want to eat noodles.
- សុខ Sokតើយើងទៅហាងនេះ ឬ ហាងនោះ?Tae yeung tov hang nis reu hang noh?Should we go to this shop or that shop?
- ម៉ាលី Malyទៅហាងនេះក៏បាន។Tov hang nis kor ban.Going to this shop is fine.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ឬ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ឬ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
