Lesson 1: Travel & Tourism
Thematic & Topical Vocabulary (B1)
Welcome to our B1 Thematic Vocabulary series! We live in Siem Reap, one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. But what is a 'tourist'? What is 'tourism'? This lesson will teach you the essential vocabulary to talk about the world of travel1 and tourism2.
Core Concepts & People
| 🧍📷 tourist3 | (toor-ist) | អ្នកទេសចរ | A person who is traveling for pleasure. Example: "Many tourists visit the temples every day." |
| 📍 destination4 | (des-ti-nay-shun) | គោលដៅ | The place where someone is going. Example: "Angkor Wat is a famous tourist destination." |
| 🗺️ journey5 | (jer-nee) | ដំណើរ | A long trip from one place to another. Example: "The bus journey to the coast takes six hours." |
| 🚩 tour guide6 | (toor gyd) | មគ្គុទ្ទេសក៍ | A person who shows tourists around a place. Example: "Our tour guide explained the history." |
Travel Activities (Verbs)
| 💻🖱️ to book7 | (buk) | កក់ | To reserve something for a future time (e.g., a hotel, a flight). Example: "I need to book my bus ticket online." |
| 🧭 to explore8 | (ik-splor) | រុករក | To travel through a new place to learn about it. Example: "We spent the day exploring the ancient city." |
| 🎒 to pack9 | (pak) | រៀបចំ | To put your clothes and things into a bag before a trip. Example: "I need to pack my bag tonight." |
Usage Note: Travel vs. Trip vs. Journey
These words can be confusing, but they have small differences.
- Travel (verb): The general action of moving from place to place.
Example: "I love to travel." - Trip (noun): A specific time you go somewhere and come back. It focuses on the whole experience.
Example: "We took a weekend trip to the coast." - Journey (noun): The movement from one place to another. It focuses on the 'going' part.
Example: "The bus journey was long and tiring."
In Conversation
Alex, a tourist, is talking to Srey about his plans.
Alex: I'm so excited for my trip to Cambodia! Tourism here seems amazing.
Srey: Welcome! We have many wonderful places for a tourist to see. What is your final destination?
Alex: My main destination is Siem Reap, of course. I want to explore Angkor Wat for a full day.
Srey: A good idea. Did you book a tour guide? A good guide can make the experience much better.
Alex: Yes, I booked one online yesterday. I just need to pack my bag with water and sunscreen.
Srey: Good plan. The journey to the main temple can be hot.
Alex: I don't mind. I love to travel!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. A person who is traveling for pleasure is called a ______.
- a) tour guide
- b) tourist
- c) driver
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) tourist
2. Which word describes the *process of going* from one place to another, like a long bus ride?
- a) destination
- b) journey
- c) trip
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) journey
3. Before you go on a trip, you must ______ your bag with clothes.
- a) book
- b) explore
- c) pack
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) pack
edit Your Mission
- My Dream Trip: Write a few sentences about your dream trip. Where is the destination? How would you travel there? What would you like to explore?
- Local Tourism: Think about tourism in your city. Write one sentence about it. (e.g., "Many tourists visit Siem Reap to see the temples.")
- Speak: Your mission is to ask a friend, "Where would you like to travel?". Listen to their answer and tell them about a place you want to see.
book Lesson Glossary
- Travel (noun/verb) - Khmer: ធ្វើដំណើរ - The action of going from one place to another. ↩
- Tourism (noun) - Khmer: ទេសចរណ៍ - The business of providing services for tourists. ↩
- Tourist (noun) - Khmer: អ្នកទេសចរ - A person who is traveling for pleasure. ↩
- Destination (noun) - Khmer: គោលដៅ - The final place where someone is going. ↩
- Journey (noun) - Khmer: ដំណើរ - The act of traveling from one place to another, focusing on the movement. ↩
- Tour guide (noun) - Khmer: មគ្គុទ្ទេសក៍ - A person who shows tourists around a place. ↩
- to book (verb) - Khmer: កក់ - To reserve something for a future time. ↩
- to explore (verb) - Khmer: រុករក - To travel through a new place to learn about it. ↩
- to pack (verb) - Khmer: រៀបចំ - To put things into a bag before a trip. ↩