Manchu/Lesson 3 - Nouns, Script

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Dialogue & Translation

Baturu............: ᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠶᡡᠨ᠉	Baturu............: How are you?
Zhang Min......: ᠪᡳ ᡠᠮᡝᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ᠉ ᠰᡳᠨᡳ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ ᡩᡠᡵᠰᡠᠨ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ ᠨᡳᠣ᠉	Zhang Min......: I am very good, how is your health?
Baturu............: ᡠᠮᡝᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ᠈ ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ᠉	Baturu............: Very good, thank you.
Zhang Min......: ᡤᡠᠴᡠ᠈ ᠰᡳ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ ᡳᠨᡠᠣ᠉	Zhang Min......: Friend, are you Manchu?
Baturu............: ᡳᠨᡠ᠈ ᠪᡳ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ᠉ ᠰᡳᠨᡳ ᠠᡳᠮᠠᠨ ᠠᡳ᠉	Baturu............: Yes, I am Manchu. What is your nationality?
Zhang Min......: ᠪᡳ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠨᡳᡴᠠᠨ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ᠈ ᡩᠠᠮᡠ ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠣᠩᡤᠣ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ᠉ ᠰᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᠪᡳᠣ᠉	Zhang Min......: I am Chinese, but my wife is Mongolian. Do you have a wife?
Baturu............: ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᠠᡴᡡ᠉ ᠰᡳᠨᡳ ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᠠᡳ ᡤᡝᠪᡠ ᠠᡳ ᡥᠠᠯᠠ᠉	Baturu............: No. What is your wife's first and last names?
Zhang Min......: ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᡤᡝᠪᡠ ᠪᡳᠩ ᠪᡳᠩ᠈ ᡥᠠᠯᠠ ᠸᠠᠩ ᡳᠨᡠ᠉ ᠰᡳ ᡳᠮᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᠮᠪᡳᠣ᠉	Zhang Min......: My wife's first name is Bing Bing and her surname is Wang. Do you know her?
Baturu............: ᡨᠠᡵᠠᡴᡡ᠉ ᠪᡳ ᡠᠪᠠᡩᡝ ᠵᡠᠸᡝ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ ᠣᡥᠣ᠈ ᡴᡝᠮᡠᠨᡳ ᡨᠣᡴᠰᠣ ᡳ ᠯᠠᠪᡩᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ ᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᡵᠠᡴᡡ᠉	Baturu............: I don't know her. I have been here for 2 months, I still don't know many people.
Zhang Min......: ᠰᡳ ᡨᠣᡴᠰᠣ ᡩᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ ᡨᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᠸᡝ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᠮᠪᡳ᠉	Zhang Min......: In the village apart form me who do you know?
Baturu............: ᠪᡳ Xiao Zhang ᠵᠠᡳ Xiao He ᡨᠠᡴᡳᠮᠪᡳ᠉	Baturu............: I know Xiao Zhang and Xiao He.
Zhang Min......: ᠰᡳ ᠠᡳ ᡝᡵᡳᠨ ᡩᡝ Xiao Wang ᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᡥᠠ᠉	Zhang Min......: When did you meet Xiao Wang.
Baturu............: ᠪᡳ ᠴᡝᠮᠪᡝ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠯᠣ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᡥᠠ᠉	Baturu............: I met him one month ago.
Zhang Min......: ᠠᡳᠪᠠᡩᡝ᠉	Zhang Min......: Where?
Baturu............: Xiao Zhang ᡳ ᠪᠣᠣᡩᡝ᠉	Baturu............: At Xiao Zhang's house
Zhang Min......: ᡨᡠᡨᡨᡠ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠰᡳ Xiao Zhang ᠨᡳ ᠪᠣᠣ ᡩᡝ ᡤᡝᠨᡝᡥᡝ᠉	Zhang Min......: In that case you have been to Xiao Zhang's house?
Baturu............: ᡤᡝᠨᡝᡥᡝ᠉ ᠪᡳ ᡨᡝ ᡧᠣᠯᠣ ᠠᡴᡡ᠈ ᠪᡳ ᠨᡝᠨᡝᠮᡝ ᡤᡝᠨᡝᠮᠪᡳ᠉	Baturu............: I have been. I don't have time, I will go first᠉
Zhang Min......: ᠰᠠᡳᠨ᠈ ᠰᡳᡵᠠᠮᡝ ᠠᠴᠠᡴᡳ!	Zhang Min......: Okay, see you later!
..............................................................................................................................................	..............................................................................................................................................

