Traditional Khmer Wisdom

ទឹកឡើងត្រីស៊ីស្រមោច ទឹកហោចស្រមោចស៊ីត្រី

“When the water rises, the fish eat the ants; when the water recedes, the ants eat the fish.”

Fortunes turn. Those who are powerful today may be powerless tomorrow, so never be cruel in strength.

គប់នឹងបណ្ឌិត បានប្រាជ្ញា គប់នឹងពាល បានវេទនា

“Keep company with the wise and gain wisdom; keep company with fools and gain sorrow.”

The company you keep shapes what you become.

ស្លឹកឈើជ្រុះ មិនឆ្ងាយពីគល់

“A falling leaf lands not far from its trunk.”

Children carry the nature of their family and roots.

ភ្នំមួយមិនដែលមានខ្លាពីរទេ។

“One mountain does not hold two tigers.”

Only one leader or dominant force can rule a single place at a time.

ចេះឯងអោយក្រែងចេះគេ។

“You may know a great deal yourself, yet still respect what others know.”

Humility means recognizing that others hold knowledge you may lack, however capable you are.

អង្គុយលើចង្អេរ លើកខ្លួនឯង។

“Sitting in the winnowing basket, still he lifts himself up.”

A mocking image of self-praise — boasting about oneself while in a lowly position achieves nothing.

តក់ៗពេញបំពង់។

“Drop by drop, the container fills.”

Small, steady effort accumulates over time into something substantial.

ទឹកត្រជាក់ ត្រីកុំ។

“Where the water runs cool, the fish gather.”

People are drawn to kindness and calm leadership; harsh treatment drives them away.

ស្រលាញ់កូនមួយតៅ ស្រលាញ់ចៅមួយថាំង។

“Love a child by one measure; love a grandchild by two.”

Grandparents are often said to dote on grandchildren even more fondly than they did their own children.

អោយម៉ែឪពិសារ ទាន់បំពង់ករនៅឈរ។

“Let your parents eat while their throats still stand upright.”

Care for your parents while they are alive and well — do not wait until it is too late.

ចេះមកពីរៀន មានមកពីរក។

“Knowledge comes from studying; wealth comes from working.”

Education and honest labor are the two paths to a capable, prosperous life.

បត់ដែកទាន់នៅក្តៅ ប្រដៅកូនទាន់នៅក្មេង។

“Bend the iron while it is still hot; discipline the child while still young.”

Character is shaped most effectively during childhood, just as metal is shaped while still hot.

ធ្វើល្អបានល្អ ធ្វើអាក្រក់បានអាក្រក់។

“Do good, receive good; do bad, receive bad.”

A direct statement of karma — one's actions determine the results one eventually receives.

កុំទុកចិត្តមេឃ កុំទុកចិត្តផ្កាយ។

“Do not trust the sky; do not trust the stars.”

Even the most constant-seeming things can change, so avoid placing complete, unquestioning trust in anything.

សំដីសជាតិ មាយាទតពូជ។

“Words reveal one's character; manners reveal one's upbringing.”

How a person speaks and behaves reflects not only on themselves but on the family that raised them.

ពេលឈឺយកដំរីទៅបន់ ដល់ជំងឺស្រន់យកពងមាន់ទៅថ្វាយ។

“When sick, one prays with the offer of an elephant; once well again, one gives thanks with only a chicken egg.”

People often promise grandly in desperation but repay kindness only meagerly once the trouble has passed.

សក់អ្នកណា ក្បាលអ្នកហ្នឹង។

“Your hair, your own head.”

What you do is your own responsibility — you must live with the consequences of your own choices.

អន្ទង់វែង ឆ្នាំងវែង។

“A long eel needs a long pot.”

A gentle mockery of someone who over-complicates a simple problem instead of finding the practical solution.

ងើយស្កក ឱនដាក់គ្រាប់។

“The rice stalk that stands stiff and tall is empty; the one that bows low is full of grain.”

Pride produces nothing; it is humility that actually yields results.

ស្រីសដូចចាន តែមាយាទមិនបានដូចឆ្កែក្រោមផ្ទះ។

“Skin as fair as a porcelain plate, but manners like the dog beneath the house.”

Outward beauty is worthless without good manners and character.

នំមិនធំជាងនាលិ។

“A cake is always smaller than the pot it was baked in.”

A result can never exceed the resources or effort that produced it — keep ambitions realistic.

ទឹកសមុទ្រមិនបំពានទឹកទន្លេ។

“Seawater and river water never mix.”

Some people, or some things, are simply too different in nature to ever truly blend together.

ធ្វើស្រែនឹងទឹក ធ្វើសឹកនឹងបាយ។

“We plant rice with water; we wage war with rice.”

Every endeavor depends on having the right resource in hand first — water for farming, rice for feeding an army.

ការងារជាកំណប់។

“Your work is your treasure.”

A steady occupation is itself a form of wealth, more dependable than money alone.

