Why Learn Mongolian?
Mongolian (in Mongolian: монгол хэл, mongol khel) is the official language of Mongolia and is spoken by more than 5 million people worldwide. The language of a legendary people who built the largest contiguous land empire in history under Genghis Khan, Mongolian is today a living language carried by a unique nomadic culture and a growing diaspora in South Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe.
Learning Mongolian means discovering a language at the crossroads of Central and East Asia, endowed with a fascinating dual writing system — modern Cyrillic and the traditional vertical bichig script — and an agglutinative grammar that reveals an elegant logic once understood.
History and Context
The Empire and the Language
Mongolian belongs to the Mongolic language family, a subgroup of the Altaic languages (a debated classification). Its history is inseparable from the Mongol Empire (1206-1368), founded by Temujin, who became Genghis Khan ("universal ruler"). At its peak, the empire stretched from Korea to Hungary, and Mongolian was the language of diplomacy and trade across a territory covering 24 million km2.
The traditional Mongolian script (bichig), adapted from the Uyghur script in the 13th century, reads vertically from top to bottom, with columns progressing from left to right. It is one of the few vertical scripts in the world and remains in use in Inner Mongolia (China).
From Bichig to Cyrillic
In 1946, the Mongolian People's Republic adopted the Cyrillic alphabet, adapted from Russian with two additional letters: Ө (front o) and Ү (front u). Since independence in 1990, a movement to revive the traditional script has been underway, and the Mongolian government plans to reinstate bichig on official documents.
Mongolia Today
Modern Mongolia is a democratic country of 3.4 million inhabitants, nearly half of whom live in the capital Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар). The economy relies on nomadic herding, mining (copper, gold, coal) and an emerging technology sector. Mongolian is also spoken by approximately 4 million Mongols in China (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu).
Writing System and Pronunciation
The Mongolian Cyrillic Alphabet
Mongolian uses 35 Cyrillic letters: the 33 Russian letters plus Ө and Ү. Here are the key ones:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| А а | /a/ as in "father" | аав (aav) = father |
| Б б | /b/ | бат (bat) = solid |
| Г г | /g/ | гал (gal) = fire |
| Д д | /d/ | далай (dalai) = ocean |
| Е е | /je/ | ерөөл (yerool) = blessing |
| И и | /i/ as in "machine" | ирэх (irekh) = to come |
| Л л | /l/ | лам (lam) = lama |
| М м | /m/ | мал (mal) = livestock |
| Н н | /n/ | нар (nar) = sun |
| О о | /ɔ/ open | оюун (oyuun) = wisdom |
| Ө ө | /ø/ as in French "peu" | өнөөдөр (onoodor) = today |
| С с | /s/ | сар (sar) = moon, month |
| Т т | /t/ | тэнгэр (tenger) = sky |
| У у | /ʊ/ | улс (uls) = country |
| Ү ү | /y/ as in French "tu" | үнэн (unen) = truth |
| Х х | /x/ guttural | хан (khan) = king |
| Ц ц | /ts/ | цас (tsas) = snow |
| Э э | /e/ | эх (ekh) = mother |
Vowel Harmony
Mongolian features a system of vowel harmony: vowels within a word must all belong to the same group:
- Back vowels (masculine): а, о, у
- Front vowels (feminine): э, ө, ү
- Neutral vowel: и (compatible with both groups)
This rule determines the form of suffixes and is essential for correct word formation.
The Traditional Bichig Script
The traditional Mongolian script (монгол бичиг) is one of the most elegant writing systems in the world. It is written vertically, from top to bottom, with columns progressing from left to right. Each letter takes a different form depending on its position: initial, medial or final.
