4Grammar and explanations
The verbs of history
History pages use the same few verbs again and again. Each one takes its object in the accusative (–ыг/–ийг) when the object is a definite thing, such as a state or a city. In conversation you put them in the ordinary past –сан:
| Verb | Meaning | Past |
|---|
| байгуулах | to found, to establish | байгуулсан |
| нэгтгэх | to unite | нэгтгэсэн |
| удирдах | to lead, to rule | удирдсан |
| тэлэх | to expand, to stretch | тэлсэн |
| тэмцэх | to struggle, to fight | тэмцсэн |
Чингис хаан Их Монгол Улсыг байгуулсан.Chinggis khan Great Mongol State-ACC found-PAST"Chinggis Khaan founded the Great Mongol State."
In 1206: онд
A year is он, and "in" a year is its dative-locative, онд. The year is written in figures in front of it: 1206 онд. When you read it aloud, the last number takes its attributive form, because it stands before a noun: мянга хоёр зуун зургаан онд.
Тэмүжин 1206 онд хаан болсон.Temüjin 1206 year-DAT khan become-PAST"Temüjin became khan in 1206."
In the 13th century: зуунд
A century is зуун. History books write it with Roman numerals, XIII зуун, and you read it as an ordinal: арван гуравдугаар зуун, "the thirteenth century". "In" a century is again the dative-locative: XIII зуунд.
XIII зуунд эзэнт гүрэн Европ хүртэл тэлсэн.13th century-DAT empire Europe as-far-as expand-PAST"In the 13th century the empire stretched as far as Europe."
In someone's time: –ын үед
үе means a period, an age. Put the person or the event in the genitive in front of it and give үе the dative-locative: Чингис хааны үед, "in the time of Chinggis Khaan". With тэр you get тэр үед, "at that time".
Өгөдэй хааны үед Хархорум нийслэл байсан.Ögedei khan-GEN time-DAT Kharkhorum capital be-PAST"In the time of Ögedei Khaan, Kharkhorum was the capital."
One of the largest: –уудын нэг
To say "one of", put the group in the genitive plural and add нэг. The short vowel of гүрэн drops before the endings, as in оюутан → оюутны: гүрэн → гүрнүүд → гүрнүүдийн нэг.
Энэ бол түүхэн дэх хамгийн том эзэнт гүрнүүдийн нэг.This is one of the largest empires in history.
In conversation, history is told with the everyday past –сан, as in the dialogue. History books prefer –жээ and –в: you will read them in lesson 157.
Go deeper in the grammar guide: Time expressions · The four pasts · The genitive
5Good to know
Mongolians write Чингис хаан. "Genghis" is the old Western spelling; "Chinggis" is much closer to the Mongolian. хаан means khan, sovereign.
The great assembly of 1206, the хуралдай, is often presented in Mongolia as the distant ancestor of today's parliament, the State Great Khural (Улсын Их Хурал). The National Museum of Mongolia, a few minutes' walk from Sükhbaatar Square, follows the country's past hall by hall, from the Stone Age to the twentieth century.
