эгч
egč[e̝xt͡ʃʰ]Cyrillic
The Mongolian word for sister is эгч (egč). Wiktionary also lists охин дүү (oxin düü).
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mongolian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| эгч | egč | [e̝xt͡ʃʰ] (narrow) | Cyrillic |
| охин дүү | oxin düü | /œχəŋ tuː/ (word by word) | Cyrillic |
The term is used to describe a woman or girl who shares the same parents as the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase охин дүү is a literal combination of охин, meaning girl and дүү, meaning younger sibling.
Which one should you use?
The specific phrase охин дүү is used to refer to a younger sister.
How do you pronounce it?
egč
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'sister' is a simple noun, Mongolian kinship terms like эгч are often used as honorific titles for women slightly older than yourself in social settings.
- The word охин once meant 'daughter' in Proto-Mongolic, a connection still seen in the Buryat word үхин.
- The term дүү is gender-neutral and can be used for a younger brother as well as a younger sister.
Examples in context
- Тэр бол миний эгч.She is my elder sister.This sentence shows how to identify someone as one's эгч.Tatoeba #9856202 by Alkrasnov, translation #314333 by Alkrasnov
- Том Бостонд нэг эгчтэй.Tom has a sister in Boston.This sentence illustrates the use of эгч when describing someone's family members.Tatoeba #9814978 by Alkrasnov, translation #1177495 by CK
- Би эгчтэйгээ паркад тоголдог байсан.I used to play with my sister in the park.This sentence demonstrates using the form эгч to describe playing with a sister.Tatoeba #9856156 by Alkrasnov, translation #28335 by Swift
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Bat is asking Erdenegombo about her family.
- Бат BatЧамд эгч байгаа юу?Cham-d egch baigaa yu?Do you have an older sister?
- Эрдэнэгомбо ErdenegomboТийм ээ, надад нэг эгч бий.Tiim ee, nadad neg egch biy.Yes, I have one older sister.
- Бат BatТэр хаана суралцдаг вэ?Ter khana suraltsdag ve?Where does she study?
- Эрдэнэгомбо ErdenegomboМиний эгч их сургуульд сурдаг.Minii egch ikh surguuli-d surdag.My sister studies at university.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries эгч, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (охин, дүү) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries дүү, охин, эгч, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
