Language/Halh-mongolian/Vocabulary/Numbers-and-Counting

Halh Mongolian → Vocabulary → Numbers and Counting

As a Halh Mongolian language teacher, I find numbers and counting to be one of the most useful topics in everyday life. Whether you are buying groceries, negotiating a price or simply telling time, knowing how to count in Halh Mongolian will be an essential skill you need to master.

In this lesson, we will cover cardinal and ordinal numbers, the various counting systems used for different objects and give some cultural insights into the importance of mathematics in Mongolian history and culture.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Useful phrases & At the Post Office.

Cardinal Numbers

Cardinal numbers are used to count quantity. Here are the Halh Mongolian cardinal numbers from 1 to 10:

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
нэг	neg	one
хоёр	khoor	two
гурав	gurav	three
дөрөв	dorov	four
тав	tav	five
зургаа	zurgaa	six
долоо	doloo	seven
найм	naim	eight
ес	yes	nine
арван	arvan	ten

Note that when counting, the numbers from 1 to 9 follow a simple pattern, with the suffix "-н" added to the end of the number. For example, "нэг" meaning "one" becomes "хоёр" meaning "two". However, this pattern is broken when counting to 10, where the word "арван" is used instead of "нэг арван".

For numbers larger than ten, Halh Mongolian uses a system similar to English. The numbers are created by combining the cardinal numbers with the word "арван", which means "ten". For example, "арван нэг" means "eleven", "арван хоёр" means "twelve" and so on.

Here are some examples of larger numbers:

• "гучин дөрвөн" (34)
• "тавь ширхэг найм" (57)
• "зургаа арван долоо" (76)

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the order of something. In Halh Mongolian, ordinal numbers are created by adding the suffix "-р" to the end of the cardinal number. For example, "нэг" meaning "one" becomes "нэгэнцэр" meaning "first".

Here are some examples of Halh Mongolian ordinal numbers:

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
нэгэнцэр	negen-tser	first
хоёрдугаар	khoor-du-gaar	second
гуравдугаар	gurav-du-gaar	third
дөрөвдүгээр	dorov-dü-geer	fourth
тавдугаар	tav-du-gaar	fifth
зургаадугаар	zurgaa-du-gaar	sixth
долоодугаар	doloo-du-gaar	seventh
наймдугаар	naim-du-gaar	eighth
есдүгээр	yes-dü-geer	ninth
арвандугаар	arvan-du-gaar	tenth

Counting Systems

Halh Mongolian uses different counting systems for different objects. For example, when counting objects such as people, animals, or trees Halh Mongolian uses a different set of words than when counting inanimate objects such as books or plates.

Here are some of the different counting systems used in Halh Mongolian:

Counting Animals

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
нохой	nohoy	one dog
хонь	hon	one horse
морь	mor	one sheep or goat
гахай	gakhay	one ox
тэмээ	temee	one camel
амьт	amut	one cow
үхэр	uh-her	one cat

Note that when counting animals, we use the word "нэг" (one) with the name of the animal. For example, "хонь" means "one horse".

When counting multiple animals, we use the plural form of the animal's name. For example, "нохойн" means "dogs".

Counting Inanimate Objects

When counting inanimate objects, Halh Mongolian uses a different counting system. Here are some examples:

Halh Mongolian	Pronunciation	English
нэг ширээ	neg shiree	one cup
хоёр тоног	khoor tonog	two shirts
гурав сум	gurav sum	three bags
дөрөв чулуу	dorov chuluu	four stones

Note that when counting objects, we use a measure word after the number. For example, "ширээ" means "cup", and "нэг" means "one". So, we say "нэг ширээ" to mean "one cup".

Cultural Insights

Mathematics has always been an important discipline in Mongolia. The invention of the decimal system is attributed to a Buddhist monk from Mongolia named Bhaskara II. The decimal system is the most widely used system for counting and arithmetic operations in the world today.

Mongolian children start learning mathematics from an early age. Schools focus on developing foundation skills such as multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division. It is a vital skill as Mongolians have always been herders, and herders need to keep track of their livestock in a harsh environment.

In Mongolian culture, numbers also have a symbolic meaning. For example, the number "4" is considered unlucky as it sounds like the word "death" in Mongolian. In contrast, the number "9" is considered lucky and is often used for auspicious events like weddings.

As a language teacher, I find that integrating cultural information and interesting facts into lessons helps students better engage with the material. I hope these insights into the importance of numbers in Mongolian culture will help motivate you to learn Halh Mongolian numbers and counting.

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Days of the Week
• Fruits
• Health
• Numbers
• Weather and Climate
• Nature
• Transportation
• Business and Economy
• Seasons