Test of Mongolian as a Foreign Language key terms

The Cyrillic alphabet used to write Mongolian, consisting of 35 letters including the extra characters ө and ү. Learners must recognize both upper and lower case forms to read signs, forms, and printed texts.

The fixed order of letters in the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet, used for looking words up in dictionaries, indexes, and lists. Knowing it speeds up searching reference materials during the reading section.

A vowel sound or letter. Mongolian distinguishes back and front vowels, and vowel harmony governs which suffixes attach to a word, so mishearing a vowel often changes the whole ending.

A consonant sound or letter. Certain consonants alternate or drop in suffix-initial position, which affects both spelling in writing tasks and recognition of spoken word forms.

Vowel harmony: the rule that suffixes must contain vowels of the same class (back or front) as the word stem. It determines the correct ending form in grammar exercises and in your own written sentences.

A suffix or ending attached to a stem to mark case, number, possession, tense, or person. Choosing the right suffix form is the core skill tested in the grammar and vocabulary section.

Grammatical case. Mongolian nouns take case endings for nominative, genitive, accusative, dative-locative, ablative, instrumental, comitative, and directional, each answering a different question about the noun's role.

A noun: a word naming a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns carry plural, case, and possessive endings, and recognizing them helps you parse who does what in a listening or reading passage.

A verb: a word expressing an action or state. Mongolian verbs take tense, aspect, and person endings and appear in many converb forms, so verb recognition is essential for following the timeline of a text.

Grammatical tense. Mongolian marks past, present, and future mainly through verb endings, and time adverbs often reinforce them, which helps you decide when the events in a listening passage occur.

Past tense, formed with endings such as -сан/-сэн/-сон/-сөн or -лаа/-лээ. It signals that an action is complete, a cue that helps you order events correctly in comprehension questions.

Present tense, expressed with endings like -на/-нэ/-но/-нө or the progressive -ж байна. It describes habitual or ongoing actions and often appears in descriptions and instructions.

The plural ending, most commonly -ууд/-үүд or -нар/-нэр. Learners must notice that a plural marker on the noun usually means the quantity word is not repeated.

A pronoun such as би, чи, тэр, бид, та. Pronouns change form by case, and tracking them across sentences is key to knowing who is being referred to in a dialogue.

An interrogative word such as хэн, юу, хаана, хэзээ, яагаад, хэрхэн. Recognizing these tells you what kind of information a question in the listening or reading section is asking for.

A question sentence, marked by a question word or by the particle уу/үү and a final question mark. Identifying it helps you separate what the speaker asks from what they state.

A sentence. Mongolian word order is subject-object-verb, so the verb usually comes last; knowing this helps you locate the main action when a spoken or written sentence is long.

A dictionary. In the reading section you may need to use one, so familiarity with alphabetical order and with how headwords and example phrases are listed saves time.

Transliteration or a loanword written in adapted form. Foreign names and technical terms are often rendered phonetically in Cyrillic, so recognizing the original word behind the spelling aids comprehension.

The traditional vertical Mongolian script, written top to bottom in columns running left to right. It appears on official emblems and signs, so learners should at least recognize it as distinct from Cyrillic.

Formal or official in register, typical of announcements, letters to institutions, and news reports. Recognizing formal phrasing helps you choose the appropriate style in writing tasks and interpret polite announcements.

An official letter or document such as an application, request, or notice. It follows set conventions of greeting, body, and closing, which a writing candidate is expected to reproduce correctly.

A letter or written message, personal or official. Writing tasks often ask for a short letter, so learners need standard openings, closings, and a clear statement of purpose.

Respect or a respectful form of address, shown by words like та instead of чи and by polite closing formulas. Using it appropriately is scored in both writing and speaking.

Speech, talk, or a conversation. The listening section is built around short dialogues and monologues, so learners should follow turn-taking and identify the topic and speakers' intentions.

An interview or dialogue between two or more speakers. Questions and answers alternate, and comprehension items often ask what one speaker thinks or why they respond as they do.

Listening comprehension as a test skill: understanding recorded speech at natural speed. Practise catching key words, numbers, and place names rather than translating every word.

Pronunciation. Mongolian spelling is fairly regular but stress and vowel length differ from many languages, so accurate pronunciation supports both listening recognition and clear speaking.

To narrate or state; also used for speaking or expressing oneself. In the speaking section candidates are asked to narrate an experience or describe a picture in connected sentences.

Meaning or sense of a word or sentence. Questions often test whether you can infer meaning from context when a word is unfamiliar, so use surrounding clues rather than stopping.

A title or heading of a text, article, or section. Titles preview the topic and help you predict content before detailed reading, which is a useful strategy in timed tasks.

A conclusion or summary. Reading passages and writing tasks may require you to state the main point or draw a conclusion, so identify the writer's purpose and supporting details.

A home or the traditional felt dwelling (yurt). It appears constantly in everyday texts and dialogues about family, address, and daily life, and takes case endings like other nouns.

A family, household, or group of related households. It is a frequent topic in personal letters and listening passages about daily life, so know its plural and possessive forms.

A city or town, contrasted with countryside terms like хөдөө. Place words like this often appear in directions, travel dialogues, and reading passages about where people live.

A number or numeral. Listening and reading items frequently test numbers in prices, times, dates, and phone numbers, so practise hearing and writing them accurately.