π "How Are You" = "Did You Eat Rice Yet?" π Cultural Insight Through Cambodian Slang πββοΈ
βΆοΈ Watch on 3Speak
In Cambodia, "Did You Eat Rice Yet?" is the colloquial form of "How Are You?" Learning this many years ago provided me great insight into the Cambodian culture and mentality.
Decoding "How Are You?"
Β Β Β Rice is life in Cambodia, just as it is in many rice-growing developing countries around the world. When something has been a central element to one's culture for a few thousand years, it tends to work its way into every aspect of life, from the language to the mentality, and beyond.
Β Β Β As I slowly learned the Khmer language many years ago, I enjoyed stumbling upon phrases, idioms, and expressions that reveal the Khmer mentality and culture. In English, the word "rice" is used to describe the plant, the uncooked product, the cooked product, the name of the field it's grown in, etc.
Β Β Β Because rice wasn't a central element in the development of the English language, this one word has always seemed to suffice for me. In Cambodia where rice is an integral part of daily life, there are different singular vocabulary words for "rice field," "booked rice," "uncooked hulled rice," "unhulled rice," "rice plant," and just about anything to do with rice.
Β Β Β With this in mind, I decided to highlight the only slang/colloquial form of the expression "How are you?" in the Khmer language. The question "Ζam baay haΙy nΙ¨v?" literally means "Eat rice already yet?", and of course it's used to ask is someone has eaten yet.
Β Β Β This question can also be used in place of the Khmer equivalent of "How are you?", and it reveals so much about the culture. When you become more than just an acquaintance with a Cambodian, they may choose to start asking you if you've eaten rice instead of asking how you are.
Fellow (ASEAN) Hivers, what are the colloquial/slang way(s) to ask "How are you? in your language(s)?
Please let me know in the comments below.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN HIVE AND START EARNING CRYPTO LIKE US
 |  | π GIVE THANKS π |  |  |
|---|
βΆοΈ 3Speak
While I am far from fluent in Thai they have something similar here. When people ask you "did you eat rice yet" they aren't actually asking if you had anything to eat it's just a greeting. It's kind of cool to me that the neighbor country is the same.
It's nice to have my suspicions confirmed, I always assumed they said the same thing there considering the cultures are very much historically intertwined. So now I am wondering if Laos and Vietnam say the same thing......
The situation here is very good, but we in Indonesia are still fighting the Covid-19 virus.
how is the situation in Cambodia, is the crisis you said has improved?
I don't really know, the borders are closed to non-sponsored visas, and my family and I have been stranded in Suriname nearly three years. Did you read and/or watch the video? I'd love to hear some feedback concerning my question all ASEAN Hivers.
I don't know what's happening out there, because I didn't find any news about foreign countries.
I hope your problem is resolved quickly. amen. π
Not much escapes this tiny country, the population here is just too small. Give thanks my friend.
I hope the situation there remains safe and comfortable always brother. ππ
ok brother, I will always be grateful for what has been given by the almighty, you must also be grateful for being able to survive there. and I pray that you and your family can achieve what you have dreamed of amenπ
I hear a strong Dutch accent there on top of your American accent.
Is that because of your time in Suriname hanging out with @jeanlucsr? π
@chocolatescorpi, Justin and I see each other way too little π.
But.. this tag is a good reason to do something about it.
OH Good. GREAT!
So happy to see I made you guys a play date all the way from here! π€£ππ
Yeah, shame we couldn't get to know each other while we are here. We're leaving in a few weeks, Pov and the kids back to Cambodia, and me to the USA. Our youngest daughter's passport is expiring soon, and honestly we'd rather separate than stay here, we just haven't enjoyed Suriname in the least bit, I hope you don't take that personal.
However, it would be cool to hang out once before we go. We managed to hang out with @rarej and @tanjakolader once, but that' it outside of @faustofraser and Rafael.
Haha, oh no!! In the three years we've been here, we've only made one Dutch-speaking friend that we see occasionally. In my days it's much more common to use Spanish, French, and English, as my non-family social interactions comes from the Guyanese, Cubans, Haitians, and Nigerians next door. I only got to see @jeanlucsr for less than two minutes more than a year ago.