Grammar Basics
SOV Word Order
Mongolian follows a Subject - Object - Verb (SOV) order:
- Би ном уншдаг (Bi nom unshdeg) = I book read = "I read a book"
- Тэр Монгол руу явсан (Ter Mongol ruu yavsan) = He Mongolia to went = "He went to Mongolia"
Grammatical Cases
Mongolian has 8 grammatical cases, expressed through suffixes:
| Case | Suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | - | ном (nom) | the book |
| Genitive | -ын/-ийн | номын (nomyn) | of the book |
| Dative-locative | -д/-т | номд (nomd) | to/at the book |
| Accusative | -ыг/-ийг | номыг (nomyg) | the book (direct object) |
| Ablative | -аас/-ээс | номоос (nomoos) | from the book |
| Instrumental | -аар/-ээр | номоор (nomoor) | by/with the book |
| Comitative | -тай/-тэй | номтой (nomtoi) | with the book |
| Directive | руу/рүү | номруу (nomruu) | towards the book |
Verbs
Mongolian verbs conjugate with suffixes. The stem does not change, and there is no grammatical gender:
| Tense | Suffix | Example (явах = to go) |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual present | -даг/-дэг | явдаг (yavdag) |
| Continuous present | -ж байна | явж байна (yavj baina) |
| Past | -сан/-сэн | явсан (yavsan) |
| Future | -на/-нэ | явна (yavna) |
No Articles, No Gender
Mongolian has no articles (the, a/an) and no grammatical gender. The plural is often optional and marked by suffixes such as -ууд/-үүд or -нар (for people).
Essential Phrases
| English | Mongolian (Cyrillic) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Сайн байна уу | Sain bainuu |
| Goodbye | Баяртай | Bayartai |
| Thank you | Баярлалаа | Bayarlalaa |
| Please | Гуйцэтгэнэ үү | Guitsetegenee uu |
| Yes | Тийм | Tiim |
| No | Үгүй | Ugui |
| How are you? | Сайн байна уу? | Sain bainuu? |
| I am fine | Сайн | Sain |
| What is your name? | Таны нэр хэн бэ? | Tany ner khen be? |
| My name is... | Миний нэр... | Minii ner... |
| I don't understand | Би ойлгохгүй байна | Bi oilgokhgui baina |
| Do you speak English? | Та англиар ярьдаг уу? | Ta angliar yardag uu? |
| How much does it cost? | Энэ хэд вэ? | Ene khed ve? |
| Where is the toilet? | Жорлон хаана байна? | Jorlon khaana baina? |
| Help! | Тусламж! | Tuslamj! |
Thematic Vocabulary
Nature and the Mongolian Landscape
| English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Steppe | Тал | Tal |
| Mountain | Уул | Uul |
| River | Гол | Gol |
| Desert (Gobi) | Говь | Gov |
| Sky | Тэнгэр | Tenger |
| Horse | Морь | Mor |
| Yurt (ger) | Гэр | Ger |
| Wolf | Чоно | Chono |
| Eagle | Бүргэд | Burged |
| Star | Од | Od |
Nomadic Life
| English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad | Нүүдэлчин | Nuudelchin |
| Herder | Малчин | Malchin |
| Fermented mare's milk | Айраг | Airag |
| Salted milk tea | Сүүтэй цай | Suutei tsai |
| Dried meat | Борц | Borts |
| Fried dumplings | Хуушуур | Khuushuur |
| Steamed dumplings | Бууз | Buuz |
| Festival (Naadam) | Наадам | Naadam |
| Wrestling | Бөх | Bokh |
| Archery | Сур харвах | Sur kharvakh |
Explore more Mongolian vocabulary on our dedicated page.
Numbers
| Number | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Нэг | Neg |
| 2 | Хоёр | Khoyor |
| 3 | Гурав | Gurav |
| 4 | Дөрөв | Dorov |
| 5 | Тав | Tav |
| 6 | Зургаа | Dzurgaa |
| 7 | Долоо | Doloo |
| 8 | Найм | Naim |
| 9 | Ес | Yes |
| 10 | Арав | Arav |
| 100 | Зуу | Dzuu |
| 1000 | Мянга | Myanga |
Cultural Context
Genghis Khan and the Imperial Legacy
Genghis Khan (Чингис Хаан, c. 1162-1227) is far more than a conqueror for Mongolians: he is the founding father of the nation. His portrait appears on banknotes, Ulaanbaatar's airport bears his name, and a colossal 40-metre equestrian statue stands in the steppe 54 km from the capital. The Yasa code he established laid the foundations for a legal system, religious freedom and meritocracy.
