Buryat women standing beside Lake Baikal in Russia. Photo from Baikalika.ru

The Talking Buryat Phrasebook

Published: November 7, 2020

The Talking Phrasebook Series presents useful phrases and words in side-by-side translation and with audio files specifically geared to help students work on listening skills and pronunciation. Each entry below, divided by category, features an English word or phrase in the left column and its Georgian translation in the right. The Georgian is presented in the Georgian alphabet on top and in English transliteration below that.

In the center column for each row is a play button. The recorded file will feature first English, then the Georgian in three versions: one slow, one with each syllable broken out, and a last version that will be spoken as it might be overheard in a conversation between native speakers.

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Table of Contents
1. Survival Basics
2. Introductions
3. Directions
4. Shopping
5. Counting

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Interesting Facts about Buryat

  1. There is no grammatical gender in Buryat, no seperate adjectives for โ€œhe,โ€ โ€œshe,โ€ and โ€œit,โ€ and no seperate adjectives for โ€œmaleโ€ and โ€œfemaleโ€ (although the noun forms of โ€œmanโ€ and โ€œwomanโ€ are sometimes compounded to words to serve as an equivelent to the adjectival forms).
  2. Buryat places the object before the verb. If English used this same rule, you would need to say, for example, โ€œI Buryat learn.โ€
  3. Buryat places its prepositions after the words they modify (in which case, the word type is actually known as a postpostion. If English used this same rule, you would need to say, for example, โ€œI live America in.โ€
  4. Buryat speakers live in pockets of population in Russia, Mongolia, and China. There are many dialects which have formed based, in part, on the influences that the larger national languages have had on the local population. Those dialects spoken in Russia are split by Lake Baikal, with those speakers on the west side of the lake showing more Russian influence and those to the east showing less.
  5. Buryat is an official language of the Republic of Buryatia and enjoys protected status there. Buryatia is located on eastern shore of Lake Baikal and is part of The Russian Federation.
  6. Buryat has seven noun cases: nominative, genitive, dative-locative, accusative, instrumental, comitative, and ablative. Ablative is most common in Turkic and Turkic-influenced languages and most commonly denotes movement away from something else.
  7. There are an estimated half million ethnic Buryats. It is also estimated that bit less than sixty percent of them speak Buryat. The UN has classified Buryat as an endagered language.

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Survival Basics for Buryat back to top

Hello!
Hayn!

(าปะฐiะฝ!)

Hello!
Amar sain!

(ะะผะฐั€ ัะฐะนะฝ!)

Hello!
Mendee!

(ะœัะฝะดัั!)
*more formal โ€“ to greet a teacher/passer-by

Yes
Tiime

(ะขะธะธะผั)

No
Ugy

(าฎะณั‹)

Good morning!
Ugloonei mende?

(าฎะณะปำฉำฉะฝัะน ะผัะฝะดั?

Good afternoon!
Uderei mende?

(าฎะดัั€ัะน ะผัะฝะดั?)

Good evening!
Udeshyn mende?

(าฎะดััˆั‹ะฝ ะผัะฝะดั?

Whatโ€™s up?
Heregshni yamar bajnab?

(ะฅัั€ัะณัˆะฝะธ ัะผะฐั€ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?

Whatโ€™s up?
Jamar bajnabta?

(ะฏะผะฐั€ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑั‚ะฐ?)

How are you?
Jamar bainash?

(ะฏะผะฐั€ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐัˆ?

Good, thanks, and you?
Barag, shy her bainash?

(ะ‘ะฐั€ะฐะณ, ัˆะธ ั…ัั€ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐัˆ? (ะฑะตะท ัะฟะฐัะธะฑะพ)

Goodbye!
Bajartai!

(ะ‘ะฐัั€ั‚ะฐะน!)

Goodbye!
Bayartai, hain baigty!

(ะ‘ะฐัั€ั‚ะฐะน, าบะฐะนะฝ ะฑะฐะนะณั‚ั‹!)

See you later!
Uulzuuzhabdi!

(ะฃัƒะปะทัƒัƒะถะฐะฑะดะธ!)

Sorry!
Hulise!

(ะฅาฏะปะธัั!

