Question words: юу (what), хэн (who), хаана (where), яаж (how), яагаад (why). Yes/no questions with -уу/-үү suffix
Can ask basic questions and form yes/no questions with -уу/-үү
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Энэ юу вэ?
What is this?
Та оюутан уу?
Are you a student?
Та хаанаас ирсэн бэ?
Where are you from?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Mongolian question words:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| юу | what | Энэ юу вэ? |
| хэн | who | Тэр хэн бэ? |
| хаана | where | Та хаана байна? |
| хаанаас | from where | Та хаанаас ирсэн бэ? |
| яаж | how | Та яаж байна? |
| яагаад | why | Яагаад вэ? |
| хэд | how many/much | Хэд вэ? |
Yes/No questions: add -уу (back) or -үү (front) to the verb. Та оюутан уу? — Тийм. / Үгүй.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesForms yes/no question by intonation only
Add -уу (back) or -үү (front) to the verb: байна уу?
Uses -уу after front-vowel words or -үү after back-vowel words
Back (а/о/у) → -уу; front (э/ő/ү) → -үү.
Энэ юу вэ?
What is this?
юу = what. вэ = question particle (front vowel form). Verb at end.
Та оюутан уу?
Are you a student?
уу = yes/no suffix (back vowel). Тийм = yes, Үгүй = no.
Та хаанаас ирсэн бэ?
Where are you from?
хаанаас = where + ablative -аас. бэ = question particle (front vowels).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
A1 Module 1: Mongolian greetings, Cyrillic, and first sentences