5.2 Time and Date
Days of the Week
Table 1 shows the seven days of the week in Cambodian. Each day is preceded by the word T’ngai “day”.
The word “Aa-dtet” and “Sap-bpaa-daa” mean “week” and are used interchangeably; for example, Muay aa-dtet/muay sap-bpaa-daa “one week”.
Use Table 1 and the audio below to learn how to pronounce the days of the week.
| Transliteration | Khmer | English |
|---|---|---|
| T’ngai jan | ថ្ងៃច័ន្ទ | Monday |
| T’ngai ɔng-kia | ថ្ងៃអង្គារ | Tuesday |
| T’ngai bput | ថ្ងៃពុធ | Wednesday |
| T’ngai bprɔɔ-hoah | ថ្ងៃព្រហស្បតិ៍ | Thursday |
| T’ngai sok | ថ្ងៃសុក្រ | Friday |
| T’ngai sau | ថ្ងៃសៅរ៍ | Saturday |
| T’ngai aa-dtet | ថ្ងៃអាទិត្យ | Sunday |
Test Yourself:
Put day of the week in the correct order.
What day is today?
The days of the week are expressed by the pattern: T’ngai-nih (today)+ jia (is)+ t’ngai ey? “what day is today?”. To answer the question, the same pattern is used: T’ngai-nih (today)+ jia (is)+ t’ngai following by the days of the week.
Examples:
Q: T’ngai-nih jia t’ngai ey? “What day is today?”
A: T’ngai-nih jia t’ngai sok. “Today is Friday.”
The Months of the Year
For beginners, the simplest way to say the month is to use the word Khae “month”+ dtii+ number. Like the days of the week, each month is preceded by the word lang=”km-fonipa” Khae “month”.
Examples:
- Khae dtii muay “first month”
- Khae dtii buan “fourth month”
- Khae dtii dɔp bpii “twelfth month”
Use Table 2 and the audio below to learn how to pronounce the months of the year.
| Transliteration | Khmer | English |
|---|---|---|
| meak-kaa-raa | មករា | January |
| kom-pheak | កុម្ភៈ | February |
| mi-naa | មិនា | March |
| mee-saa | មេសា | April |
| u-sa-phia | ឧសភា | May |
| mi-tho-naa | មិថុនា | June |
| kak-kaa-daa | កក្កដា | July |
| sey-haa | សីហា | August |
| kanh-nhaa | កញ្ញា | September |
| dto-laa | តុលា | October |
| vic-che-kaa | វិច្ឆិកា | November |
| thnuu | ធ្នូ | December |
Test Yourself:
Listen and write the English translations for the months of the year in Khmer.
Time of the Day
To tell the time, the word ពេល “bpeel” is placed in front of the time of the day.
| Transliteration | Khmer | English |
|---|---|---|
| bpeel bprək | ពេលព្រឹក | in the morning |
| bpeel t’ngai dtrɔng | ពេលថ្ងៃត្រង់ | at noon |
| bpeel roo-sial | ពេលរសៀល | in early afternoon |
| bpeel l’ngiach | ពេលល្ងាច | in the evening |
| bpeel yub | ពេលយប់ | at night |
| bpeel aa-dtriat | ពេលអាធ្រាត្រ | midnight |
Test Yourself:
Put the times of day in sequential order.