Open/closed
Neegdeetei/haagdaatai)

(ะััะณะดััั‚ัะน/ั…ะฐะฐะณะดะฐะฐั‚ะฐะน)

Pull/push
Oor ruugaa/oorhoo

(ำจำฉั€ ั€ัƒัƒะณะฐะฐ/ำฉำฉั€าปำฉำฉ)

Small/big
Tomo/baga

(ะขะพะผะพ/ะฑะฐะณะฐ

Do you speak English?
Angli Helen deere duugardagshi?

(ะะฝะณะปะธ ั…ัะปัะฝ ะดััั€ั ะดัƒัƒะณะฐั€ะดะฐะณัˆะธ?)

I donโ€™t speak English.
Bi Angli helen deere duugardagguib.

(ะ‘ะธ ะะฝะณะปะธ ั…ัะปัะฝ ะดััั€ั ะดัƒัƒะณะฐั€ะดะฐะณะณาฏะนะฑ.)

I only speak a little Russian.
Bi nege baga orodoor duugardagbi.

(ะ‘ะธ ะฝัะณั ะฑะฐะณะฐ ะพั€ะพะดะพะพั€ ะดัƒัƒะณะฐั€ะดะฐะณะฑะธ.)

I understand/I donโ€™t understand.
Bi oilgonob./Bi oilgonoguib.

(ะ‘ะธ ะพะนะปะณะพะฝะพะฑ./ะ‘ะธ ะพะนะปะณะพะฝะพะณาฏะนะฑ.)

Thank you!/Thank you very much!
Bayarlaa! Ehe bayarlaa!

(ะ‘ะฐัั€ะปะฐะฐ! ะ•ั…ั ะฑะฐัั€ะปะฐะฐ!)

Very well, thanks!
Ehe hain, bayarlaa!

(ะ•ั…ั าปะฐะนะฝ, ะฑะฐัั€ะปะฐะฐ!)

Youโ€™re welcome!
Zaa, zai, boloho.

(ะ—ะฐะฐ, ะทะฐะน, ะฑะพะปะพั…ะพ.)

(as a response to โ€œthank youโ€)

Excuse me!
Hulisezhe hairlyt!

(ะฅาฏะปะธััะถั ั…ะฐะนั€ะปั‹ั‚!)

Good
Hain/berhe

(าบะฐะนะฝ/ะฑัั€ั…ั)

Bad
Muu/muu

(ะœัƒัƒ/ะผัƒัƒ)

Please file missing
Hairlyt

(ะฅะฐะนั€ะปั‹ั‚)

A little
Nege baga

(ะัะณั ะฑะฐะณะฐ.)

Could you speak more slowly?
Nege baga udaanar helezhe ugyt.

(ะัะณั ะฑะฐะณะฐ ัƒะดะฐะฐะฝะฐั€ ั…ัะปัะถั าฏะณั‹ั‚.)

Could you repeat, please?
Dabtazha helyt!

(ะ”ะฐะฑั‚ะฐะถะฐ ั…ัะปั‹ั‚!)

Could you write that down?
Eneenie beshezhe ugyt!

(ะญะฝััะฝะธะต ะฑััˆัะถั าฏะณั‹ั‚!)

My bag/wallet/passport was stolen.
Minii sumka/minii mungei koshelโ€™ok/minii passport huuluugaa.

(ะœะธะฝะธะธ ััƒะผะบะฐ/ะผะธะฝะธะธ ะผาฏะฝะณัะฝัะน ะบะพัˆะตะปะตะบ/ะผะธะฝะธะธ ะฟะฐัะฟะพั€ั‚ ั…ัƒัƒะปัƒัƒะณะฐะฐ.)

I need a doctor!
Namda emshende oshoho heregtei.

(ะะฐะผะดะฐ ัะผัˆัะฝะดั ะพัˆะพั…ะพ ั…ัั€ัะณั‚ัะน.)

Call the police!
Politsi duudagty!

(ะŸะพะปะธั†ะธ ะดัƒัƒะดะฐะณั‚ั‹!)

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Introductions in Buryatย  back to top

What is your name?
Shi hen gezhe nereteibshi?

(ะจะธ ั…ัะฝ ะณัะถั ะฝัั€ัั‚ัะนะฑัˆะธ?)