ស្រឡាញ់មេ បំពេកូន។

“If you love the mother, you must also love her child.”

Loyalty and affection extend naturally to the people connected to those we care about.

រក្សាព្រៃគង់ មិនខ្វះអុសដុត។

“Protect the forest, and you will never lack firewood.”

Caring for shared resources today ensures they remain available for everyone tomorrow.

នៅផ្ទះម្ដាយទីទៃ ទៅព្រៃម្ដាយតែមួយ។

“At home, each has a different mother; in the forest, all share the same mother.”

Outside the shelter of home, people from different families must rely on and protect one another as kin.

តស៊ូគង់បានសម្រេច។

“Persevere, and you will surely succeed.”

Sustained effort and struggle are what ultimately bring success, not luck alone.

ដំរីស្លាប់កុំយកចង្អេរបាំង។

“You cannot hide a dead elephant with a winnowing basket.”

A big, obvious wrongdoing or problem cannot be concealed with a small excuse or cover-up.

ដើមស្រូវដែលមិនទាន់ពេញវ័យឈរត្រង់ រីឯដើមចាស់ទុំមានទម្ងន់ធ្ងន់នឹងគ្រាប់ធញ្ញជាតិ។

“The young rice stalk stands stiff and upright; the mature stalk, heavy with grain, bends low.”

Wisdom and maturity bring humility; only the inexperienced remain stiffly proud.

ទូកទៅកំពង់នៅ។

“The boat sails on; the shore remains.”

A person's good name and dignity remain behind, remembered, even after they themselves are gone.

“A bundle of sticks tied together cannot be broken.”

Individuals are fragile alone, but united together they become unbreakable.

“Depend on yourself first.”

Self-reliance should come before asking others for help.

“Anger is damage; anger is waste.”

Giving in to rage destroys relationships and squanders energy for no real gain.

“Knowing is never greater than being willing to act.”

Intent and follow-through matter more than knowledge that is never put into practice.

“Shame of being ignorant leads to knowledge; shame of being poor leads to wealth.”

A healthy sense of shame at one's own shortcomings can motivate real self-improvement.

“Knowing ten things is not equal to having mastered one skill.”

Deep, practical expertise in one thing is worth more than scattered, shallow knowledge of many.

“Even an elephant with four legs still stumbles; even a wise man still forgets.”

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, no matter how strong, capable, or wise they are.

“A mother thinks of her child constantly, like an oar guides a boat; a child's thoughts turn back to the mother only now and then.”

A parent's love and attention for a child is constant and boundless, while children's love in return is often much less.

បានច្រើនកាលណាប្រាថ្នាច្រើនកាលនោះ។

“The more one gets, the more one wants.”

Desire grows with every satisfaction and is never fully content — a caution against endless craving.

បាបកម្មជាដើមចមនៃសេចក្ដីទុកព្រួយ។

“Wrongdoing is the root from which sorrow grows.”

Harmful actions are the true origin of one's later suffering, a core Buddhist teaching on cause and effect.

ក្មេងច្រើននិយាយត្រង់។

“Children often speak the plain truth.”

Young children, not yet schooled in social tact, tend to say exactly what they see and think.

បើក្រទ្រព្យក៏ក្រចុះកុំអោយទាល់គំនិត។

“Better to be poor in wealth than poor in ideas.”

Material poverty can be endured, but a mind without resourcefulness cannot find a way forward.

ចំណេះជាអាហារ ប្រាជ្ញាជាអាវុធ

“Knowledge is food; wisdom is a weapon.”

Learning nourishes a person for life, while sound judgment serves as a weapon to overcome hardship and see through deception.

កាត់ទឹកមិនដាច់ កាត់សាច់វាឈឺ

“Cutting water leaves no scar, but cutting flesh causes real pain.”

Even when parents declare they have cut a wayward child off, the bond of love cannot truly be severed like water — any attempt to sever it only brings the parents lasting heartache.

ចាញ់បានជាព្រះ ឈ្នះបានជាមារ

“To lose is to become like the Buddha; to win is to become like the demon Mara.”

Yielding in a quarrel with patience and restraint reflects a peaceful, Buddha-like nature, while insisting on victory through spite or aggression reflects the nature of a demon.

កុំខ្វើកតាមខ្យល់ កុំខ្វល់តាមរលក

“Don't sway with the wind; don't drift with the waves.”

A person should hold firm, well-considered principles rather than being swayed by every passing opinion or circumstance.

ខឹងគោ វាយរទេះ

“Angry at the ox, he strikes the cart.”

People who cannot confront the true source of their anger often vent their frustration on an unrelated, harmless target instead.

កាំបិតចិតដងឯង

“The knife that carves its own handle.”

Knowledge or skill freely given to others can later be turned back against the very person who taught it.

ឃ្លាតកាយ ណាយចិត្ត

“Distant in body, fading in heart.”

Prolonged physical separation gradually weakens even the closest emotional bonds.