To emphasize the past tense in the Mongolian language. Use the following suffixes with vowel harmony.
Suffixes:
- -сан, сэн, сон, сөн
- -лаа, лээ, лоо, лөө
- -в
- жээ/чээ
Note:
The suffix –сан4 can be added directly to verb stems that end with a consonant, vowel, or soft sign.
For example: уншсан (read), хийсэн (did), тоглосон (played), үзсэн (saw)
But if the verb ends with ‘хь’, the soft sign becomes ‘и’.
For example: цохь+сон=цохисон (hit)
Negative
For negative form –aaгүй4
1. When this suffix is added to verb stems that end with long vowels and diphthongs, г is inserted between the four vowels.
For example: уу+аагүй= уугаагүй
2. If the last letters of a stem are C+V+C, the vowel in between the two consonants is dropped when we add this suffix.
For example: амaр+аагүй=амраагүй
3. If the verb ends with a short vowel, the short vowel is dropped when we add +аагүй4
For example:
Ажилла+аагүй= Ажиллаагүй
Тогло+оогүй= Тоглоогүй
4. If the verb stem ends with a soft sign, the soft sign becomes и and one of the long vowels is dropped when we add.
For example:
барь+аагүй=бариагүй
боль+оогүй=болиогүй
тавь+аагүй=тавиагүй
харь+аагүй= хариагүй
Example sentence: Би өчигдөр гэртээ хариагүй (I didn’t go home).
Keywords for Past tense
Уржигдар – Day before yesterday
Өчигдөр – Yesterday
Өнгөрсөн жил (ноднин) – Last year
Өнгөрсөн сар – Last month
Өнгөрсөн 7 хоног – Last week
Өнгөрсөн шөнө – Last night
Жилийн өмнө – A year ago
7 хоногийн өмнө – A week ago
Цагийн өмнө – An hour ago
Example Sentences:
Би өнөөдөр иог хийгээгүй. I didn’t do yoga today.
Тэр өнөөдөр хичээлээ хийгээгүй. He didn’t do his class today.
Чи өдрийн хоолоо идсэн үү? Did you eat lunch?
Би өнгөрсөн 7 хоногт дэлгүүр яваагүй. I didn’t go to the mall last week.
Би өчигдөр сургуульдаа явсан. I went to my school yesterday.
Тэр өчигдөр ажилд оржээ. He got job yesterday.
Би өнөөдөр өрөөгөө цэвэрлэсэн. I cleaned my room today.
Чи өнгөрсөн сард гадуур гарсан уу? Did you go out last month?
Exercises
Please translate the following sentences into Mongolian:
1. He came to my house.
2. Did he go to the school yesterday?
3. When did she go to work?
4. Did you do yoga last summer?
5. We didn’t go to school last week.
6. She didn’t pick up her phone.