Сайн байцгаана уу! Hello everyone. This is Тэмүүжин from Talk In Mongolian.

One of the first things you’ll notice when learning Mongolian is that we sometimes have different ways of saying the same thing. It all depends on who you’re talking to.

This is often called “politeness levels” or formal and informal speech.

Getting this right is super important. Using the wrong level of politeness can make you sound a bit rude, even if you don’t mean to!

Today, I’ll break down the basics of formal and informal Mongolian so you can navigate conversations with confidence and respect.

The two “yous”: Та vs. Чи

The biggest and most important difference between formal and informal Mongolian comes down to one little word: “you”. In English, you just have “you”, but in Mongolian, we have two main options: Та (Ta) and Чи (Chi).

Та (Ta) - The Formal “You”

Та is the polite, formal, and respectful way to say “you”. You should use it when you are speaking to:

• Someone older than you
• A stranger
• A person in a position of authority (like a teacher, a boss, or a police officer)
• Anyone in a formal setting (like a shop, a government office, or a business meeting)

Basically, Та is your safe bet. If you’re not sure which one to use, always choose Та.

Interestingly, Та is also used for the plural “you” (when talking to a group of people). To make it extra clear you mean a group, you can say Та нар (Ta nar).

Чи (Chi) - The Informal “You”

Чи is the informal, casual, and friendly way to say “you”. You should only use it when speaking to:

• Close friends
• Family members who are your age or younger (like siblings or cousins)
• Children
• Sometimes, pets!

Be careful with Чи! Calling an elder or a stranger Чи is considered very disrespectful. Think of it like calling your teacher by their first name without permission.

Here’s a quick summary:

Making your verbs polite

It’s not just the pronoun that changes. The verbs and question endings also adapt to show politeness. This sounds tricky, but it’s mostly about adding a polite “question particle” at the end of your sentences.

When asking a formal question with Та, you’ll often add -уу? / -үү? to the verb.

This is a polite and respectful question. If you were asking a close friend the same thing, you could use the same structure, but the context of using Чи makes it informal.

Another key polite form is for making requests. You’ll add -на уу / -нэ үү / -но уу / -нө үү to the verb stem. This is like adding “please” in English.

For example, the verb “to sit” is суух (suukh).

This is a very polite way to offer someone a seat. On the other hand, if you were telling your little brother to sit down, you would just use the verb stem as a command.

See the difference? One is a polite invitation, the other is a direct command.

How it works in real life: common phrases

Let’s look at how this plays out in some everyday greetings and questions.

Greetings

The standard formal greeting is Сайн байна уу? (Sain baina uu?). That polite -уу ending is a giveaway that it’s formal.

When you’re greeting a friend, you can shorten it to just Сайн уу? (Sain uu?).

Asking “How are you?”

If you want to formally ask how someone is doing, you can ask about their well-being.

With a friend, you can be much more direct and casual.

Saying Thank You

Баярлалаа (Bayarlalaa) is the standard way to say “thank you” and it works in almost every situation, formal or informal. To make it extra formal and direct, you can add Танд (Tand), which means “to you (formal)“.

When in doubt: a simple cheat sheet

It can take a little while to get a feel for when to be formal or informal. Here is a simple guide to help you decide.

Use Formal Speech (Та):

• When you meet someone for the first time.
• When talking to anyone older than you (even by a few years).
• In any professional or service situation (stores, restaurants, offices, taxis).
• With your teachers, your boss, or your doctor.

Use Informal Speech (Чи):

• With your close friends and people your own age you know well.
• With your siblings and younger family members.
• With children.
• Only when an older person or someone in authority tells you it’s okay to speak informally with them.

And now for the most important rule of all…

The Golden Rule: When in doubt, always use Та!

It is never rude to be too polite. But it can be very rude to be too casual. By starting with Та, you show respect, and you can always switch to Чи later if the other person suggests it.

In terms of regional variations, these rules apply pretty much everywhere in Mongolia, from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to the countryside. Politeness is a core part of Mongolian culture.

Mastering the difference between Та and Чи is a huge step toward speaking Mongolian more naturally and respectfully. It shows that you’re not just learning words, but you’re also learning our culture.

Амжилт хүсье! (Good luck!)