Language/Halh-mongolian/Grammar/Passive-Verbs

Halh Mongolian Grammar → → Passive Verbs

As a Halh Mongolian language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the concept of passive verbs in Halh Mongolian. In this lesson, we will cover how to express the idea of having something done to you or being affected by something.

Passive verbs are used when the subject of the sentence is not the one performing the action, but rather receiving it. For example, in the sentence "I was hit by the ball," the subject "I" is not performing the action of hitting, but rather receiving it.

To form the passive voice in Halh Mongolian, we use the auxiliary verb "болох" (boloh) and the past participle form of the main verb. The past participle form is created by adding the suffix "-сан" (-san) at the end of the verb root.

Here are some examples:

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
Шинэ книгийг уншав.	Shine knigiyg unn-shav.	I read a new book.
Шинэ книгийг уншаж байна.	Shine knigiyg unshaj baina.	I am reading a new book. (active voice)
Шинэ книгийг уншсан байна.	Shine knigiyg unsh-san baina.	I have read a new book. (passive voice)

As you can see from the above examples, the main verb "унш" (unsh) meaning "to read" has the past participle form "уншсан" (unsh-san) which is formed by adding the suffix "-сан" (-san) to the verb root.

When forming passive sentences with action verbs, the topic of the sentence becomes the recipient of the action. In the example above, the new book is the recipient of the action of being read, and therefore becomes the topic of the sentence.

It is important to note that not all verbs can take the passive voice in Halh Mongolian. Generally, only action verbs can take the passive voice. Stative verbs, which describe a state or condition, usually do not have a passive form.

Here are some additional examples:

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
Бат эмэгтэйтэй яриж байна.	Bat emegt-teetey yarizh baina.	Bat is talking to a girl. (active voice)
Баагий эмэгтэйтэй яриж байна.	Baagi emegt-teetey yarizh baina.	Baagi is talking to a girl. (active voice)
Эмэгтэйтэй яриж байсан.	Emegt-teetey yarizh baisan.	A girl was talked to. (passive voice)

In the above example, the verb "yar-" (yar) meaning "to talk" has the past participle form "яриж байсан" (yarizh baysan), which is formed by adding the suffix "-сан" (-san) to the verb root.

In summary, passive verbs are used to indicate the recipient of an action, rather than the performer. To form the passive voice in Halh Mongolian, we use the auxiliary verb "болох" (boloh) and the past participle form of the main verb, created by adding the suffix "-сан" (-san) to the verb root. Keep in mind that not all verbs can take the passive voice, and typically only action verbs do.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson on passive verbs in Halh Mongolian! In the next lesson, we will cover imperative verbs, including how to give commands, suggestions, or advice to others.

Table of Contents - Halh Mongolian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to the Halh Mongolian Alphabet

• Cyrillic Script
• Vowel Harmony

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Basic Greetings and Expressions

• Greetings
• Polite Expressions

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Cases
• Personal Pronouns

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Numbers and Time

• Cardinal Numbers
• Ordinal Numbers
• Telling Time

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

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Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Phrases

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

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Mongolian Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Holidays
• Mongolian Etiquette

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Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

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Mongolian Music and Arts

• Traditional Music
• Visual Arts

Related Lessons

• Gender
• Declensions
• 0 to A1 Course
• Adjectives
• Pronouns
• Personal pronouns
• Present Tense Verbs
• Future Tense
• Past Tense Verbs