Сайн байна уу?
Sain baina uu?/sæːɴ̟ pæːn ˈʊː/word by word
To say hi how are you in Mongolian, say Сайн байна уу?, read Sain baina uu?
It is the everyday Mongolian greeting, used like hello as well as to ask how someone is.
What does it mean word for word?
Сайн means good or well, байна means is and уу marks a question, so it asks are you well.
How do you pronounce it?
Say Sain baina uu? with the long vowel at the end drawn out, as the IPA /sæːɴ̟ pæːn ˈʊː/ shows.
When do people say it?
The usual reply is Сайн, meaning well, followed by the same greeting back.
Did you know?
- In traditional Mongolian culture, a greeting like Сайн байна уу? is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head and avoiding direct, intense eye contact to show respect.
- The question particle уу found in the phrase may be an ancient relative of the Mongolian word юу, which means 'what'.
- Depending on the region, the response to Сайн байна уу? can be a series of rapid-fire questions about your livestock and family before the actual conversation begins.
Examples in context
- Сайн байна уу?Sain baina uu?Hi, how are you?
