Khmer is a truly difficult language for Westerners to learn, harder than Mandarin to speak, and harder than anything other than Chinese or Japanese to read. To top it off, there is no standard, intuitive system to transcribe Khmer into the Latin alphabet.

Is Khmer easier than Thai?

The modern Khmer alphabet is a descendent of the ancient alphabet, which has been in use for more than 1,400 years, making it one of the oldest alphabets in southeast Asia. Khmer is considered much easier to learn for native English speakers than any of the major surrounding languages, such as Vietnamese, Lao, or Thai.

Is Khmer a useful language?

If you’re heading to Cambodia, then picking up a few phrases in Khmer, the Cambodian language, is a good idea. While many Cambodians (especially younger ones) can speak pretty good English, knowing a few phrases in Khmer could well warm the hearts of locals and bring about a few smiles and – even better – deals.

How long does it take to learn Cambodian language?

But If there was a student who lived in Cambodia, I would say after six months the student could speak really well. Reading and writing is also possible in six months, but the student has to be motivated and find the best way to learn.

Is Khmer harder than Mandarin?

Khmer is a truly difficult language for Westerners to learn, harder than Mandarin to speak, and harder than anything other than Chinese or Japanese to read. To top it off, there is no standard, intuitive system to transcribe Khmer into the Latin alphabet.

What’s the easiest language to learn?

And The Easiest Language To Learn Is…

1. Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers.
2. Swedish.
3. Spanish.
4. Dutch.
5. Portuguese.
6. Indonesian.
7. Italian.
8. French.

Does Cambodia speak English?

English is commonly spoken in Cambodia. It’s estimated that over 50% of the population are conversational in English, but travellers in rural areas may find in hard to communicate in smaller villages. Learning a few basic Khmer words will get you far, and earn you respects from the locals.

What is the hardest language to learn?

Mandarin As mentioned before, Mandarin is unanimously considered the toughest language to master in the world! Spoken by over a billion people in the world, the language can be extremely difficult for people whose native languages use the Latin writing system.

How do you say hello in Cambodian?

The traditional Cambodian way to say hello and good-bye is to place the hands together, with the palms touching (a posture Westerners often associate with praying), and bow the head. Similar to the Thai wai, this is called the sampeah, and it is how Cambodians greet one another, particularly for the first time.

Is Khmer on duolingo?

Khmer is the language of Cambodia, a small country in the center of South East Asia and home to the former Khmer Empire. The other reason why there is no Khmer on Duolingo could be that it’s hard to learn it.

What apps teach Khmer?

Ligo is a platform that allows users to learn basic Khmer by repeating phonics/sounds while learning the culture. There are many learning techniques provided in the app to make it more convenient. The user can practice speaking with the app since the app also has a function to correct your pronunciation.

Is Cambodian a tonal language?

About the Khmer Language In marked contrast to Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, and Burmese, Khmer is not a tonal language. However, not unlike Thai, Lao, and Burmese, Khmer has been influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, largely as a result of the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in Cambodia.

Is Malayalam the hardest language in the world?

Malayalam, a Dravidian language of India, was recently rated the hardest language of all to learn by the World Language Research Foundation.

What is the easiest language to learn for Chinese speakers?

Korean and Japanese might be the easiest languages for a native Chinese speaker to learn. While Korean and Japanese belong to a different language family from Chinese, centuries of cultural exchange have filled Korean and Japanese with Chinese vocabulary, in fact, 60% of Korean vocabulary has Chinese roots.