Grammar and Vocabulary
What this section tests
This domain checks control of Mongolian morphology - especially suffix chains - plus vocabulary range and collocation. Items typically ask you to choose the correct suffix form, pick the right word for a context, or identify a synonym/antonym.
Concepts to master
- Vowel harmony: back (а, о, у) vs. front (э, ө, ү, и); suffixes have paired forms (-дaр/-дээр etc.). И is neutral in many contexts.
- Plural suffixes: -ууд/-үүд, -нар/-нэр, -д, -с.
- Case system: genitive -ын/-ийн/-ны/-ний/-ийн; accusative -ыг/-ийг/-г; dative-locative -д/-т; ablative -аас/-ээс/-оос/-өөс; instrumental-comitative -аар/-ээр/-оор/-өөр.
- Possessive suffixes: -минь, -чинь, -нь, -маань.
- Verb tense/aspect: -на/-нэ (present/future), -в/-ав/-эв (past), -жээ/-чээ (recent past/evidential), -сан/-сэн (perfect/participial), -х/-хыг (future participle).
- Converbs: -ж/-ч, -ад/-эд, -вал/-вэл, -бал, -магц.
- Collocations: цаг авах (take time), шийдвэр гаргах (make a decision), анхаарал хандуулах (pay attention).
Traps
- Harmony mismatch - an option with the right meaning but wrong vowel class.
- Stem-final consonant rules - -т after voiceless consonants, -д elsewhere.
- Similar-sounding suffixes - -сан (past/perfect) vs. -на (present/future) change the timeline.
- False friends in vocabulary - near-synonyms that do not collocate with the given noun.
Worked example
Choose the correct form of "in Ulaanbaatar": stem Улаанбаатар ends in -р, a back-vowel word, so dative-locative is -т: УлаанбаатаРТ. A front-vowel word like хот (city) takes хотод; гэр takes гэрт. Rule: match vowel class first, then check the final consonant.
Rule of thumb
Before reading options, say the required suffix aloud from the stem's vowel class and final sound; then eliminate options that break either rule.