Khmer language saying for today

ស្លាប់តែម្តងបានដឹង - Khmer saying meaning "Die once and you'll know."

Usage:
When you warn someone over and over again about the dangers of something and they refuse to listen, as a last resort, you would tell him or her "ស្លាប់តែម្តងបានដឹង!"  We're not putting a curse on the person, we're just fed up with their nonchalant attitudes.

Example:
It is illegal to ride a motorbike without a helmet, apart from being dangerous.  But, most Cambodians prefer not to wear a helmet because it will spoil their nice hairdo.  The same applies for both men and women.  More so for women who are on their way to a wedding reception!  My response to their vanity is, "Which is worse: a ruined hairdo or a ruined head?"  Laughter is always the reply I get.  So finally, the guard at the gate said, "It's ok.  ស្លាប់តែម្តងបានដឹង."

If you're dead, it's too late.  But young people tend to think they're immortal.  I would never tell anyone to die, but I find this saying quite true.  A young Khmer man always wears his helmet and fastens the strap before taking off on his motorbike.  He has good reason to practise safety.  His friend died from a motorbike accident because he was wearing a helmet with the strap unfastened.  When he was hit, he flew off the bike and the helmet flew off his head.  He died instantly from head injuries.

Language is used to convey an idea.  We use language to communicate.  But if we refuse to take heed to the communicated message, language will end up falling on deaf ears.

Let's communicate using language that everyone understands.  ស្លាប់តែម្តងបានដឹង is commonly used among Khmer people.  Use it wisely.

Happy language learning!

PS.  You can find books and software to help you learn a new language here: www.funlanguagetools.com.