សូម
soum
The English phrase 'please' is translated into Khmer as សូម (soum). Wiktionary also lists អញ្ជើញ (ʼɑɑʼɑñcəəñ).
Meaning: interjection to make a polite request (intj)
Ways to say it
| Khmer | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| សូម | soum |
| អញ្ជើញ | ʼɑɑʼɑñcəəñ |
The word សូម is used as an interjection to make a polite request or to ask for something. To frame a request, សូម is typically placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Which one should you use?
While សូម means 'please' in the sense of asking for a favor or making a request, អញ្ជើញ is used to politely invite someone to do something, such as 'please come in' or 'please sit'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word សូម functions as a particle that can be placed before a verb to soften a command into a polite request.
How do you pronounce it?
soum
Did you know?
- In Cambodia, the spoken word សូម is often accompanied by the sampeah, a gesture where the palms are pressed together in a prayer-like position. The higher the hands are held, the more respect is shown to the person being asked.
- In very formal or royal Khmer, the language uses entirely different sets of vocabulary for 'please' depending on the rank of the person being addressed. The common សូម would be considered too casual for the monarchy.
- The root of សូម can be traced back to Angkorian Old Khmer forms such as svaṃ. This shows that the concept of polite requesting has remained central to the language since the era of the Great Empire.
Examples in context
- សូមរៀបចំគ្រែ។Please make the bed.This sentence shows how to use សូម to request an action like making a bed.Tatoeba #11517251 by Vethya, translation #33956 by CK
- សូមចាំបន្តិច ។Please wait a bit.This sentence uses សូម to ask someone to wait.Tatoeba #3742148 by angkorsovannnaga, translation #423164 by CM
- សូមថាតាមខ្ញុំPlease repeat after meThis sentence demonstrates using សូម to ask someone to repeat something.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chinda asks Vibul for a glass of water.
- ចិន្តា Chindaសូមជួយយកទឹកមួយកែវឱ្យខ្ញុំផង។som chuoy yok teuk mouy kaew oy khnhom phong.Please help get me a glass of water.
- វិបុល Vibolបាទ បាន ចាំបន្តិចណា ចិន្តា។bat ban cham bontich na Chinda.Yes, I can. Wait a moment, Chinda.
- ចិន្តា Chindaអរគុណច្រើន វិបុល។orkun chreun Vibul.Thank you very much, Vibul.
- វិបុល Vibolមិនអីទេ នេះទឹករបស់អ្នក។min ey te nih teuk robor neak.No problem, here is your water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries សូម, អញ្ជើញ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries សូម, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
