Cheers In Khmer: 2 Easy Ways To Propose A Toast

Having a lively local drinking culture and cheap local beers, you cannot resist saying cheers in Khmer ជល់មួយ (choul mouy) when you are invited to different beer gardens. Cambodians love to say cheers when they drink. In fact, cheering together is an important part of drinking in their culture. It is customary to do it before each sip. It is often followed by the clinking of glasses and bottles, just like in any other culture. But, what more should you learn about Cambodians’ drinking culture?

Drinking In Cambodian Culture

Before you start learning different words related to drinking, you should first understand their culture. In Cambodia, drinking is mainly for guys. Ladies do not drink too often, but they might have problems or essential celebrations when they do. They usually drink with their close friends and family members.

Another fun fact, when you drink in Cambodia, they usually stipulate what percentage to drink. It is not always “bottoms up.” Cambodians can be satisfied at ha-sip pea-roi (50%), but most of the time, they drink moi roi pea-roi (100%). From here, you can say that Cambodians really love drinking and saying cheers.

If you think that drinking in their culture is just about fun and getting drunk, you are wrong. There is still respect in it. One important thing that you should remember is to lower your glass, bottles, or cans when having a drink with someone older thank you.

Because of the humidity in Cambodia, they love to put ice cubes in their beers. They want to keep their drinks cold to enjoy their taste. Of course, it is really refreshing to drink cold beers. Ice cubes are put directly in glasses. It can also be put in the buckets where beers are served.

Talking about bills is not like in some other countries where the one who invited pays for everyone. In Cambodia, everybody should be responsible for their own bills unless somebody insisted, but you owe him one. Make sure to reciprocate it next time.

Cheers In Different Languages

Saying cheers is not only done by Cambodians. In fact, every language has its own way of saying cheers. Here are some examples:

• Mandarin Chinese: 干杯 / gān bēi
• Cantonese Chinese: 乾杯！gon1 bui1!
• French: Santé! / À votre santé!
• Vietnamese: “Một — Hai — Ba — dzô” (means “one — two — three — drink”)
• Portuguese: Saúde
• Spanish: Salud
• Tagalog– Tagay!
• Serbian — Živeli!

Now that you have learned to say cheers in different languages let us now proceed with the Khmer language, also known as the Cambodian language.

How Do You Say Cheers In Khmer?

If you plan to go to Cambodia, it would not be hard for you to find a nice place to have a beer with your friends. Make sure to bring with you some extra money because Cambodians know how to party, and the nightlife in Cambodia is very surreal. Even if you are not a local, you can easily become one of them, especially when you say cheers with them.

But, of course, it is important to learn their official language first to talk to them when drinking. The perfect word to start with is cheers in Khmer. Here are the different ways to say Cheers in Khmer:

1. ជល់មួយ (choul mouy)

English Translation: Cheers; One cheer

Having a beer or any other drinks in the beer gardens of Cambodia is not complete without saying Cheers in Khmer. Like what is stated above, it is customary before taking a sip. This is also used when there is someone new that is joining the group.

If you only know the English term and you cannot speak in Khmer, you might not enjoy the night that much because you cannot communicate with the locals. Learning at least how to say Cheers can be an excellent start to gain friends or a drinking buddy in Cambodia.

2. លើកដាច់ (leuk dach)

English Translation: Lift / Toast

Another way of saying Cheers in Khmer is លើកដាច់ (leuk dach). Like in other cultures, people clink glasses when proposing a toast. This is done by lifting and clinking the glasses/bottles drinking. Some may think that clinking glasses is something you can do to enhance your senses while drinking with your friends.

Imagine yourself in a bar in Cambodia full of partying people. If you don’t have a friend with you to talk with, how can you enjoy a nice beer? To avoid this, make sure to learn some essential Khmer words and phrases, especially in drinking. Locals might use English to talk to you but learning their spoken language is not a big deal. In fact, you will gain lots of advantages from learning Khmer.

Khmer Drinking Words And Phrases

After learning the Cambodian way of saying cheers, it is better to learn more Khmer words and phrases in drinking. Here are some helpful words and phrases that you may use when drinking in Cambodia:

If you are new to Cambodia, make sure to be careful and drink in moderation. Never engage in a drinking competition with the locals because you will surely pass out and lose. Please don’t get into an argument with the locals because you never know how bad it can get. Lastly, if you are new, don’t drink locally brewed wine because it is strong and can be dangerous when brewed the wrong way.

These are just some basic words that you can learn about drinking in Khmer. But for starters, this is quite enough. Even if you are not a local and speak only a little Khmer, you can still have fun and enjoy their company. But, then again, it is not bad to level up your game and spice up your personal experience of nightlife in Cambodia.

Learning Khmer: Another Reason To Celebrate And Say Cheers

If you find yourself wanting to learn to speak Khmer, this is the best site for you. Ling App will surely give you a reason to celebrate and say cheers because, through Ling App, you can learn languages anywhere and anytime you want. Today, many people like you strive hard to learn other languages for different purposes. Ling App will provide you a language learning experience that you will surely enjoy and love. So, do not waste your time. Learn Khmer now! Together, we will say Cheers!

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/km/cheers-in-khmer/