сайхан амраарай
saikhan amraarai
The Mongolian phrase for "goodnight" is сайхан амраарай (saikhan amraarai).
сайхан амраарай is used specifically when someone is going to sleep or retiring for the night. It is distinct from a general "goodbye" used at the end of an evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of сайхан, which means "good" or "beautiful" and амраарай, which is the imperative form of the verb "to rest".
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -аарай makes the command "rest" polite and suitable for addressing one person or a group in a standard social setting.
How do you pronounce it?
saikhan amraarai
Did you know?
- The word амраарай is an imperative, which means the phrase is technically a polite instruction to rest.
- The word сайхан is a cognate with the Buryat word һайхан, showing how this specific way of wishing a 'beautiful' rest persists across different Mongolic languages.
- Because Mongolian is an agglutinative language, the polite nuance of сайхан амраарай is contained in the suffix -аарай rather than requiring a separate word like 'please'.
Examples in context
- Сайхан амраарай, хүүхдээ.Saikhan amraarai, khüükheedee.Goodnight, my child.
- Маргааш уулзах хүртэл сайхан амраарай.Margaash uulzsakh khürtel saikhan amraarai.Goodnight until we meet tomorrow.
- Бат аа, сайхан амраарай.Bat aa, saikhan amraarai.Goodnight, Bat.
Example conversation
Oyunkaya and Bat are saying goodnight before going to their separate rooms.
- Оюункая OyunkayaБи унтахаар явна, сайхан амраарай.Bi untahaar yavna, saikhan amraarai.I am going to sleep, goodnight.
- Бат BatЧи ч бас сайхан амраарай, Оюункая.Chi ch bas saikhan amraarai, Oyunkaya.Goodnight to you too, Oyunkaya.
- Оюункая OyunkayaМаргааш эрт босох ёстой.Margaash ert bosokh yostoi.I have to wake up early tomorrow.
- Бат BatЗа, тэгээрэй. Баяртай.Za, tegeerei. Bayartai.Alright, do that. Bye.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries сайхан, CC BY-SA 4.0.
