Language/Halh-mongolian/Grammar/Past-Tense
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Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the past tense in Halh Mongolian. The past tense is used to indicate completed actions that occurred in the past. It is a crucial aspect of communication in any language, and mastering it is an essential step in becoming proficient in Halh Mongolian.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Past Tense Verbs & Declensions.
Formation of the Past Tense
In Halh Mongolian, the past tense is generally formed by adding the suffix "-с" to the verb stem. For example:
| Halh Mongolian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| бич- | bich- | write- |
| бичсэн | bichsen | wrote |
The same rule applies to most regular verbs. However, some verbs have irregular past tense forms that must be memorized separately. For example:
| Halh Mongolian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ор- | or- | come- |
| орсон | orson | came |
Usage of the Past Tense
The past tense is used to indicate completed actions that occurred in the past. It is often used to tell stories and describe past events. Here are some examples:
- Би энэ сар маань татаж авсан машинийг захиалсан. (I ordered the car I rented this month.)
- Тэр баярлалаа хоолны хайр орхиноор явж байлаа. (She went to the restaurant, had a good meal and returned home.)
- Миний мэдэх ялалт нь гадаадад зориулагдсан байна. (My travel experience was been shaped by my trips abroad.)
Be aware that in Mongolian, you don't need to use tense every time, especially when the context is clear or the time is obvious. In these cases, you don't need to use the past tense prefix. It is enough to use the verb stem.
Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense
While most verbs form the past tense by adding the "-с" suffix, there are several verbs that have irregular past tense forms. Here are some of the most common verbs:
- бол- (to be) -> байсан
- үүр- (to see) -> үзсэн
- ор- (to come) -> орсон
- мэдэх -> мэдсэн
It is important to memorize the past tense forms of these verbs as they do not follow the regular pattern.
Using Time Expressions with the Past Tense
When using the past tense, it is common to include time expressions to indicate when the action occurred. Here are some examples:
- Миний Найрамдах дахь хамт орсон. (My friend came to visit during Naadam.)
- Би энэ сар хэдэн курс бичсэн вэ? (How many courses did I write this month?)
Time expressions can be placed at the beginning or end of the sentence, depending on the emphasis.
Negative Past Tense
To form the negative past tense, use the negative marker "мэд" before the verb stem and add the "-с" suffix. For example:
| Halh Mongolian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| эргүүл- | ergüül- | to walk- |
| мэдээсэн | medeesen | did not walk |
When using the negative past tense, it is essential to include the particle "гэж" after the verb to indicate that the action did not occur. For example:
- Би тэрээр гэрээс гараад өнгөрүүлсэнгүй. (I did not go out from home yesterday.)
- Та энэ асуудлыг өмнөх зүйлээс илүү хараахан тайван авч болоод байлаа гэж мэдэхгүй байсан. (You didn't know that this problem had arisen from a previous issue that was resolved.)
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have learned how to form and use the past tense in Halh Mongolian! The past tense is a fundamental aspect of communication, and being able to indicate completed actions is essential to effective conversation. Keep practicing and using the past tense in your daily life to build fluency and proficiency in Halh Mongolian.
Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Prepositions & Gender.
Other Lessons
- Past Tense Verbs
- Questions
- Imperative Verbs
- Present Tense
- Future Tense Verbs
- How to Use Have
- Adverbs
- Future Tense
- Conditional Verbs
- Causative Verbs
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