Vocab

............................................................	............................................................	............................................................	............................................................
Manchu Vocabulary	English Translation	Manchu Vocabulary	English Translation
ᠠᡳ	What	ᠠᡳᠪᠠᡩᡝ	Where
ᠠᡳᠮᠠᠨ	Nationality	ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ	Thankyou
ᠪᡝᠶᡝ ᡩᡠᡵᠰᡠᠨ	Health	ᠪᡳᠶᠠ	Month
ᠪᠣᠣ	Home/house	ᠴᡝᠮᠪᡝ	Them accusative case
ᡩᠠᠮᡠ	But/only	ᡝᠮᡠ	One
ᡝᡵᡳᠨ	Time	ᡤᡝᠪᡠ	Name
ᡤᡝᠨᡝᡥᡝ	To have gone (past tense of ᡤᡝᠨᡝᠮᠪᡳ)	ᡤᡝᠨᡝᠮᠪᡳ	To go
ᡤᡠᠴᡠ	Friend	ᡥᠠᠯᠠ	Surname
ᡳᠮᠪᡝ	Him/her accusative case	ᡳᠨᡠ	Is/also
ᠵᠠᡳ	And	ᠵᡠᠸᡝ	Two
ᡴᡝᠮᡠᠨᡳ	Still	ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ	From me
ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ	At me	ᠮᠣᠩᡤᠣ	Mongol
ᠨᡝᠨᡝᠮᡝ	First (before ...)	᠊ᠣ	Suffix indicating a question
ᠣᡥᠣ	To have become	ᠣᠮᠪᡳ	To become
ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠯᠣ	Before	ᠰᠠᡳᠨ	Good
ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ	Wife	ᠰᡳ	You
ᠰᡳᠨᡩᡝ	At you	ᠰᡳᠨᡳ	Your
ᠰᡳᡵᠠᠮᡝ ᠠᠴᠠᡴᡳ	See you later	ᡨᠠᡴᠠᠮᠪᡳ	To know (someone)
ᡨᠠᡴᠠᡵᠠᡴᡡ	To not know (someone)	ᡨᠣᡴᠰᠣ	Village
ᡨᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ	Apart from	ᡨᡠᡨᡨᡠ ᠣᠴᡳ	In that case
ᡠᠪᠠᡩᡝ	Here	ᡠᠮᡝᠰᡳ	Very
ᠸᡝ	Who	ᡧᠣᠯᠣ	Free time
............................................................	............................................................	............................................................	............................................................

Grammar

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

As with nouns, personal pronouns in Manchu also have different cases. The normal form of Manchu personal pronouns is expressed by using the nominative case. See following table for list of all personal pronouns in the 5 different cases:

.....................................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................
Personal Pronoun	Nominative	Genitive	Dative/Locative	Accusative	Ablative
Singular
1st Person	ᠪᡳ	ᠮᡳᠨᡳ	ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ	ᠮᡳᠮᠪᡝ	ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ
2nd Person	ᠰᡳ	ᠰᡳᠨᡳ	ᠰᡳᠨᡩᡝ	ᠰᡳᠮᠪᡝ	ᠰᡳᠨᠴᡳ
3rd Person	ᡳ	ᡳᠨᡳ	ᡳᠨᡩᡝ	ᡳᠮᠪᡝ	ᡳᠨᠴᡳ
Plural
1st Person (incl.)	ᠮᡠᠰᡝ	ᠮᡠᠰᡝᡳ	ᠮᡠᠰᡝᡩᡝ	ᠮᡠᠰᡝᠪᡝ	ᠮᡠᠰᡝᠴᡳ
1st Person (excl.)	ᠪᡝ	ᠮᡝᠨᡳ	ᠮᡝᠨᡩᡝ	ᠮᡝᠮᠪᡝ	ᠮᡝᠨᠴᡝ
2nd Person	ᠰᡠᠸᡝ	ᠰᡠᠸᡝᠨᡳ	ᠰᡠᠸᡝᠨᡩᡝ	ᠰᡠᠸᡝᠮᠪᡝ	ᠰᡠᠸᡝᠨᠴᡳ
3rd Person	ᠴᡝ	ᠴᡝᠨᡳ	ᠴᡝᠨᡩᡝ	ᠴᡝᠮᠪᡝ	ᠴᡝᠨᠴᡳ
.....................................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................