Creating and maintaining friendships is something we haven't been able to do here yet, and that's one of the reasons we long for a return to Cambodia. Everything here is far apart and travel is super-expensive here, and unfortunately there are no motodups or tuk-tuks to provide affordable and speedy transport. Without affordable transportation, we lack the ability to go visit friends, so it's totally up to Surinamers to come see us, as they are the ones with cars.
We've some catering jobs here, and we make 5 times less money than we would doing the same work in Cambodia where the cost of living is 1/10th of what it is here. At this point Suriname is more expensive than where I'm from in the USA, and I struggle to understand the minimum wage here is around $100 USD, less than half of what it is in Cambodia.
In my few experiences trying to hang out like locals, I realized how much money must be spent to stay entertained like a Surinamer. I don't think we'll ever crack the Suriname code, and it's crazy to think we have more social engagement with locals in Cambodia during two days versus three years in Suriname with locals here.
Oh wow, cause at first I was thinking Danish or something like that, then I thought no...it's sounds like...OH your in a Dutch colonised nation, ofcourse...der... so it must be Dutch (plus it reminded me of an old dutch friend I've got..)
But it's every other language..lol.. that's awesome actually to have so much verbal influence from around the world!
1/10th of what it is here. At this point Suriname is more expensive than where I'm from in the USA, and I struggle to understand the minimum wage here is around $100 USD, less than half of what it is in Cambodia. Do you think that that is because of the European-dutch influence???
Alos, I've accidentally set you and @jeanlucsr up a play date...π€£ππ
Have fun kids! π€£ππ
And this kid here has to go to bed cause she's been really naughty staying up wayyyy too late (5ams) binging on Netflix the last few nights...and it's now 4am...π...I would ground her, but since we're still in lockdown, we're already grounded still...π
Good night- possibly day to you there now...π
Funny you say that though, I feel Dutch speakers from the Netherlands have a very neutral and international sounding English voice, especially the younger generation. I think all my years abroad with mostly non-native English speakers, and also working as an ESL teacher, has dramatically changed my accent.
When I visit my farmtown in the USA, most cashiers ask me what country I'm from when I pay for my gas or groceries. Apparently 10 words is enough for locals to start wondering where I'm from. When I try to turn on my "hillbilly" accent from the past, it sounds fake and manufactured, almost like I am trying to be a character in a movie.
I don't know why minimum wage here is abysmal, but every hustle we've tried here to earn money has also landed us 1/10th of what we'd make in Cambodia providing the same service to people with much less financial means.
I still have yet to understand this country because we never made more than one close friend during our time here, and I think we already bombard him with enough questions.
Sidenote - I've been going down some late-night Netflix rabbit holes lately.
I love the Dutch accent and can always pick it out of a crowd.
Obviously compared to an American or Canadian, British or even a kiwi accent, it is quite plain, but there is something slight that happens at the end of every word which gives it this particular sound, but I can't describe what or how...Aussies didn't really have an accent of any kind up until a couple of decades ago and now when I hear it, even here...I cringe...I always said when I was living in the US that the Aussie was the base sound of English and then every other native English speaking country took that base and gave it their own sound. Unfortunately now though, Aussie has developed and enhanced this nasally, 'ocker' twang sound to the extreme and I can't stand it, it sounds freaking terrible...and you can hear it, look at the older generation of Aussie actors to the younger generation of Aussie actors/tv personalities and the accents are very different. And I do know what it is and where it comes from too, but would get tarred and feathered if I said it here..Anyhoooo..π
So if the minimal wage there is so bad, how do the Surinamese people cope? There must be a pretty big percentage of poverty everywhere then too yeah?
Where does their money come from, as in who prints, who governs their money? Is it all controlled by the Surinamese or by their Dutch 'motherland'?
I thought that it would be pretty easy to make friends there as I thought that it would be a pretty laid back place with a lot of cool people....
So what have been the Netflix Rabbitholes? Anything I should watch...Except we have a pretty poor and small list of content on the Aust Netflix, so I might not be able to get it...
I taught a group of 12 Aussies Cambodian language classes once, it was the worst and also most hilarious and hopeless group of students I ever had, dare I say more hopeless with Cambodian pronunciation than my American students.
I still haven't broken the code of Suriname, really don't know how people pay their bills, but most households have a car and air conditioner, a sign of wealth for us coming from Cambodia, where I lived happily 10 years without either.
