5+ Easy Mongolian Words For Hiking

Looking for a fun, relaxing, and health-improving activity for your vacation in Mongolia? Don’t look further, as you will find everything you need in this article! From Mongolian words for hiking to vivid sights of breathtaking landscapes in the country, we will learn it all today!

I’m always in pursuit of good memories, but I didn’t expect them to come from hiking. Having that wide and personal vision of my surroundings from a high place led me to reflect and just appreciate everything. How amazing that we can see a real HD painting with tons of details without having to pay for it! I never thought that seeing such a vast scenery could be such a blast and lead me to a solitary place of serenity and contemplation.

So look no further and try hiking in Mongolia! Not only will it satisfy your adventurous spirit, but you will also reap tons of health benefits and enjoyment! Let’s go!

What Is ‘Hiking’ In Mongolia?

There is no direct translation for ‘hiking’ in Mongolia. However, with a combination of some words, the meaning will be the same. ‘Явган’ (Yavgan) means “on foot,” and ‘аялал’ (ayalal) means “travel.” So, if we combine them together, the meaning will be “on foot travel” (явган аялал).

But here’s the kicker: being adventurous is deeply planted in the Mongolian heritage. For the most part, their nomadic life resonates with the essence of the word ‘аялал’ (ayalal), which means ‘travel’ in English!

Moreover, the diverse geography of Mongolia offers various types of places, which makes it suitable for hiking, from mountain trails with panoramic views to grassland tracks revealing the hidden wonders of the Xilingol grassland. So what are we waiting for? Let’s dive into a linguistic adventure full of trekking!

Basic Mongolian Words For Hiking

Safety checkpoint first, fellow hikers. Make sure that you have your first-aid and safety items with you! Oh, and don’t forget your energy bar and liters of water. Are you ready? Alright, let’s start with something big: mountains!

Mountain – Уул

A mountain is directly translated as ‘yул’ (uul) in Mongolian—a perfect, concise word to represent the massive landscape. It also stands for ‘mount;’ if we translate ‘Mt. Everest’ into Mongolian, it will become ‘Эверест уул’ (Evyeryest uul).

There are lots of wonderful уулс (mountains) in Mongolia, such as Kharkhiraa, Turgen, and Khangai mountains. However, if you are up for a huge milestone, aim for the Altai mountains—the biggest and highest you will find in the whole country. Also, on your journey, visit the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. Make sure to bring enough food, a tent, and a local tour company with you!

Grassland – Бэлчээрийн газар

Similarly, the word ‘grasslands’ does not have its counterpart in Mongolia. In order to say grasslands, we are going to combine the words бэлчээрийн (Belcheeriin/pasture), and ‘газар’ (gazar/side). So, ‘grasslands’ is translated as ‘бэлчээрийн газар’ (belcheeriin gazar), which means ‘pasture land/side.’

The most splendid scenery for a Mongolian hiking trip is the Xilingol grassland, located in Inner Mongolia. This attraction features a vast, great outdoors that is heaven for not only the eyes but for cows, sheep, goats, and other grass-eating animals, because of its rolling green hills and pastures.

Lake – Нуур

Next is a refreshing sight for our exhausted trekking legs: нуурууд (nuuruud/lakes)! As Mongolian nouns often have different forms for singular and plural, a single lake is ‘нуур’ (nuur), and many lakes are ‘нуурууд’ (nuuruud), just like what we just used.

If you are looking for a picture-perfect lake in Mongolia for trekking, the Khagiin Khar Lake is the best! However, for a sophisticated setting, opt for the eight lakes of Khuisiin Naiman. But if you really want a fun adventure, visit them both!

Rest – Амрах

In your Mongolia trekking adventure, visiting high mountain passes and river valleys, taking an ‘амрах’ (amrakh/rest) is a must. After all, we don’t want to crawl back to our camp, right? Fellow trekkers, do not hesitate to rest for even a few hours if necessary, as this gives us not only energy but an opportunity to have fun. Save your energy for savoring the scenery!

Scenery – байгаль/Yзэсгэлэнт байдал

The term ‘scenery’ doesn’t have its own counterpart in Mongolian, either. To describe this in Mongolia, they often use the word “байгаль” (baigali), which, when directly translated, means ‘nature.’ We can also use the word “yзэсгэлэнт байдал” (Üzesgelent baidal), which means ‘beautiful situation’. You can use them interchangeably to represent a rewarding view.

After all the sweat, tight leg muscles, and racing heart rate, the reward is the wonderful scenery! Whether you are at the highest peak of Mongolia’s mountains, at a grassland boasting its rolling hills, or even at a stunning view of Khagiin Khar Lake, one word will summarize all of them, and that is “yзэсгэлэнт байдал!”

More Mongolian Words For Hiking

Now that you’ve learned some basic terms, here is a vocabulary table that will be useful in your adventures:

Learn Mongolian With Ling!

Why not challenge your linguistic mind to a fun journey? Having learned these Mongolian words for hiking, there is a bigger mountain to conquer: the Mongolian language itself! But don’t worry because Ling will be your very personal local guide!

The Ling app stands as the ultimate choice for mastering Mongolian, whisking you on a linguistic adventure through the enchanting language of the steppes. With bite-sized lessons, engaging games, and native speaker audio, Ling makes learning Mongolian an absolute delight. Its gamified approach ensures that you’re not just studying but actively immersed in the language, whether you’re mastering Mongolian script, practicing pronunciation, or expanding your vocabulary.

So, if you’re ready to journey into the heart of Mongolia’s language and culture, the Ling app is your passport to fluency, all in the palm of your hand.

Download it now from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Happy trekking!