4Grammar and explanations
Seven cases, one form
Filling in a form is the best case exercise there is: every answer says when, where, from where, with whom, by what means, whose, and what. Here are the seven cases again, with an example from Limba's form.
| Case | Ending | Question it answers | Example |
|---|
| nominative | none | who? what? | Би өвдсөн. |
| genitive | –ын, –ийн, –ы, –н | whose? of what? | долдугаар сарын, Сараагийн |
| dative-locative | –д, –т | where? when? to whom? | эмнэлэгт, 18-нд, эмчид |
| accusative | –ыг, –ийг, –г | what? (a definite object) | мөнгийг |
| ablative | –аас, –оос, –ээс, –өөс | from where? | Тэрэлжээс, эмийн сангаас |
| instrumental | –аар, –оор, –ээр, –өөр | by what means? | машинаар |
| comitative | –тай, –той, –тэй | with whom? | Номинтой |
One sentence, many cases
Each phrase carries one ending, and the ending goes on the last word of the phrase. The verb closes the sentence.
Би долдугаар сарын 18-нд Тэрэлжээс Номинтой машинаар буцаж ирсэн.I seventh month-GEN 18-DAT Terelj-ABL Nomin-COM car-INS back-CONV come-PAST"On 18 July I came back from Terelj with Nomin by car."
Read it phrase by phrase: долдугаар сарын 18-нд (when: a date is a chain of genitives, then the dative-locative), Тэрэлжээс (from where), Номинтой (with whom), машинаар (how), буцаж ирсэн (what happened).
Сараагийн ажилладаг эмнэлэгт эмч намайг үзсэн.Saraa-GEN work-HAB hospital-DAT doctor me-ACC examine-PAST"A doctor examined me at the hospital where Saraa works."
Here the dative-locative –т sits on эмнэлэг, at the end of a long block: it applies to the whole block "the hospital where Saraa works" (lesson 104).
Эмийн сангаас эм авахад арван хоёр мянган төгрөг төлсөн.pharmacy-ABL medicine buy-PART-DAT twelve thousand tögrög pay-PAST"I paid twelve thousand tögrög when I bought the medicine at the pharmacy."
Мөнгийг данс руу чинь шилжүүлнэ.money-ACC account towards your transfer-PRES-FUT"They will transfer the money to your account."
Two reminders
- руу / рүү (lesson 38) is not one of the seven cases: it is a separate word after the noun, meaning "towards".
- After эмч, the person you go to see, Mongolian uses the dative-locative: эмчид үзүүлэх, "to show oneself to the doctor".
Go deeper in the grammar guide: All seven cases on one page · The seven cases
5Good to know
On Mongolian forms the father's name comes first, under Овог or Эцгийн нэр, and your own name second, under Нэр. Mongolians use the father's name the way a surname is used elsewhere, which is why Nomin is known in full as Батын Номин, "Nomin of Bat", with the genitive. As a foreigner, write your family name in the first box, your first name under Нэр, and your passport number under Паспортын дугаар.
