បួស
buos
The Khmer word for "vegetarian" is បួស (buos).
The term refers to a person who does not eat any animal flesh.
Meaning: person who does not eat any animal flesh (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
buos
Did you know?
- The word បួស is not just a dietary label but also the verb used for the act of ordaining as a Buddhist monk.
- In Khmer culture, the act of បួស (ordaining/becoming vegetarian) is often seen as a way to gain merit for one's parents, rather than just a personal dietary preference.
- True បួស cuisine may exclude garlic and onions because these 'pungent' plants are believed to disturb the mind during meditation.
Example conversation
Maly and Ratana are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- រតនៈ Ratanakតើយើងញ៉ាំសាច់គោទេ ម៉ាលី?tae yeung nham sach ko te, Maly?Shall we eat beef, Maly?
- ម៉ាលី Malyខ្ញុំមិនញ៉ាំទេ ព្រោះខ្ញុំជាអ្នកបួស។khnhom mun nham te, pruos khnhom chea neak buos.I don't eat it because I am a vegetarian.
- រតនៈ Ratanakអូ! ខ្ញុំភ្លេចថាអ្នកបួស។oh! khnhom phlech tha neak buos.Oh! I forgot that you are a vegetarian.
- ម៉ាលី Malyមិនអីទេ យើងរកហាងបួសញ៉ាំទៅ។mun ey te, yeung rok hang buos nham tov.It's okay, let's find a vegetarian restaurant.