I think the economy here is driven by gold, cocaine, and mercury, so asking people questions about their work and income is something we never felt comfortable with. I think the Caribbean presents a false exterior to the world for tourism purposes, because the most stressed out countries I have ever visited are Jamaica and Suriname.
Suriname's independent many decades now, so the Dutch have little influence here, and the money is controlled by the President and a few friends, which explains the hyperinflation here, much like Venezuela, but not yet as extreme.
Netflix Rabbit Holes: anything to do with American prisons is good, makes me feel grateful for not being locked up 15+ years for a small joint. Not sure if on Netflix or not, but "Adam Curtis" docs can be found on YouTube, and that is mother of all rabbit holes, hands-down my favorite documentary filmmaker.
Yes I know what you mean. I dis 3 semesters of French, 2 of Mandarin and 2 of Japanese here at Tafe, and although not to bad with the French and Japanese, we were all so hopeless with the Mandarin and our teacher used to tell us if we ever went to China, we would have to go as a group- for as a group we could get by- just, but as individuals we had no chance....
One of my Best Friend Paul lived in Cambodia twice teaching esl- English to Cambodians a few years ago...I think around 5 or so years ago...
I think the economy here is driven by gold, cocaine, and mercury, so asking people questions about their work and income is something we never felt comfortable with. I think the Caribbean presents a false exterior to the world for tourism purposes, because the most stressed out countries I have ever visited are Jamaica and Suriname.
Wow that is no good. I have read that there is a LOT of mining happening in Suriname- which is a bit of an oxymoron since it's also meant the be the greenest part of the world too...
I always knew that there was a dark underside to Jamaica, but such a shame that Suriname has also got that same vibe...
the money is controlled by the President and a few friends, which explains the hyperinflation here, much like Venezuela, but not yet as extreme.
Yes that does explain with which the ease of corruption can influence the entire system and affect those that are not involved it it- the people...
Not into prison or war anything, but I'm always up to check out good doco makers-as a try hard doco maker myself...but if you like a good laugh and a truly unique storyline, I can highly recommend "HAPPY'.
IN fact it is by far one of the best series I have even watched. In every way, the production is absolutely brilliant. It is NSFW and certainly NSF kids...It's on netflix here so you should be able to get it there....Me personally My FAVE shows EVER- Orphan Black, Sense8 and Happy.
A good ole' hot mess as I would say
I will check these films/docs out, thanks for the info.
It's very simple for me LOL !
Simply because I'm English and live in England π¬π§
HOW ARE YOU JUSTIN ?
<><
@justinparke, you've been given LUV from @andy4475.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (3/5)
Haha, buy you've got all kinds of interesting terms that us 'Mericans don't use. I love collecting Australian and UK vocabulary/slang.
PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
@andy4475(3/10) tipped @justinparke (x1)
Learn more at https://hive.pizza.
Hi hi.. hahaha.. It is the same in Malaysia too.. the first thing is to ask "Have you eaten?" which has some correlation with the number one cause of death in Malaysia = heart attack (a bit dark)
Haha, oh no. I think Malaysia suffers from some similar issues as Americans. In the USA, we used to all work hard and long days with our hands for hundreds of years, so the diet is a very rich and hearty one, good for a manual laborer that stays physically active.
However, nowadays most people drive cars instead of ride bicycles, and work in offices instead of the fields, and yet still try to eat the same foods of the past. This never works well. I think Cambodians stay healthy because they are physically active for the most part, very common to see a 90-year-old woman living alone and riding her bicycle to the market every day.
Hi hi Justin, yes.. same problem for Malaysians. There are food delivery bikes all over the city.. Even food has to be transported to the person sitting in the office. I am pretty sure Cambodians are alot more healthier than Malaysians.
One of my friends when he goes to a Sushi restaurant, the whole table is filled up... Chewing becomes the hard labour.. hahhaa.. In the city, every single corner is a food stall... There is no worry of not having food to eat. Every square mile of the city is populated with food. πππ I enjoyed reading your comment.have a great day.
"Same same but different," as they say in Cambodia, take care my friend.
Hello there! Did you eat rice yet? Yes I did thank you.
That was super interesting and funny even though it isn't funny in Cambodia. I learn something new everyday. It's so much better than the boring how are you.π
In super casual lazy talk some words are left out, and the exchange basically goes...
It is a classic exchange, and it's funnier when they say this in English like it's a normal thing for foreigners to ask each other.