Nomadism and the Ger
The ger (yurt) is the traditional Mongolian dwelling, used for millennia. Even today, approximately 30% of Mongolians live in gers, including in the outskirt districts of Ulaanbaatar. The ger is such a powerful symbol that it features on the Mongolian flag (the soyombo emblem includes a ger shape). Entering a ger follows a precise protocol: always from the right side, never step on the threshold, and accept the bowl of suutei tsai (salted milk tea) offered to you.
Naadam Festival
Naadam (Наадам, "games") is Mongolia's greatest festival, held every 11-13 July. It brings together the "three manly sports": wrestling (bokh), horse racing (over 15-30 km, ridden by children aged 5 to 13) and archery. Inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Naadam is the soul of Mongolian culture.
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) has been the majority religion in Mongolia since the 16th century. The Gandantegchinlen monastery in Ulaanbaatar houses a 26-metre statue of Megjid Janraisig. Khoomii (throat singing) and shamanistic rituals coexist with Buddhism in a unique spiritual synthesis.
The Mongolian Diaspora
An estimated 200,000 Mongolians live abroad:
- South Korea: ~50,000, the largest community (industrial and service workers)
- Japan: ~10,000, including legendary sumo champions like Hakuho and Asashoryu
- United States: ~20,000, concentrated in Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles
- Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey: historic communities
- France and UK: small but growing communities
Learn Mongolian to connect with this dynamic diaspora! Start on Targumi's Mongolian page.
Learn Mongolian with Targumi
Mongolian is a fascinating language that opens doors to a millennial culture, from the nomadism of the steppe to the skyscrapers of Ulaanbaatar. Its dual writing system, agglutinative grammar and vowel harmony make it a stimulating challenge for learners.
At Targumi, we offer interactive courses to learn Mongolian at your own pace. Our lessons cover the Cyrillic alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, essential vocabulary and Mongolian culture, all in a progressive and immersive approach.
Why choose Targumi?
- Progressive lessons designed by language experts
- Contextualised vocabulary with authentic examples
- An integrated cultural approach: every lesson is a window into Mongolian culture
- Multi-platform access: learn on your computer, tablet or phone
Sain bainuu! (Hello!) — Welcome to the world of Mongolian!
Begin today at www.targumi.com and explore more language guides on our blog.
FAQ
Is Mongolian difficult to learn?
Mongolian presents specific challenges for English speakers: vowel harmony, 8 grammatical cases and SOV word order. However, the Cyrillic alphabet is relatively easy to master, the grammar is very regular (no gender, no articles) and the pronunciation has no tones. With regular practice, the basics can be acquired in 3 to 6 months.
Do I need to learn both Cyrillic and bichig?
To communicate in Mongolia, the Cyrillic alphabet is sufficient. The bichig (traditional vertical script) is beautiful but mainly used in Inner Mongolia (China) and in artistic or official contexts. Start with Cyrillic, then explore bichig if you wish.
How many people speak Mongolian?
Approximately 5.2 million people speak Khalkha Mongolian (the standard variety) in Mongolia. Adding speakers of Mongolian varieties in China (Inner Mongolia), the total exceeds 8 million.
Is Mongolian related to Chinese or Russian?
No. Mongolian is related to neither Chinese (Sino-Tibetan) nor Russian (Indo-European). It uses the Cyrillic alphabet as a Soviet-era heritage, but the language itself belongs to the Mongolic family (sometimes grouped with Turkish and Korean in the Altaic hypothesis, a debated classification).
Sources: Ethnologue (SIL International), Janhunen — The Mongolic Languages, Svantesson et al. — The Phonology of Mongolian, UNESCO, Encyclopaedia Britannica.