If you’re planning a trip to Mongolia, you’ll almost certainly start your journey in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar.

People ask me all the time: “Can I just get by with English in Ulaanbaatar?”

While it’s true that younger people in the city know some English, assuming you can speak English everywhere is a mistake. Relying only on English will keep you in a “tourist bubble.”

Learning even a little bit of standard Khalkha Mongolian (the main dialect spoken in Ulaanbaatar) will completely change your experience. It makes everything from taking a taxi to buying souvenirs easier and much more fun.

Here are five reasons why you need to learn some Mongolian before you go.

English isn’t widely spoken outside tourist areas

Ulaanbaatar is a fast-growing, modern city. If you’re staying in a high-end hotel or eating at a western restaurant near Sukhbaatar Square, you’ll find English speakers.

But the moment you step out of the main tourist zones, English disappears quickly.

Bus drivers, local shop owners, and older generations usually only speak Mongolian (and sometimes Russian). If you get lost or need help, knowing how to ask basic questions in Mongolian is a lifesaver.

Here’s a great phrase to learn right away so you can politely check if someone speaks English:

Navigating the city becomes much easier

Ulaanbaatar can be a confusing city to get around. The traffic is heavy, and bus routes are entirely written in the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet.

If you don’t know how to read the alphabet or ask for directions, you’ll have to rely on expensive tourist taxis instead of cheap public transport.

Even if you just learn the alphabet and a few directional words, you’ll feel much more confident. By the way, the standard dialect in Ulaanbaatar is the Khalkha dialect. If you travel later to Western Mongolia (where many speak Kazakh or Oirat dialects), your Khalkha Mongolian will still be understood by almost everyone because it’s the national standard taught in schools.

Here’s how you can ask for the bus stop:

You’ll get better prices when shopping

One of the best things to do in Ulaanbaatar is visit the Narantuul Market (also known as the Black Market). You can find everything from traditional deel clothing to antiques.

However, if a vendor hears you speaking only English, they’ll often give you a “tourist price,” which is much higher than the normal price.

When you ask for the price in Mongolian and understand the numbers they say back, vendors will respect you more. They realize you’re not just a clueless tourist, and you’re much more likely to get a fair deal!

To help you out, here are the basic numbers you need for shopping:

It shows respect to the local culture

Mongolians are incredibly proud of their heritage, history, and language. Because Mongolian isn’t a commonly learned language worldwide, locals are deeply impressed when foreigners make an effort to speak it.

If you try to speak their language, Mongolians will open up to you. You’ll experience legendary Mongolian hospitality. You might get invited to share a cup of milk tea (suutei tsai) or even get invited to visit a family’s ger (yurt) outside the city.

A simple “thank you” goes a very long way in building friendships:

You can order the best authentic food

Ulaanbaatar has some amazing restaurants, but the best local food isn’t found in places with English menus. The best buuz (steamed dumplings) and khuushuur (fried meat pastries) are found in small, local diners called guanz.

In these local spots, the menus are printed strictly in Cyrillic, and the staff will only speak Mongolian.

If you learn basic food vocabulary, you can confidently walk into any local restaurant, order a delicious hot meal, and pay a fraction of the price you’d pay at a tourist trap.

Here’s how you can tell a waiter that you want some delicious Mongolian dumplings:

Summary

You don’t need to be completely fluent to have a great time in Ulaanbaatar, but learning the basics is essential.

By taking the time to learn the Cyrillic alphabet, basic greetings, numbers, and food vocabulary, you’ll navigate the city easily, save money, and make wonderful connections with the local people.

Check out our other guides here on the blog to start mastering your first phrases!