Counting Skill Improved: Learning Numbers In Khmer (1–1,000, 0000)

5 min readJul 13, 2021

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

Supposed you are shopping in a local store in Cambodia, and the seller asked you about the number of pieces you’re buying; what will you say? From shopping, dining, and traveling, learning about counting and numbers in Khmer like មួយ (mouy), ពីរ (pii), បី (bei) and is really important. This is as important as the basic words and phrases and travel phrases in the Khmer language you need to learn when planning a trip to Cambodia. This is what you will learn in this blog post. But, if you want to learn more beyond this, you can check out Ling App.

Let’s ride a time machine and go back to our childhood. Remember how we are taught how to count? Numbers and counting are essential in our daily lives. From the day we’ve come to our senses until now, numbers surround us. Upon reading this blog, you’ll surely know how to count perfectly in your native language and maybe in English. But this time, let’s learn how to count in Khmer — the Cambodian language.

Khmer Numerals: Brief History

In the Khmer language, Cambodians use Khmer numerals since the early 7th century. Khmer Numerals was known in early AD 604 and was found written in the stele (stone or wooden slab; ancient monument) located in Prasat Bayang, Cambodia.

Nowadays, Cambodians use the modern Khmer numerals, which were derived from Hindu numerals. So, if you want to know more about the modern Khmer numerals, just keep on reading.

Khmer Numbers And Counting

If you have a strong grasp of English counting numbers, you will find numbers in Khmer easy to understand. In this blog post, we will break the numbers into groups to make it easier for you to learn.

Numbers In Khmer from 0–5

Let’s start with the numbers from 0–5. This is the most important part you should learn because if you have understood this very well, it will be easier for you for the rest of the numbers. So to learn how to count in Khmer, always remember the numbers from 0–5.

Just a quick trivia. In Cambodia, taking pictures with three (បី bei ) people is bad luck. It is believed that the person in the middle will die early.

Numbers In Khmer from 6–9

Now that you have learned the Khmer numbers from 0–5, let’s move on to 6–10. To write these numbers, use 5 as the base number or just remember the format: “5 + n”. So if you want to write the number six in Khmer, it will look like this 5 (pram) + 1 (mouy) = 6 (pram mouy). See more examples below.

Numbers In Khmer 10–19

After learning the numbers 1–9, the rest will be easier for you. For numbers 10–19, you may apply the format above, but now, you’ll use ten (ដប់ dop) as your base. After that, you can use the format 10+n. So if you want to write the number 6 in Khmer, the process will be 10 (ដប់ dop) + 1 (មួយ muoy) = 11 (dop muoy ដប់មួយ). See more examples below.

Numbers In Khmer from 20–29

Did counting from numbers 10–19 come easy for you? Well then, you’ll find it also easy to count from 20–29. Just follow the format, but this time use 20 (ម្ភៃ mpei ) as your base number or just follow the same format “20+n”.

Numbers In Khmer from 30–90

Learning the Khmer numbers from 1–29 above has surely given you a strong understanding of counting in the Khmer language. The format above is also used for the remaining numbers. You just have to learn the Khmer terms for the following numbers, and you’re good to go.

Numbers In Khmer from 100–1, 000, 000

For larger numbers, you can use the following Khmer words.

Learning the Khmer numbers is essential in multiple situations. First, the Cambodian Khmer system is easy to understand for beginners language learners. All you have to do is memorize the words, the format and use them in conversations. See? You don’t need to take a course or flip a book page to learn about numbers in Khmer.

Phrases Related To Numbers

Learning should always be strengthened through practice and experience. So, expose yourself to the Khmer language and use it in daily conversation. Start with the following phrases related to numbers.

Numbers Don’t Lie: Learn Khmer With Ling App

With over 5 million downloads, 50 thousand ratings, and 4.7 stars on the Play and App store, Ling App will surely provide you an effective Khmer language learning experience.

Through Ling A pp, you’ll have access to free language lessons that are arranged into categories and designed like a game to maintain fun and engagement. A variety of topics are available to choose from. You’ll also learn the correct pronunciation of each word because of audio recordings spoken by native speakers. All you have to do is go to the Ling App’s website or download the app online. You can also read more blog posts like this. Just follow the links in this blog.