モンゴル
Mongoru[mõ̞ŋɡo̞ɾɯ̟]
The English phrase Mongolia is translated into Japanese as モンゴル (Mongoru). Wiktionary also lists 蒙古 (Mōko).
Meaning: East Asian country (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| モンゴル | Mongoru | [mõ̞ŋɡo̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 蒙古 | Mōko | [mo̞ːko̞] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to the East Asian country of Mongolia.
Which one should you use?
モンゴル is the standard, modern way to refer to the country. 蒙古 is a historical term for Mongolia or the Mongol people, often used in a classical or historical context.
How do you pronounce it?
Mongoru
Did you know?
- The historical term 蒙古 is used in the name of the 'Mongolian Spot', the birthmark common among East Asians, which is called 蒙古斑 in Japanese.
- The kanji 蒙 in 蒙古 originally meant 'covered' or 'ignorance', though in this context it serves only as a phonetic representation of the Mongolian sound.
- The modern katakana version モンゴル is a phonetic transcription of the Mongolian word, whereas the older 蒙古 is a direct borrowing of the Chinese pronunciation.
Examples in context
- モンゴルに住んでたよ。I was living in Mongolia.This sentence is useful for describing where you used to live using モンゴル.Tatoeba #9106932 by small_snow, translation #6698487 by Alkrasnov
- 彼女はいつモンゴルに行ったの？When did she go to Mongolia?This sentence is useful for asking about a trip to Mongolia using モンゴル.Tatoeba #9106949 by small_snow, translation #2737471 by eastasiastudent
- モンゴルはとても広い国です。Mongoru wa totemo hiroi kuni desu.Mongolia is a very large country.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about world geography in a cafe.
- 美咲 Misakiモンゴルについて調べたいんだ。Mongoru ni tsuite shirabetai nda.I want to look up information about Mongolia.
- 大翔 Hiroto歴史の教科書に載っているよ。Rekishi no kyokasho ni notte iru yo.It is in the history textbook.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔君は歴史が好き？Hiroto-kun wa rekishi ga suki?Do you like history, Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、結構好きだよ。Un, kekko suki da yo.Yeah, I like it quite a bit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mongolia” translations and entries モンゴル, 蒙古, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries モンゴル, 蒙古, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
