Page 6 - Cambodia Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

LANGUAGE The national language is Khmer. The Khmer language belongs to the Mon-Khmer family, enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages and peppered with Thai and French influence. Khmer has no tones, no tenses, and words attached to the masculine or feminine genders. Khmer has 23 vowel-sounds and 33 consonants, it is also a very specific language - for instance, there are 100 different words for types of rice. The Khmer language is written from left to right with no separation between words. COMMON PHRASES in KHMER English Khmer English Khmer Hello Suosday My name is _________ Knum chhmua _________ How are you? Sok sabai cheat ay? Yes (for man) Baat Thank you Akun Yes (for woman) Cha You're welcome Muhn ay te (or) Unjuhn No Otay Goodbye Lea heuy Where is the toilet? Bangkun now ey nah? Please Soum Water Deteuk I'm sorry Sohm toh How much for this? Teu nis thlay pun mann? What is your name? Chhmua ei? CLIMATE Cambodia is a monsoonal country characterized by two major seasons. Strong prevailing winds from the southwest bring heavy rains and high humidity during the rainy season from June to November. Summer months from March to June can be overwhelming to Westerners unaccustomed to the searing temperatures, which often soar above 100°F (38°C). The dry and somewhat cooler season from December to March is the best time to visit Cambodia. AVERAGE TEMPERATURE & RAINFALL Siem Reap Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Rainfall(inches) 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.5 1.2 2.1 3.1 3.4 3.4 4.9 1.4 0.4 Min Temp (F) 69 73 76 78 78 77 77 76 76 75 72 68 Max Temp (F) 94 94 97 98 95 93 92 91 92 90 89 89 Phnom Penh Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Rainfall(inches) 0.5 1.0 0.9 0.7 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.6 4.2 4.3 2.3 0.22 Min Temp (F) 72 73 77 79 79 78 77 77 68 77 75 72 Max Temp (F) 88 90 94 95 93 91 90 90 87 87 86 86