In Mongolian, you can convey the coordinating conjunction “and” in several different ways. However, there is no doubt that deciphering how to use “and” of Mongolian might seem daunting at first, it isn’t impossible to learn. In my opinion, once you unpack the reasons why and how they are used, you will find yourself writing sentences in Mongolian in no time.
When I first started learning Mongolian, I remember feeling both awe-struck and confused as to why there are several forms for expressing this conjunction. To be honest, I was a little scared and disheartened at first because I thought… how in the world can I learn this language and remember all these rules! It really was a linguistic challenge for me but it was a hurdle I soon overcame after hours of researching, consulting grammar books, and practicing with Mongolian friends.
In this post, I will try my best to unpack the usages of this coordinating conjunction.
I hope this helps!
The most commonly used forms of expressing “and” in Mongolian include: ба, бөгөөд, болон.
ба: Used when two sentence clauses’ convey a different subject. Ба is most commonly used in written language.
Ханхүү Иван ба саарал чоно. Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf (a famous story from Russian folklore).
Хэрээ ба хун. The crow and the swan.
бөгөөд: Used when two sentences convey the same subject. The verb will always be located at the beginning of the sentence. This form of “and” is commonly used in written and literary Mongolian.
However, in colloquial Mongolian, you can also use -ж/ч + -аад to join a verb to the clause. – ж/ч join two or more actions that are not directly related to one another. -аад joins actions that follow and flow into the next sentence clause.
Би Mонголд явах бөгөөд тэнд сургуулд сурна. I will go to Mongolia and study (in school) there.
Манай найз Перуд сурч байгаа бөгөөд удахгүй ирнэ. My friend is studying in Peru but she/he will come back soon.
болон: Originates from the verb болох. It conveys the meaning “as well as.”
Би орос болон монгол хэлээр сайн ярьдаг. I speak Russian as well as Mongolian.
Манай найз номын сан болон их дэлгүүрт очсон. My friend went to the library as well as the State Department Store.