Convenience Store

16 phrases · Mongolian with romanization, English and audio

  1. Халаад өгөх үү?

    Khalaad ögökh üü?

    Shall I heat it up for you?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Korean-run chains such as CU and GS25 in Ulaanbaatar have microwaves and will ask when you buy a boxed meal or hot dog. Answer "Tiim ee" for yes or "Ügüi ee" for no

    Grammar Note

    The pattern "verb + -aad + ögökh" means doing something for someone else. The question particle follows vowel harmony: "uu" after back vowels, "üü" after front vowels

  2. Уут хэрэгтэй юу?

    Uut kheregtei yuu?

    Do you need a bag?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Mongolia restricted single-use plastic bags in 2019, so shops offer a charged thicker bag or paper instead. Decline with "Ügüi, bayarlalaa"

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-tei / -tai" means "having", so "khereg" (need) plus the suffix gives "necessary". This suffix is the backbone of Mongolian possessive expressions

  3. Картаар уу, бэлнээр үү?

    Kartaar uu, belneer üü?

    By card or in cash?

    Usage

    Said by staff. In Ulaanbaatar both cards and QR apps such as QPay are widely accepted, but a provincial delgüür usually takes cash only — stock up before leaving the city

    Grammar Note

    The instrumental ending "-aar / -eer" alternates by vowel harmony: "kart" has back vowels and takes "-aar", while "belen" has front vowels and takes "-eer"

  4. Баримт хэрэгтэй юу?

    Barimt kheregtei yuu?

    Do you need a receipt?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Mongolian receipts carry lottery numbers that locals register in an app for a monthly draw. That is of no use to a traveller, but the receipt is still needed for returns

    Grammar Note

    "Barimt" broadly means a document or piece of evidence, covering receipts, invoices and identity papers alike. "NÖAT-yn barimt" specifically means a VAT receipt

  5. QR кодоор төлж болох уу?

    QR kodoor tölj bolokh uu?

    Can I pay by QR code?

    Usage

    QR payment led by QPay has spread fast in Mongolia, working everywhere from convenience stores to street stalls. It requires an app tied to a local bank account, so short-stay travellers fall back on cards or cash

    Grammar Note

    The pattern "verb in -j form + bolokh uu" asks for permission or possibility. "Bolokh" (to become, to be possible) is a workhorse verb in requests of every kind

  6. Халуун ус байна уу?

    Khaluun us baina uu?

    Do you have hot water?

    Usage

    Mongolian convenience stores and kiosks often keep a hot-water dispenser for instant noodles, so you can eat on the spot. Long-distance bus stops do the same — in this climate, knowing where hot food is available matters

    Grammar Note

    Mongolian adjectives precede the noun and do not inflect. "Baina" is the key verb of existence, covering being, ongoing action and state alike

  7. Сав, халбага өгөөч.

    Sav, khalbaga ögööch.

    A container and a spoon, please.

    Usage

    Use it when buying instant noodles or deli food. Disposable spoons and forks sit by the till in Mongolian convenience stores and are handed over on request — they are not added automatically

    Grammar Note

    The ending "-ooch / -eech" softens an imperative into something like "do give me". For a more formal register, "ögnö üü" is the safer choice

  8. Энд суугаад идэж болох уу?

    End suugaad idej bolokh uu?

    Can I sit and eat here?

    Usage

    Many CU and GS25 branches in Ulaanbaatar have a counter with stools where you can eat your heated meal. With winter temperatures reaching minus thirty, that seating is a genuinely valuable place to warm up

    Grammar Note

    The converb ending "-aad / -gaad" marks a preceding action, giving the order "sit, then eat". Mongolian chains verbs together this way to build long sentences

  9. Ус хаана байна вэ?

    Us khaana baina ve?

    Where is the water?

    Usage

    Tap water is not drunk straight in Mongolia; bottled water is the norm. Stock is thin in the countryside, so buy in bulk before leaving town. Swap in any product name to reuse the sentence

    Grammar Note

    Questions containing a question word end in "ve / be", while yes/no questions take "uu / üü". Mixing them up sounds distinctly odd to a native ear

  10. Утсаа цэнэглэж болох уу?

    Utsaa tseneglej bolokh uu?

    May I charge my phone?

    Usage

    Convenience stores in Ulaanbaatar often have sockets near the seating and may let you use one if you ask. Power can be unreliable in the countryside, so carrying a power bank is the practical answer

    Grammar Note

    The ending "-aa / -ee" marks reflexive possession, adding "one's own" to the noun. Attached to "utas" (phone) it means "my own phone", so no separate possessive pronoun is needed

  11. Өнөөдөр архи зарж байна уу?

    Önöödör arkhi zarj baina uu?

    Are you selling alcohol today?

    Usage

    The first day of each month is a dry day in Mongolia, with shop sales of alcohol banned outright. Similar bans apply around national holidays such as Tsagaan Sar, and the drinks shelves get covered over

    Grammar Note

    The pattern "verb in -j form + baina" expresses the present progressive. "Arkhi" properly means distilled spirits; beer is idiomatically "shar airag", literally yellow mare's-milk drink

  12. Хэдэн цаг хүртэл ажиллах вэ?

    Kheden tsag khürtel ajillakh ve?

    Until what time are you open?

    Usage

    Some CU and GS25 branches in Ulaanbaatar run around the clock, but a provincial delgüür shuts around nine. Winter nightfall comes early, so darkness is no guide to opening hours — always ask

    Grammar Note

    "Khürtel" (until) is a postposition and follows its noun. Mongolian has no prepositions, relying on case endings and postpositions, which makes its word order feel close to Japanese

  13. Жорлон байна уу?

    Jorlon baina uu?

    Is there a toilet?

    Usage

    A small delgüür will rarely have one. In Ulaanbaatar you fall back on shopping centres or cafés, and public toilets usually charge — keep some coins handy

    Grammar Note

    "Jorlon" is the everyday word; formal signage uses "ariun tsevriin öröö" (sanitary room). Doors are marked "Eregtei" for men and "Emegtei" for women

  14. Нийтдээ хэд вэ?

    Niitdee khed ve?

    How much is it altogether?

    Usage

    Use it to confirm the total. The tögrög runs to large figures — five- and ten-thousand amounts are everyday — so check the till display too if the spoken number is hard to catch

    Grammar Note

    "Niit" (whole) takes the dative "-d" plus the reflexive "-ee" to form an adverb meaning "in total". Mongolian stacks case endings to build finer shades of meaning

  15. Зөөврийн цэнэглэгч байна уу?

    Zöövriin tseneglegch baina uu?

    Do you have a power bank?

    Usage

    Convenience stores in Ulaanbaatar increasingly stock cables and power banks. Out on the steppe there is no reliable power at all, so buy a high-capacity one before heading into the countryside

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-gch" derives an agent noun from a verb: "tseneglekh" (to charge) plus "-gch" gives "charger". The English "power bank" is also widely understood

  16. Уут хэрэггүй, өөрийнхөө уут байгаа.

    Uut khereggüi, ööriinkhöö uut baigaa.

    No bag needed, I've got my own.

    Usage

    How to decline when carrying a reusable bag. Since the plastic bag restrictions, cloth bags have become increasingly common, especially in the cities

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-güi" negates nouns and adjectives, so "kheregtei" (needed) becomes "khereggüi" (not needed). The "-tei" / "-güi" pair turns up constantly in everyday speech

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