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Let’s learn about the Mongolian language! We’ve gathered background information and interesting facts about the language. In addition, check out our newest children’s books available in Mongolian.
Where is Mongolian spoken?
Spoken by over 7 million people, Mongolian is the official language of Mongolia, located in East Asia. Mongolian speakers also live in parts of China and Russia.
Mongolian in the United States
The number of Mongolian speakers in the United States is relatively small, with the majority living in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, and Washington, DC.
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Interesting Facts about Mongolian
Mongolian is a member of the Altaic language family and consists of different dialects, with Khalkha Mongolian as the standard dialect and official language.
Mongolians initially used Old Mongolian script, a vertical form of writing dating back to the 13th century under Genghis Khan’s rule. In 1946, Mongolia adopted the Cyrillic alphabet due to Soviet influence. Today’s Mongolian alphabet has 35 letters and is written from left to right. In 2025, Mongolia will begin using both the traditional Mongolian script and the Cyrillic alphabet in official documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and identity cards.
One fun fact about the language: there are over 500 words to describe the traits of horses. Even though Mongolia is considered the 19th largest country in the world, it has one of the lowest populations, with the number of horses outnumbering the human population!
Mongolian Books – Bilingual Children’s Books
If you interact with children who speak Mongolian or are learning the language, you may want suggestions on some of the best bilingual children’s books. The Living in Harmony series is a valuable resource for discussing universal themes of kindness and respect while learning about a new culture. See all of our Mongolian books here.
Are you interested in learning about other languages? Check out our series of posts on world languages, including Tigrinya, Hmong, Cherokee, Hindi, Dari, and Pashto!