When you first start learning Mongolian, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it has two completely different writing systems. It can be confusing!

You’ll see the modern, block-like letters of Cyrillic, and you’ll also see the beautiful, vertical, flowing lines of the traditional script.

So, what’s the difference, and which one should you learn?

Don’t worry, the answer is actually very simple. In this guide, I’ll break it down for you so you know exactly where to focus your energy.

What is the Mongolian Cyrillic script?

The Mongolian Cyrillic script is the official writing system used in the country of Mongolia today. If you walk down the street in Ulaanbaatar, this is the script you will see on all the signs, in books, on websites, and in newspapers.

It was introduced in the 1940s during the Soviet era to increase literacy. It’s based on the Russian alphabet but includes two extra letters to represent unique Mongolian vowel sounds: Ө (ö) and Ү (ü).

For language learners, this is great news. The Cyrillic alphabet is phonetic, meaning words are spelled pretty much exactly how they sound. If you’re familiar with the Latin alphabet (like English) or any other Cyrillic-based language, you’ll find it fairly easy to pick up.

Here’s a simple sentence in Mongolian Cyrillic:

This is the script used for almost all modern Mongolian language learning materials.

What is the Traditional Mongolian script (Mongol Bichig)?

The traditional script, known as Монгол бичиг (Mongol bichig), is the original writing system of the Mongols. It’s famous for being one of the few writing systems in the world that is written vertically, from top to bottom, with columns running from left to right.

This script has a long and proud history, dating back to the time of Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) in the early 13th century. It has a beautiful, flowing, artistic look, and you’ll often see it used in calligraphy, on official seals, and for ceremonial purposes in Mongolia.

However, it is not used for everyday life in Mongolia.

Where it is still the official, everyday script is in the Inner Mongolia region of China. So, if you’re learning the Mongolian dialect spoken there, you will need to learn Mongol Bichig.

Learning this script is more challenging because letters change their shape depending on their position in a word (at the beginning, middle, or end).

What are the main differences?

Let’s break down the key differences in a simple table.

Which script should you learn?

This is the most important question, and the answer is very clear.

If you are learning the language spoken in Mongolia, you must learn the Cyrillic script.

It’s that simple.

All modern communication, education, and media in Mongolia use Cyrillic. Trying to learn the language of Mongolia without learning Cyrillic would be like trying to learn English without learning the letters A, B, and C. It’s the essential first step.

So, who should learn Mongol Bichig?

You should only focus on the traditional script if:

• You plan to travel to, live in, or study the language of Inner Mongolia.
• You are an advanced student of Mongolian and want to study history, classical literature, or calligraphy.
• You simply have a personal passion for the beauty and history of the script after you are already comfortable with modern Mongolian.

For 99% of beginners, the path is clear: start with Cyrillic, get comfortable reading and writing it, and use it to build your vocabulary and grammar. Once you have a strong foundation in the language, you can always explore the beautiful world of Mongol Bichig as a new challenge.