Lesson 137: Although: хэдийгээр … ч

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1Limba’s diary

It is hot by day but cold at night

The Gobi has two climates in one day. At two in the afternoon the thermometer in Bold's car showed thirty-five degrees, and we hid in the shade of the car like lizards. At two in the morning I woke up shivering in my sleeping bag and put on every jumper I had.

By the fire, Bold laughed at me: "Говь ийм л байдаг." That's the Gobi. Although it is hot by day, it is cold at night, and Mongolian has a neat way to say it: хэдийгээр … ч.

2Dialogue

LimbaӨдөр ямар халуун байсан бэ! Харин одоо даарч байна.How hot it was during the day! But now I'm cold.
БолдГовь ийм л байдаг. Хэдийгээр өдөр халуун байдаг ч шөнө хүйтэн байдаг.That's the Gobi. Although it's hot by day, it's cold at night.
НоминЯагаад шөнө ийм хүйтэн болдог юм бэ?Why does it get so cold at night?
ТуяаАгаар хуурай, үүл бага. Тийм учраас дулаан хурдан алга болдог.The air is dry and there are few clouds. That's why the warmth disappears quickly.
LimbaХэдийгээр би гурван ноосон цамц өмссөн ч одоо хүртэл даарч байна.Although I've put on three jumpers, I'm still cold.
НоминГалын дэргэд суу. Халуун цай уугаарай.Sit by the fire. Have some hot tea.
ТуяаМалчид шөнө ч гадаа ажилладаг. Гэвч тэд гомдоллодоггүй.Herders work outside even at night. But they don't complain.
LimbaТэд үнэхээр хатуужилтай хүмүүс юм.They really are tough people.
БолдХарин чи бол хотын хүүхэд шүү!Whereas you're a city kid!
LimbaХэдийгээр би хотод өссөн ч Говьд дурлачихлаа.Although I grew up in a city, I've fallen in love with the Gobi.
НоминТэгвэл маргааш өглөө нар мандахыг хамт харъя. Хүйтэн байсан ч сайхан.Then tomorrow morning let's watch the sunrise together. Even if it's cold, it's beautiful.
LimbaЗа. Гэвч намайг сэрээгээрэй!All right. But wake me up!

3Words in this lesson

Mongolian	English
хэдийгээр	although (opens the clause; ч closes it)
гэвч	but, however
харин	but, whereas, on the other hand
даарах	to feel cold
хуурай	dry
үүл	cloud
алга болох	to disappear
ноосон цамц	jumper, woollen top
сэрээх	to wake (someone) up
гомдоллох	to complain
хатуужилтай	tough, hardy
өсөх	to grow up, to grow
дурлах	to fall in love (with: dative-locative)
нар мандах	(of the sun) to rise

4Grammar and explanations

Although: хэдийгээр … ч

In lesson 114 you learned –сан ч, "even if, even though". Хэдийгээр at the start of the clause announces it, just as хэрвээ announces –вал. The clause ends with its verb and ч, and then the main clause follows.

Хэдийгээр өдөр халуун байсан ч шөнө хүйтэн байлаа.although day hot be-PAST even night cold be-PAST"Although it was hot by day, it was cold at night."

The verb before ч can take different forms: - –сан ч, for a fact that is done or true: Хэдийгээр би гурван ноосон цамц өмссөн ч даарч байна. "Although I've put on three jumpers, I'm cold." - –даг ч, for a general truth: Хэдийгээр өдөр халуун байдаг ч шөнө хүйтэн байдаг. "Although it's hot by day, it's cold at night." - –ж байгаа ч, for something going on now: Хэдийгээр нар гарч байгаа ч салхи хүйтэн байна. "Although the sun is out, the wind is cold."

Хэдийгээр is optional: Би ноосон цамц өмссөн ч даарч байна means the same. The ч is not optional.

гэвч: "but", between two sentences

Гэвч joins two full sentences, like English "but" or "however". It begins the second one.

Говь халуун. Гэвч шөнө хүйтэн."The Gobi is hot. But the nights are cold."

Малчид шөнө ч гадаа ажилладаг. Гэвч тэд гомдоллодоггүй."Herders work outside even at night. But they don't complain."

харин: "whereas", for a contrast

Харин sets two things side by side: this one, but that one. It is very common in speech, often after a comma, and it can also begin a sentence: Харин одоо даарч байна. "But now I'm cold."

Өдөр халуун, харин шөнө хүйтэн.day hot whereas night cold"By day it's hot, whereas at night it's cold."

Номин хотын хүн, харин Дорж говийн хүн."Nomin is a city person, whereas Dorj is a man of the Gobi."

Which one?

You want to say	Use
although X, Y	Хэдийгээр X ч Y.
X. But Y.	X. Гэвч Y.
X, whereas Y	X, харин Y.

Go deeper in the grammar guide: Complex sentences: гэж and nominalised clauses · Mongolian converbs · Mongolian particles

5Good to know

In the Gobi in summer, the difference between the afternoon and the night is often more than fifteen degrees. Pack for both: a hat and sunscreen for the day, a warm jumper and a good sleeping bag for the night. Herders' gers stay surprisingly comfortable, because the thick felt keeps out the heat by day and the cold by night.

6Exercises

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

Хэдийгээр өдөр халуун байсан ч шөнө хүйтэн байлаа. means…
Which word must close the "although" clause?
Complete: Хэдийгээр бороо орсон ___ бид явсан.
Which word opens an "although" clause?
Өдөр халуун, харин шөнө хүйтэн. means…
Is хэдийгээр obligatory?
Why does the Gobi get cold at night, according to Tuyaa?
даарах means…
"Although I grew up in a city, I've fallen in love with the Gobi."
What will Limba and Nomin do tomorrow morning?

Well done! Lesson 137 is ticked on your course map.

Write it yourself

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

Join with хэдийгээр … ч: Бороо орсон. Бид явсан.
Show answer
Хэдийгээр бороо орсон ч бид явсан.
Translate: "Although the sun is out, the wind is cold."
Show answer
Хэдийгээр нар гарч байгаа ч салхи хүйтэн байна.
Translate with харин: "Bat is an engineer, whereas Saraa is a doctor."
Show answer
Бат инженер, харин Сараа эмч.
Translate with гэвч: "The Gobi is hot. But the nights are cold."
Show answer
Говь халуун. Гэвч шөнө хүйтэн.
Translate: "I'm cold."
Show answer
Би даарч байна.

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