Pleased to meet you!
Tanilsahandaa bayartaib!

(ะขะฐะฝะธะปัะฐาปะฐะฝะดะฐะฐ ะฑะฐัั€ั‚ะฐะนะฑ!)

I am 25 years old.
Bi horin taba nahataib.

(ะ‘ะธ ั…ะพั€ะธะฝ ั‚ะฐะฑะฐ ะฝะฐาปะฐั‚ะฐะนะฑ.)

How old are you?
Shi hedyteibshi?

(ะจะธ ั…ัะดั‹ั‚ัะนะฑัˆะธ?)

Where are you from?
Shi haanahiinbshi?

(ะจะธ ั…ะฐะฐะฝะฐั…ะธะธะฝะฑัˆะธ?)

I am American.
Bi Amrikahaab.

(ะ‘ะธ ะะผั€ะธะบะฐาปะฐะฐะฑ.)

No, I am from Canada.
Ugy, bi Kanaadahaab.

(าฎะณั‹, ะฑะธ ะšะฐะฝะฐะฐะดะฐาปะฐะฐะฑ.)

She is Australian.
Tere Avstralian basagan.

(ะขัั€ั ะะฒัั‚ั€ะฐะปะธะธะฝ ะฑะฐัะฐะณะฐะฝ.)

He is Irish.
Tere hubuun Irlandiin.

(ะขัั€ั ั…าฏะฑาฏาฏะฝ ะ˜ั€ะปะฐะฝะดะธะธะฝ.

We are from New Zealand.
Bide Novo Zelandiinbdi.

(ะ‘ะธะดั ะะพะฒะพ ะ—ะตะปะฐะฝะดะธะธะฝะฑะดะธ.)

They are from Wales.
Tede Uelโ€™shee.

(ะขัะดั ะฃัะปัŒัาปัั.)

How do you like Russia?
Shamda Rosside goyo gu?

(ะจะฐะผะดะฐ ะ ะพััะธะดั ะณะพั‘ ะณาฏ?)

I like Russia very much.
Namda Rosside goyo.

(ะะฐะผะดะฐ ะ ะพััะธะดั ะณะพั‘.)

Have you ever been to Irkutsk?
Shi/ta hezeebdaa Erhuu hotodo baigaahengshi?ย 

(ะจะธ ั…ัะทััะดัะฑะดะฐะฐ ะญั€ั…าฏาฏ ั…ะพั‚ะพะดะพ ะฑะฐะนะณะฐะฐาปัะฝะณัˆะธ? (singular, familiar.))

(ะขะฐ ั…ัะทััะฑะดะฐะฐ ะญั€ั…าฏาฏ ั…ะพั‚ะพะดะพ ะฑะฐะนะณะฐะฐาปัะฝะณั‚ั‹? (plural, formal))

I have never been to Irkutsk before.
Bi Erhuude baigaaguib.

(ะ‘ะธ ะญั€ั…าฏาฏะดั ะฑะฐะนะณะฐะฐะณาฏะนะฑ.)

This is my second time in Russia.
Bi hoyordohโ€™oo Rossi erebeb.

(ะ‘ะธ ั…ะพั‘ั€ะดะพั…ั‘ะพ ะ ะพััะธ ะตั€ัะฑัะฑ.)

What do you do?
Shi yuu hedegbshi?

(ะจะธ ัŽัƒ ั…ัะดัะณะฑัˆะธ?)

I am a student/businessman/ teacher/doctor.
Bi oyutan/biznnesmen/bagsha/emshen.

(ะ‘ะธ ะพัŽัƒั‚ะฐะฝ/ะฑะธะทะฝะตัะผะตะฝ/ะฑะฐะณัˆะฐ/ัะผัˆัะฝ.)

I am on vacation.
Bi amaraltadab/bi amaraltadab.

(ะ‘ะธ ะฐะผะฐั€ะฐะปั‚ะฐะดะฐะฑ/ะฑะธ ะฐะผะฐั€ะฐะปั‚ะฐะดะฐะฑ.)

I am here on business.
Bi ende azhalaara yabanab.

