та ямар байна даа?
ta yamar baina daa?
The English phrase "how are you?" is translated into Mongolian as та ямар байна даа? (ta yamar baina daa?)
та ямар байна даа? is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or state. While this phrase specifically asks how someone is doing, it is worth noting that the more standard and ubiquitous way to say both "Hello" and "How are you?" is Сайн уу?
Which one should you use?
While та ямар байна даа? asks specifically about a person's state, Сайн уу? serves as a more general, standard greeting. For formal situations, the phrase Sain baina uu? can be used to translate to "Are you doing well?" If you are already acquainted with a person or in less formal situations, the shorter version Sain uu? is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle даа (daa) at the end of та ямар байна даа? adds a soft, conversational tone to the question.
How do you pronounce it?
ta yamar baina daa?
When do people say it?
The most common and natural response to a greeting like this is simply Сайн (Sain), which means "Good".
Did you know?
- In very traditional rural settings, greetings may involve asking about the health of one's livestock before asking 'how are you?' to the person.
- The word ямар used in this phrase is related to the word ямаран in the Kalmyk language, showing a linguistic link between Mongolia and the Republic of Kalmykia in Russia.
- In traditional Mongolian culture, it is common to respond to a greeting by mentioning your health or the weather before asking the other person 'how are you?' in return.
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet in the office hallway.
- Ганбаатар GanbaatarСайн уу, Сарантуя, та ямар байна даа?Sain uu, Sarantuya, ta yamar baina daa?Hello, Sarantuya, how are you?
- Сарантуя SarantuyaСайн байнаа, Ганбаатар. Та өөрөө ямар байна?Sain bainaa, Ganbaatar. Ta ööröö yamar baina?I am well, Ganbaatar. How about you?
- Ганбаатар GanbaatarБи бас сайн байна, баярлалаа.Bi bas sain baina, bayarlalaa.I am also well, thank you.
- Сарантуя SarantuyaУулзсандаа баяртай байна.Uulzsandaa bayartai baina.I am glad to see you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries та, ямар, CC BY-SA 4.0.
