Lesson 121: At the language school

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Speak Mongolian with the LIMBA audio course

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1Limba’s diary

Limba joins Oyuunaa's advanced class

August begins with good news: Oyuunaa has a place for me in her advanced class. Four mornings a week, three hours a day, with five other students from Germany, Korea, Japan and Kazakhstan.

Everything happens in Mongolian now, even the jokes and the coffee break. My new classmate Anna has studied here for two years, and she still sighs when she hears the word "grammar".

On the first morning, Oyuunaa gives us a test, a pile of exercises and a warning: in this class, we will teach each other too.

2Dialogue

ОюунааСайн байна уу! Энэ бол ахисан түвшний анги.Hello! This is the advanced class.
LimbaСайн байна уу, багш аа. Би энэ ангид шинээр орж байна.Hello, teacher. I'm new in this class.
ОюунааМэдэж байна. Манай анги долоо хоногт дөрвөн өдөр хичээллэдэг.I know. Our class meets four days a week.
АннаСайн уу, Лимба. Миний нэр Анна. Би Германаас ирсэн.Hi, Limba. My name is Anna. I'm from Germany.
LimbaСайн уу, Анна. Чи монгол хэл сураад хэр удаж байна вэ?Hi, Anna. How long have you been learning Mongolian?
АннаХоёр жил болж байна. Харин хэлзүй надад одоо ч хэцүү.Two years. But I still find grammar hard.
ОюунааӨнөөдөр бид эхлээд жижиг шалгалт өгнө. Дараа нь дасгал хийнэ.Today we'll first take a small test. Then we'll do exercises.
LimbaШалгалт уу? Эхний өдөр шүү дээ!A test? On the first day!
ОюунааСанаа зоволтгүй. Энэ шалгалт бол зүгээр л дасгал.Don't worry. This test is just an exercise.
ОюунааЭнэ ангид зөвхөн би заадаггүй. Та нар ч бас бие биедээ заадаг.In this class I'm not the only one who teaches. You teach each other too.
LimbaБи юу заах вэ?What will I teach?
ОюунааАнгли хэл! Харин бусад нь танд монгол дуу заана.English! And the others will teach you Mongolian songs.

3Words in this lesson

Mongolian	English
хичээл	lesson, class
шалгалт	test, exam (шалгалт өгөх, to take an exam)
дасгал	exercise (дасгал хийх, to do exercises)
сурах	to learn, to study
заах	to teach
анги	class (a group of students), classroom
ахисан түвшин	advanced level
хичээллэх	to have lessons, to study in class
хэлзүй	grammar
одоо ч	still, even now
санаа зоволтгүй	don't worry
бие биедээ	each other, to one another
бусад	the others
зүгээр л	just, simply

4Grammar and explanations

сурах and заах

сурах means "to learn, to study"; заах means "to teach". The thing learnt or taught stays in its plain form, and with заах the person taught goes in the dative-locative, "to whom" (lesson 35):

Би монгол хэл сурч байна.I Mongolian language learn-CONV be-PRES-FUT"I am learning Mongolian."

Оюунаа багш бидэнд монгол хэл заадаг.Oyuunaa teacher we-DAT Mongolian language teach-HAB"Teacher Oyuunaa teaches us Mongolian."

Би чамд англи хэл заана.I you-DAT English language teach-PRES-FUT"I will teach you English."

The pronouns in the dative-locative: надад (to me), чамд (to you), танд (to you, polite), түүнд (to him, to her), бидэнд (to us).

A family of words

сурах gives several words you know: сурагч (pupil, lesson 105), сургууль (school). хичээл is a lesson or a class; хичээлээ хийх (to do one's lesson) means "to do one's homework".

Exams are "given"

In Mongolian a student gives an exam: шалгалт өгөх means "to take, to sit an exam". The teacher takes it: шалгалт авах means "to give, to set an exam". It is the exact reverse of English, so learn the pair together:

Маргааш бид шалгалт өгнө.tomorrow we exam give-PRES-FUT"Tomorrow we take an exam."

Багш шалгалт авна.teacher exam take-PRES-FUT"The teacher will give the exam."

Words that go together

Noun	Verb	English
дасгал	хийх	to do exercises
хичээл	заах	to teach a class
хичээлээ	хийх	to do one's homework
шалгалт	өгөх	to take an exam
шалгалт	авах	to set an exam
үг	цээжлэх	to learn words by heart

Each other

бие биедээ means "to each other". It is built on бие (body, self), repeated: Та нар бие биедээ заадаг. "You teach each other."

Go deeper in the grammar guide: The dative-locative · Politeness and address

5Good to know

Students in Mongolia address a teacher simply as Багш аа! "Teacher!", without the name, and talk about them as Оюунаа багш, with the title after the name. Teachers are highly respected, and the word багш is also used for anyone who taught you something important: a master craftsman, a coach, even an older colleague.

6Exercises

Choose the right answer, then press Check my answers. Score 70% or more and the lesson is ticked on your course map.

сурах means…
заах means…
шалгалт өгөх means…
Choose: Оюунаа багш ___ монгол хэл заадаг. (teaches us)
дасгал means…
гэрийн даалгавар means…
How many days a week does the class meet?
Where is Anna from?
What will Limba teach the class?
Choose: Би монгол хэл ___ байна. (I am learning Mongolian.)

Well done! Lesson 121 is ticked on your course map.

Write it yourself

Write your answer on paper or in your head first, then reveal the model answer.

Say "I am learning Mongolian."
Show answer
Би монгол хэл сурч байна.
Say "Oyuunaa teaches us Mongolian."
Show answer
Оюунаа бидэнд монгол хэл заадаг.
Say "Tomorrow we take an exam."
Show answer
Маргааш бид шалгалт өгнө.
Ask a friend "Did you do your homework?"
Show answer
Чи гэрийн даалгавраа хийсэн үү? / Чи хичээлээ хийсэн үү?
Say "I will teach you English."
Show answer
Би чамд англи хэл заана.

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