Mongolian Verbs
Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Mongolian. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Mongolian.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Mongolian conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense - Mongolian - Pronunciation |
|---|
| I speak English би англи хэлээр ярьдаг [bi angli kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
| you speak French та франц хэлээр ярьдаг [ta frants kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
| he speaks German тэр эрэгтэй герман хэлээр ярьдаг [kheer ekheegkheeĭ german kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
| she speaks Italian тэр эмэгтэй итали хэлээр ярьдаг [kheer ekheegkheeĭ itali kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
| we speak Arabic бид араб хэлээр ярьдаг [bid arab kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
| they speak Chinese тэд хятад хэлээр ярьдаг [kheed khyatad kheekhekheer yarʹdag] |
The past tense in Mongolian conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense - Mongolian - Pronunciation |
|---|
| I visited France би францд аялсан [bi frantsd ayalsan] |
| you visited Italy та италид аялсан [ta italid ayalsan] |
| he visited Morocco тэр эрэгтэй мороккод аялсан [kheer ekheegkheeĭ morokkod ayalsan] |
| she visited China тэр эмэгтэй хятадад аялсан [kheer ekheegkheeĭ khyatadad ayalsan] |
| we visited Mexico бид мексикт аялсан [bid meksikt ayalsan] |
| they visited Kenya тэд кеньяд аялсан [kheed kenʹyad ayalsan] |
The future tense in Mongolian conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense - Mongolian - Pronunciation |
|---|
| I will drink milk би сүү ууна [bi sүү uuna] |
| you will drink coffee та кофе ууна [ta kofe uuna] |
| he will drink tea тэр эрэгтэй цай ууна [kheer ekheegkheeĭ tsaĭ uuna] |
| she will drink water тэр эмэгтэй ус ууна [kheer ekheegkheeĭ us uuna] |
| we will drink apple juice бид алимны жүүс ууна [bid alimny zhүүs uuna] |
| they will drink tea тэд цай ууна [kheed tsaĭ uuna] |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear чих [chikh] |
eye нүд [nүd] |
mouth ам [am] |
nose хамар [khamar] |
hair үс [үs] |
face нүүр [nүүr] |
head толгой [tolgoĭ] |
heart зүрх [zүrkh] |
hand гар [gar] |
fingers хуруу [khuruu] |
leg хөл [khөl] |
feet ул [ul] |
Travel Phrases in Mongolian
Imagine yourself in some Mongolian speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English - Mongolian - Pronunciation |
|---|
| Can you help me? та надад тусалж чадах уу? [ta nadad tusalzh chadakh uu?] |
| Can I help you? би танд туслах уу? [bi tand tuslakh uu?] |
| Where is the airport? онгоцны буудал хаана байгаа вэ? [ongotsny buudal khaana baĭgaa ve?] |
| Go straight чигээрээ яв [chigkheekhekhee yav] |
| Then дараа нь [daraa nʹ] |
| Turn left зүүн эргэ [zүүn erge] |
| Turn right баруун эргэ [baruun erge] |
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Mongolian was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe |