Cambodian Proverbs

Cambodian Proverbs voice Khmer wisdom shaped by Angkor’s temples and rice‑growing life. They prize harmony, respect, and patient effort, showing how people endure hardship and rebuild community.

Don't let an angry man wash dishes; don't let a hungry man guard rice. (Cambodian Proverb)
A husband should not talk of pretty girls in front of his wife. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't take rich people as examples. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Active hands, full bellies. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't let women who attract attention walk behind you. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
The tiger depends on the forest; the forest depends on the tiger. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't shoot people you hate; don't lend to those you love. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
With water make rivers, with rice make armies. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Cultivate a heart of love that knows no danger. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will spare yourself one hundred days of tears. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
The immature rice stalk stands erect, while the mature stalk, heavy with grain, bends over. (Cambodian Proverb)
The boat sails by, the shore remains. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
You can't claim heaven as your own if you are just going to sit under it. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
If you are doing wrong, make sure you don't get fat from it. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Negotiate a river by following its bends, enter a country by following its customs. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
The elephant that is stuck in the mud will tear down the tree with it. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Stealing may bring profit, but hanging costs far more. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
You don't have to cut a tree down to get at the fruit. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
People give, but don't be in a hurry to take. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't reject the crooked road and don't take the straight one, instead take the one traveled by the ancestors. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you. (Cambodian Proverb)
For news of the heart, ask the face. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't take the straight path or the winding path. Take the path your ancestors have taken. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb
Don't take the straight path or the winding path. View proverb
Cambodian Proverb