The personal pronoun in the nominative case is the ordinary form of the pronoun, e.g. ᠪᡳ = I, ᠰᡳ = you, ᡳ = he/she/it, ᠪᡝ = we (excl.), ᠮᡠᠰᡝ = we (incl.), ᠰᡠᠸᡝ = you (plural), ᠴᡝ = they/them
For the singular first personal pronoun "I" the different forms are: nominative ᠪᡳ "I"; genitive ᠮᡳᠨᡳ "my"; dative/locative ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ "to/at me"; accusative ᠮᡳᠮᠪᡝ "me"; ablative ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ "from me". All the other personal pronouns follow the same pattern.
As with Chinese, Manchu has two versions of the 1st plural personal pronoun: an exclusive version 〈ᠪᡝ〉, and an inclusive version 〈ᠮᡠᠰᡝ〉.
To express the idea of oneself, you would use the genitive form of the personal pronoun and follow it with the word 〈ᠪᡝᠶᡝ〉 (body). E.g. ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ (myself), ᠰᡳᠨᡳ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ (yourself).
The possessive pronoun is formed by adding the suffix 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉 after the genitive form of the personal pronoun. E.g. ᠮᡳᠨᡳ᠊᠊᠊ᠩᡤᡝ (mine). ᡝᡵᡝ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ (this book is mine).
The suffix 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉 is a possessive suffix which does not change with the rules of vowel harmony. When written it is proceeded by the genitive case and therefore becomes one of 〈᠊ᡳᠩᡤᡝ〉 or 〈᠊ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ〉. In the case of use with personal pronouns, it is already proceeded by the genitive form of the pronoun so remains 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉. It can be translated as belong to, and is often written separately from the noun. E.g. ᡝᠵᡝᠨ ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ - belonging to the master.

Now for some examples of the different cases:

Nominative

ᠪᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᠴᡳᠮᠪᡳ - I study the Manchu language
ᡳ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ - He is Manchu

Genitive

ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᡤᡠᠴᡠ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ - My friend is Manchu
ᠮᡝᠨᡳ ᡝᠮᡝ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ - Our mother is the fatherland

Dative/Locative

ᠰᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠠᡳ ᠪᠠᡳᡨᠠ ᠪᡳ᠉ - What issue do you (at) have?
ᡨᡝᡵᡝ ᡝᠮᡠ ᡩᡝᠪᡨᡝᠯᡳᠨ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ ᠪᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠪᡠᡴᡳ (to give imp) - Can you please give this book to me

Accusative

ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᠮᡝᠮᠪᡝ ᡠᠵᡳᠮᡝ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᡧᠠᠪᡠᡥᠠ - The fatherland raised us (object)
ᠪᡳ ᠴᡝᠮᠪᡝ ᡝᠮᡠ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠯᠣ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᡥᠠ - I met him (object) one month ago

Ablative

ᡳ ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ ᠵᡠᠸᡝ ᠰᡝ ᠠᠵᡳᡤᡝ - He is two years younger than me
ᠰᡳ ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ ᡨᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᠸᡝ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᠸᠪᡳ᠉ - Apart from me who do you know?

Demonstrative pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns in Manchu are:

............................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................
Case	This	These	That	Those
Nominative	ᡝᡵᡝ	ᡝᠰᡝ	ᡨᡝᡵᡝ	ᡨᡝᠰᡝ
Genitive	ᡝᡵᡝᡳ 〔ᡝᡵᡝᠨᡳ〕	ᡝᠰᡝᡳ	ᡨᡝᡵᡝᡳ	ᡨᡝᠰᡝᡳ
Dative/locative	ᡝᡵᡝᡩᡝ 〔ᡝᡩᡝ〕	ᡝᠰᡝᡩᡝ	ᡨᡝᡵᡝᡩᡝ 〔ᡨᡝᡩᡝ〕	ᡨᡝᠰᡝᡩᡝ
Accusative	ᡝᡵᡝᠪᡝ	ᡝᠰᡝᠪᡝ	ᡨᡝᡵᡝᠪᡝ	ᡨᡝᠰᡝᠪᡝ
Ablative	ᡝᡵᡝᠴᡳ	ᡝᠰᡝᠴᡳ	ᡨᡝᡵᡝᠴᡳ	ᡨᡝᠰᡝᠴᡳ
............................................	.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................

Interrogative pronouns

The main interrogative pronouns in Manchu are (note the cases):

.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................
Manchu	English	Manchu	English
ᠸᡝ	Who	ᠠᡳᠪᡳᡩᡝ᠈ ᠶᠠᠪᠠᡩᡝ	At/to what place
ᠠᡳ	What	ᠠᡩᠠᡵᠠᠮᡝ	How
ᠶᠠ	What, who	ᠠᡳᠴᡳ	What type
ᠠᡳᠨᡠ	Why	ᡠᡩᡠ	How many
ᠠᡳᠪᡳ᠈ ᠶᠠᠪᠠ	What place/where	ᠠᠪᠠ	Where
.................................	.................................	.................................	.................................

Lesson 2, Script (Nouns) ---- Contents ---- Lesson 4 (Numerals)