(ะ‘ะธ ัะฝะดั ะฐะถะฐะปะฐะฐั€ะฐ ัะฑะฐะฝะฐะฑ.)

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Asking Directionsย  back to top

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Where are the toilets?
Gazaalha gazar haana baynab?

(ะ“ะฐะทะฐะฐะปั…ะฐ ะณะฐะทะฐั€ ั…ะฐะฐะฝะฐ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?)

(Literally: โ€œWhere can I go outside?โ€ Modern Buryat does not use a word for โ€œbathroom,โ€ but rather uses only euphemisms.)

Man
Buhetey hun, ere hun, ere

(ะ‘าฏาปัั‚ัะน ั…าฏะฝ, ัั€ั ั…าฏะฝ, ัั€ั.)

(These are three ways to say โ€œman.โ€)

Woman
Ehener, hamgan

(ะญั…ัะฝัั€, าปะฐะผะณะฐะฝ)

(These are two ways to say โ€œwoman.โ€)

Where is the nearest bank?
Haana ende dutyn bank bayanab?

(ะฅะฐะฐะฝะฐ ัะฝะดั ะดาฏั‚ั‹ะฝ ะฑะฐะฝะบ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?)

Where is the nearest post office?
Haana ende dutyn pochta bayanab?

(ะฅะฐะฐะฝะฐ ัะฝะดั ะดาฏั‚ั‹ะฝ ะฟะพั‡ั‚ะฐ ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?)

Where is the nearest train station?
Haan ende dutyn vokzal bainab?

(ะฅะฐะฐะฝ ัะฝะดั ะดาฏั‚ั‹ะฝ ะฒะพะบะทะฐะป ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?)

Where can I find Wi-Fi?
Ta medenegty โ€“ haana ende Wi-Fi?

(ะขะฐ ะผัะดัะฝัะณั‚ั‹ โ€“ ั…ะฐะฐะฝะฐ ัะฝะดั Wi-Fi ะฑะฐะนะฝะฐะฑ?)

Do you know the Wi-Fi password?
Vai-faye nโ€™uusa ygyenโ€™ ta medehegty?

(ะ’ะฐะน-ั„ะฐะนะต ะฝัŽัƒัะฐ าฏะณั‹ะตะฝัŒ ั‚ะฐ ะผัะดัั…ัะณั‚ั‹?)

How can I order a taxi?
Yaazha taksi eruulhebib?

(ะฏะฐะถะฐ ั‚ะฐะบัะธ ะตั€าฏาฏะปั…ัะฑะธะฑ?)

Straight ahead!
Tanda sehe uragshaa!

(ะขะฐะฝะดะฐ cัั…ั ัƒั€ะฐะณัˆะฐะฐ!)

Take a right!/Take a left!
Baruun teeshee godirogty!

(ะ‘ะฐั€ัƒัƒะฝ ั‚ัััˆัั ะณะพะดะธั€ะพะณั‚ั‹!)

Zuun teeshe godirogty!

(ะ—าฏาฏะฝ ั‚ัััˆัั ะณะพะดะธั€ะพะณั‚ั‹!)

After the stoplight
Svetoforoi huulde.

(ะกะฒะตั‚ะพั„ะพั€ะพะน าปาฏาฏะปะดั.)

Next/First/Last
Udaahi/Turuushiin/Nuulshyn

(Yะดะฐะฐะดะฐั…ะธ/Tาฏั€าฏาฏัˆะธะธะฝ/Hาฏาฏะปัˆั‹ะฝ)

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Shoppingย  back to top

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How much does that cost?
Ene hedyte yum be?

(ะญะฝั ั…ัะดั‹ั‚ั ัŽะผ ะฑั?)

The menu, please!
Menโ€™u hayrlyt!

(ะœะตะฝัŽ ั…ะฐะนั€ะปั‹ั‚!)

Iโ€™d like a beer, please!
Bi pivo zahiha hanaataib.

(ะ‘ะธ ะฟะธะฒะพ ะทะฐั…ะธั…ะฐ าปะฐะฝะฐะฐั‚ะฐะนะฑ.)

Iโ€™d like the bill, please.
Mungenei schet hairlyt!

(ะœาฏะฝะณัะฝัะน ัั‡ะตั‚ ั…ะฐะนั€ะปั‹ั‚!)

