Yes, no and the essentials in Mongolian
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Mongolian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Mongolian phrases in this lesson
- ТиймTIIM
- Yes
- ҮгүйU-GU
- No
- ЗаZAH
- Okay
- Би ойлгохгүйBEE OY-log-gu
- I don't understand
- Та англи хэл мэддэг үүTA ANG-lee KHEL MEH-deg UU
- Do you speak English?
- Дахиад хэлээчda-KHIAD khe-LEECH
- Can you repeat that?
- Удаан ярина ууoo-DAAN ya-ri-NA uu
- Slowly, please
- Энэ юу вэ?EN yoo ve
- What is this?
- Надад ... хэрэгтэйna-DAD ... khe-reg-TEI
- I need...
- Надад тусалж чадах уу?na-DAD tu-SALJ cha-DAKH uu
- Can you help me?
Simple and direct. Also "сайн" (good/yes) works as an agreement. The -ээ ending adds politeness: "тийм ээ".
Direct refusal. To soften it, add "үгүй шүү" (no really) or "үгүй гээсэн" (not so much). The language is direct; Mongolians are comfortable saying no.
The quickest agreement. Also "сайн" (good/okay), "үгүй (not okay) to decline. За is purely functional, zero emotion.
Ойлгох is "to understand". The response is usually a switch to simpler Mongolian or English, as many Mongolians speak English.
The мэддэг (speak/know) pattern and УУ (question marker) are core structures. Answer is almost always yes in Ulaanbaatar.
Literally "say it again".
Literally "please speak slowly".
Literally "to me ... is needed".