If you are traveling to Ulaanbaatar or any other part of Mongolia, chances are that you will meet locals that would be curious to know more about you. Not just that, you are going to meet a lot of warm people that you want to be friends with. In those times, what you need to pass that initial stage of getting to know each other or answering local’s questions is knowing how to introduce yourself in Mongolian.
The introduction always consists of specific questions such as greetings, saying your name, and providing more information about you, like where you are from or live. So, having these fundamental questions and phrases stored in your memory will make your stay more enjoyable.
Luckily, this post will take care of all your introduction problems. The only question is, are you ready to learn to introduce yourself in Mongolian? If yes, let’s get this post started!
Fun Fact: Did you know that Ulaanbaatar is one of the coldest cities in the world, with temperatures dropping as low as -30 degrees celsius? You’ve got to pack the thickest cardigans if you go there during winter.
How To Introduce Yourself In Mongolian
Let’s take a look at the Mongolian phrases used in introducing yourself and how to use them.
Step One: Start With Greetings
The first thing that always precedes introducing yourself in any language, including Mongolian, is greeting the people. When greeting, you should know that you pay attention to the elders first as a sign of respect and politeness.
The Mongolians practice what is called Zolgokh, the traditional form of greeting in Mongolia and usually done by two people. When two people meet, they both extend their arms, and the younger person puts their hand under the older person’s arm and then grabs the elbow of the older person’s arm as a sign of respect. Doing this will win over the heart of the locals. But, they will understand if you only offer a simple Hello since you are a foreigner.
Basic Greeting Words
English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
Hello | Сайн уу | Sain uu |
Good morning | Өглөөний Мэнд | Öglöönii mend |
Good afternoon | Өдрийн мэнд | Ödriin mend |
Good evening | Оройн мэнд | Oroin mend |
How are you? | Юу байна вэ? | Yu baina ve? |
Step Two: Introduce Yourself – Name, Age, Location, Nationality
The next step is to introduce yourself by saying your name and telling them any other information you want the other party to know. It may be where you are from or why you are in Mongolian. But most importantly, tell them your name.
However, you may be asked, Tanii ner khen be? (Таны нэр хэн бэ?), which means what is your name. And what you are meant to say is Minii neriig…. (Миний нэрийг).
English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
What is your name | Таны нэр хэн бэ? | Tanii ner khen be? |
My name is …. | Миний нэрийг | Minii neriig…. |
Where are you from? | чи хаанаас ирсэн бэ? | Chi khaanaas irsen be? |
I am from… | Би …ээс ирсэнBi | …ees irsen |
I am from America | Би Америкаас ирсэн | Bi Amyerikaas irsen |
How old are you? | Та хэдэн настай вэ? | Ta kheden nastai ve? |
I am 29 years old | Би 29 настай | Bi 29 nastai |
Where do you live? | Чи хаана амьдардаг вэ? | Chi khaana amidardag ve? |
I live in… | би … амьдардаг | Bi …. amidardag |
Step Three: Talk About Your Hobbies (Optional)
You can also talk about your hobbies if you introduce yourself to a group of people or if they are curious. Here are some ways to talk about your hobbies.
English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
I love cooking | Би хоол хийх дуртай | Bi khool khiikh durtai |
I love listening to music | Би хөгжим сонсох дуртай | Bi khögjim sonsokh durtai |
I love teaching | Би багшлах дуртай | Bi bagshlakh durtai |
Step Four: Ask The Other Person Their Names
If someone asks about your name, it is only polite to ask about theirs as well. You can easily ask Tanii ner khen be? which means what is your name? Saying that will tell the other person that you are also interested in knowing them.
Step Five: Departing Phrases
To end the introduction, it is best to say nice to meet you, or we will see later. Let’s take a look at some Mongolian phrases for departing.
English | Mongolian | Pronunciation |
Nice to meet you | Танилцахад таатай байлаа | Taniltsakhad taatai bailaa |
Thank you | Баярлалаа | Bayarlalaa |
Goodbye | Баяртай | Bayartai |
See you later | дараа уулзъя | Daraa uulziya |
You Can Now Introduce Yourself Like A Pro
Congratulations! You can now introduce yourself like a pro. You no longer have to worry about what you will say when a stranger wants to know you better. Always ensure that you are polite and you respect elders in Mongolia. Doing that alone will help people ease up on you faster.
You should also remember that learning the basic greetings in Mongolian and knowing the best Mongolian food to try out will also aid your stay in Mongolia.
But if you truly want to connect with the people, you can learn more about Mongolian when you try out the Ling App! The Ling App is a language-learning app that teaches you Mongolia in a simple and enjoyable manner. Get to know more about it below!
Learn Mongolian With Ling App
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Since its launch, the Ling App has successfully turned language beginners into advanced speakers over a short period, and you will not be an exception.
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