Credit card
Bankyn karta.

(ะฑะฐะฝะบั‹ะฝ ะบะฐั€ั‚ะฐ.)

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Counting ย  back to top

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0 nolโ€™

(ะฝะพะปัŒ)

1 Nege(n)

(ะฝัะณั(ะฝ))

2 hoyor

(ั…ะพั‘ั€)

3 gurba(n)

(ะณัƒั€ะฑะฐ(ะฝ)

4 durbe(n)

(ะดาฏั€ะฑั(ะฝ))

5 taba(n)

(ั‚ะฐะฑะฐ(ะฝ))

6 zurgaa(n)

(ะทัƒั€ะณะฐะฐ(ะฝ)

7 doloo(n)

(ะดะพะปะพะพ(ะฝ))

8 naima(n)

(ะฝะฐะนะผะฐ(ะฝ))

9 yuhe(n)

(ัŽาปั(ะฝ))

10 (Count 0-10)ย 
arba(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐ(ะฝ)

11 arban nege(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะฝัะณั(ะฝ))

12 arban hoyor

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ั…ะพั‘ั€)

13 arban gurba(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะณัƒั€ะฑะฐ(ะฝ))

14 arban durbe(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะดาฏั€ะฑั(ะฝ))

15 arban taba(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ั‚ะฐะฑะฐ(ะฝ)

16 arban zurgaa(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะทัƒั€ะณะฐะฐ(ะฝ))

17 arban doloo(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะดะพะปะพะพ(ะฝ))

18 arban naiman

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะฝะฐะนะผะฐ(ะฝ))

19ย  arban yuhe(n)

(ะฐั€ะฑะฐะฝ ัŽาปั(ะฝ))

20 (Count 11-20)
hori(n)

(ั…ะพั€ะธ(ะฝ))

21 hori(n) nege(n)

ั…ะพั€ะธ(ะฝ) ะฝัะณั(ะฝ)

22 hori(n) hoyor

ั…ะพั€ะธ(ะฝ) ั…ะพั‘ั€

30 gusha(n)

(ะณัƒัˆะฐ(ะฝ))

40 dushe(n)

(ะดาฏัˆั(ะฝ))

50 tabi(n)

ั‚ะฐะฑะธ(ะฝ)

60 zhara(n)

(ะถะฐั€ะฐ(ะฝ))

70 dala(n)

(ะดะฐะปะฐ(ะฝ)

80 naya(n)

(ะฝะฐั(ะฝ))

90 ere(n)

(ะตั€ั(ะฝ))

100 (Count 21-100)
zuu(n)

(ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

111 zuu(n) arba(n) nege(n)

(ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ) ะฐั€ะฑะฐ(ะฝ) ะฝัะณั(ะฝ))

125 zuu(n) hori(n) taba(n)

(ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ) ั…ะพั€ะธ(ะฝ) ั‚ะฐะฑะฐ(ะฝ))

200ย  hoyor zuu(n)

(ั…ะพั‘ั€ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

300ย  gurban zuu(n)

(ะณัƒั€ะฑะฐะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

400ย  durben zuu(n)

(ะดาฏั€ะฑัะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

500ย ย  taban zuu(n)

(ั‚ะฐะฑะฐะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

600ย ย  zurgaan zoo(n)

(ะทัƒั€ะณะฐะฐะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

700ย  doloon zoo(n)

(ะดะพะปะพะพะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

800ย ย  naiman zuu(n)

(ะฝะฐะนะผะฐะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ))

900ย ย  yuhen zuu(n)

(ัŽาปัะฝ ะทัƒัƒ(ะฝ)

1000 (Count 100-1000)ย 
mโ€™ynga/nege mโ€™yanga (odna tysโ€™acha)

ะผัะฝะณะฐ/ะฝัะณั ะผัะฝะณะฐ (ะพะดะฝะฐ ั‚ั‹ััั‡ะฐ)

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About the author

Ellada Yamanova

Ellada Yamanova, is a Senior Lecturer in the Buryat Philology Department at Irkutsk State University. The university hosts SRAS programs in Irkutsk and offers courses in Buryat.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

View all posts by: Ellada Yamanova