Lesson 175: Bureaucracy: forms and offices

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Speak Mongolian with the LIMBA audio course

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1Limba’s diary

Registering at the immigration office

The visa I extended at the end of August runs until my flight, at the end of the month. But when I registered on arrival, a year ago, the clerk told me: before you leave Mongolia, come back and have your registration cancelled. So this morning I take a number at the Immigration Agency and join a long queue of foreigners: builders, students, a family with a baby.

I have brought a folder with every document I could think of. After an hour my number appears on the screen: counter 4.

2Dialogue

АжилтанСайн байна уу. Танд юугаар туслах вэ?Hello. How can I help you?
LimbaСайн байна уу. Би энэ сарын сүүлээр Монголоос явна. Явахаасаа өмнө бүртгэлээ хасуулах гэсэн юм.Hello. I'm leaving Mongolia at the end of this month. I'd like to have my registration cancelled before I leave.
АжилтанТа энд бүртгүүлсэн үү?Did you register here?
LimbaТийм. Анх ирэхдээ би энд бүртгүүлсэн. Өнгөрсөн сард визээ сунгуулсан.Yes. I registered here when I first arrived. Last month I had my visa extended.
АжилтанОйлголоо. Энэ өргөдлийн маягтыг бөглөөд, гарын үсгээ зураарай.I see. Fill in this application form and sign it.
LimbaЯмар баримт бичиг хэрэгтэй вэ?Which documents are needed?
АжилтанГадаад паспорт, түүний хуулбар, онгоцны тасалбарын хуулбар.Your passport, a copy of it and a copy of your plane ticket.
LimbaБүгдийг нь авчирсан. Энд байна.I've brought them all. Here they are.
АжилтанТаны бүртгэл манай системд байгаа. Хэзээ явах вэ?Your registration is in our system. When are you leaving?
LimbaЭнэ сарын сүүлийн долоо хоногт. Тасалбар дээр огноо нь байгаа.In the last week of this month. The date is on the ticket.
АжилтанЗа. Өргөдлийг тань хүлээн авлаа. Ажлын таван өдрийн дотор шийдвэр гарна.All right. I have received your application. A decision will be made within five working days.
LimbaДахин ирэх хэрэгтэй юү?Do I need to come again?
АжилтанХэрэггүй. Бид танд утсаар хэлнэ. Явахдаа паспортоо, энэ баримтаа авч яваарай.No need. We'll tell you by phone. When you leave, take your passport and this receipt with you.
LimbaБаярлалаа. Та их тусаллаа.Thank you. You've been a great help.

3Words in this lesson

Mongolian	English
бүртгэл	registration
бүртгүүлэх	to register (oneself), to get registered
бүртгэлээс хасуулах	to have one's registration cancelled (хасах: to remove)
өргөдөл	application, formal request
маягт	form (to fill in)
бөглөх	to fill in (a form)
гарын үсэг зурах	to sign
баримт бичиг	document
оршин суух зөвшөөрөл	residence permit
сунгуулах	to have (something) extended
хуулбар	copy
хураамж	fee
шийдвэр	decision
хүлээн авах	to receive, to accept

4Grammar and explanations

At the counter

A few formulas carry most visits to an office: - Танд юугаар туслах вэ? — How can I help you? (literally "with what shall I help you?") - …-х гэсэн юм. — I'd like to…, I've come to… : сунгуулах гэсэн юм, бүртгүүлэх гэсэн юм, хасуулах гэсэн юм. - …-аад, …-аарай. — do this, then that: the instructions of the clerk. - …-на уу. — please…: хүлээнэ үү (please wait), дугаараа авна уу (please take a number), хураамжаа банкаар төлнө үү (please pay the fee through the bank).

Оршин суух зөвшөөрлийнхөө хугацааг сунгуулах гэсэн юм.I'd like to have my residence permit extended.

Бүртгэлээ хасуулах гэсэн юм.I'd like to have my registration cancelled.

Having something done: the causative –уул– / –үүл–

In an office you rarely do things yourself: you have them done. The causative says exactly that.

Plain verb	Causative	Meaning
бүртгэх (to register someone)	бүртгүүлэх	to get registered
сунгах (to extend)	сунгуулах	to have extended
хасах (to remove, to take off a list)	хасуулах	to have removed, to have cancelled
засах (to repair)	засуулах	to have repaired
шалгах (to check)	шалгуулах	to have checked

Би анх ирэхдээ энд бүртгүүлсэн.I first come-PART-DAT-REFL here register-CAUS-PAST"I registered here when I first arrived."

Өнгөрсөн сард визээ сунгуулсан.last month-DAT visa-REFL extend-CAUS-PAST"Last month I had my visa extended."

The thing removed from the list stands in the ablative: бүртгэлээс хасуулах, "to have oneself taken off the register". With the reflexive it is simply бүртгэлээ хасуулах.

Instructions in a chain: –аад … –аарай

Маягтыг бөглөөд, гарын үсгээ зураарай.form-ACC fill-CONV hand-GEN letter-REFL draw-IMP"Fill in the form and sign it."

гарын үсэг is "the letters of the hand", a signature, and you "draw" it: гарын үсэг зурах, to sign.

Documents and their parts: genitive chains

өргөдлийн маягт (application form), паспортын хуулбар (copy of the passport), онгоцны тасалбарын хуулбар (copy of the plane ticket), төлбөрийн баримт (payment receipt). Note that өргөдөл drops its last vowel: өргөдлийн, өргөдлөө.

Within a time: –ын дотор

Ажлын таван өдрийн дотор шийдвэр гарна.A decision will be made within five working days.

Go deeper in the grammar guide: Causative and passive · Converbs · Politeness and address

5Good to know

Foreigners staying in Mongolia deal with the Immigration Agency, Гадаадын иргэн, харьяатын газар. A visit goes more smoothly if you bring copies of everything, a couple of passport photos and plenty of patience: you take a number (дугаар) at the entrance and wait until it appears above a counter (цонх). Fees are often paid at a bank, and you bring the receipt back to the counter. Rules and fees change, so check the current requirements before you go.

6Exercises

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

маягт бөглөх means…
бүртгүүлэх means…
сунгуулах means…
Which documents does the officer ask for?
"Fill in the form and sign it."
When will the decision be made?
хуулбар is…
"within five working days"
Танд юугаар туслах вэ? means…
Why has Limba come to the office?

Well done! Lesson 175 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 politely at the counter: "I'd like to have my residence permit extended."
Show answer
Оршин суух зөвшөөрлийнхөө хугацааг сунгуулах гэсэн юм.
Say politely at the counter: "I'd like to have my registration cancelled before I leave."
Show answer
Явахаасаа өмнө бүртгэлээ хасуулах гэсэн юм.
Translate: "Fill in this form and sign it."
Show answer
Энэ маягтыг бөглөөд, гарын үсгээ зураарай.
Ask: "Which documents are needed?"
Show answer
Ямар баримт бичиг хэрэгтэй вэ?
Translate: "I registered here when I first arrived."
Show answer
Би анх ирэхдээ энд бүртгүүлсэн.
Translate: "A decision will be made within five working days."
Show answer
Ажлын таван өдрийн дотор шийдвэр гарна.

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