Come learn Khmer, one of the most ancient languages in Mainland Southeast Asia!
Standard Khmer is the official language of Cambodia and it is spoken by approximately 20 million people around the world including Khmer populations in France, Australia, and here in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, which houses the third largest concentration of diasporic Khmer in the U.S. metropolitan areas. Our first-year courses focus on developing Speaking & Listening skills and the ability to form and use verbal structures of the Khmer language to communicate effectively. In the second and third years, we further develop our reading and writing ability by exploring the rich literary canon of Cambodia and delve even more deeply into its culture and history.
The script we teach has survived for centuries -- originally borrowed from Pallavan script in the first century, carved in stone, and evolved throughout time into the syllabic alphabet we have today. It is recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest alphabet in the world reflecting a robust phonetic system filled with consonants and complex vowels, which present learners with the opportunity to explore new sounds.
Learning Khmer can change how learners think about language through its unique sound and writing systems and facilitates meaningful human connections to the Khmer community. It is especially important for work in education, research, and community or humanitarian settings, where speaking Khmer reduces power imbalances and centers local voices. As one of the oldest continuously written languages in Southeast Asia, learning Khmer also contributes to preserving an underrepresented global language and supporting cultural continuity across generations.
Our Programs
The Department of Asian Languages and Literature offers classes open to both undergraduate and graduate students in Khmer.