Rounding Harmony Rules
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Rounding harmony means if the first vowel is 'o' or 'ö', the following vowels must also be rounded.
- If the root vowel is 'o', the suffix vowel must be 'o' (e.g., 'or-o').
- If the root vowel is 'ö', the suffix vowel must be 'ö' (e.g., 'öd-ö').
- Non-rounded vowels like 'a' or 'e' do not trigger rounding in suffixes.
Meanings
A phonological process where vowels in a word must match the rounding feature of the root vowel.
Suffix Matching
Ensuring suffixes match the root vowel's rounded quality.
“Ор-оо”
“Өг-өө”
Rounding Harmony Suffix Selection
| Root Vowel | Suffix Vowel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| o | o | Ор-оо |
| ö | ö | Өг-өө |
| a | a | Ав-аа |
| e | e | Эв-ээ |
| u | u | Унш-аа |
| ü | ü | Үз-ээ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Root(o) + Suffix(o) | Ор-оо |
| Negative | Root(o) + Neg + Suffix(o) | Ороогүй |
| Question | Root(o) + Q-Part(o) | Оров уу? |
| Plural | Root(o) + Plural(o) | Ороод |
| Past | Root(ö) + Past(ö) | Өг-өө |
| Present | Root(ö) + Pres(ö) | Өг-нө |
正式程度
Тэр орно. (Daily life)
Тэр ордог. (Daily life)
Орж байна. (Daily life)
Орлоо! (Daily life)
Rounding Harmony Map
Rounded
- o o
- ö ö
Result
- Suffix Suffix
Examples by Level
Ор-оо
He/she enters
Хөл-өө
His/her leg
Өг-өө
He/she gave
Ол-оо
He/she found
Орон-доо
In the bed
Өдөр-өө
The day
Олон-доо
Among many
Өвөл-өө
The winter
Орчуул-оо
He/she translated
Өсөлт-өө
The growth
Онол-доо
In the theory
Өгүүлбэр-өө
The sentence
Оршин суугч-оо
The resident
Өөрчлөлт-өө
The change
Олон улс-оо
The international
Өвөрмөц-өө
The unique
Оновчтой-гоо
With precision
Өршөөл-өө
The mercy
Олзворлолт-оо
The extraction
Өгөөмөр-өө
The generosity
Олонлог-оо
The set
Өгөгдөл-өө
The data
Оргил-оо
The peak
Өвөг дээдэс-ээ
The ancestors
Easily Confused
Learners mix up tongue position and lip shape.
Learners think length is the same as harmony.
Learners try to harmonize consonants.
常见错误
Ор-аа
Ор-оо
Өг-аа
Өг-өө
Хөл-аа
Хөл-өө
Ол-ээ
Ол-оо
Орон-даа
Орон-доо
Өдөр-ээ
Өдөр-өө
Олон-даа
Олон-доо
Орчуул-аа
Орчуул-оо
Өсөлт-ээ
Өсөлт-өө
Онол-даа
Онол-доо
Оновчтой-гаа
Оновчтой-гоо
Өршөөл-ээ
Өршөөл-өө
Олзворлолт-аа
Олзворлолт-оо
Sentence Patterns
Тэр ___ (root) ___ (suffix).
Миний ___ (root) ___ (suffix) гоё.
Энэ ___ (root) ___ (suffix) байна.
Би ___ (root) ___ (suffix) гэж бодож байна.
Real World Usage
Орлоо!
Өөрчлөлт хийх.
Олж өгөөч.
Өдөр гоё байна.
Оршин суух.
Онол байна.
Lip Shape
Don't Guess
Listen Closely
Natural Flow
Smart Tips
Immediately think 'o' for the suffix.
Immediately think 'ö' for the suffix.
Check your suffixes before finishing.
Focus on the first vowel.
发音
Rounding
Keep lips in a circle shape.
Statement
Тэр орно. ↓
Falling intonation for facts.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
O and Ö are the round-lip team; they only invite round-lip suffixes to the party.
Visual Association
Imagine a circle (O) and a circle with dots (Ö) holding hands. They only allow other circles to join their line.
Rhyme
If the root has a round, the suffix must be found.
Story
O and Ö are two round friends. They go to a party and only talk to other round people. If an 'A' tries to join, they politely ask them to leave because they don't match the round vibe.
Word Web
挑战
Find 5 words in a Mongolian book that start with 'o' or 'ö' and check their suffixes.
文化笔记
Standard rounding harmony is strictly followed in formal Khalkha.
Buryat has similar harmony but different vowel sets.
Inner Mongolian dialects may show slight variations.
Vowel harmony is a Proto-Altaic feature inherited by Mongolian.
Conversation Starters
Та орсон уу?
Өдөр ямар байна?
Таны онол юу вэ?
Өөрчлөлт хэрэгтэй юу?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Ор-___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Хөл-аа
Тэр ___ (ор-оо).
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Rounding harmony applies to all vowels?
А: Орсон уу? Б: ___
Өг (past)?
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesОр-___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Хөл-аа
Тэр ___ (ор-оо).
Ор -> ?
Rounding harmony applies to all vowels?
А: Орсон уу? Б: ___
Өг (past)?
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
It is a rule where rounded vowels force suffixes to be rounded.
It makes your Mongolian sound natural and correct.
Yes, it applies to almost all words with suffixes.
You will sound like a non-native speaker.
No, it is very logical once you practice.
Very few, mostly in loanwords.
Read aloud and focus on your lip shape.
Slightly, but standard Khalkha is the norm.
In Other Languages
Vowel Harmony
Turkish has 8 vowels, Mongolian has 7.
Vowel Harmony
Finnish lacks rounding harmony.
Vowel Harmony
Hungarian lacks rounding harmony.
Vowel Harmony
Korean harmony is mostly historical.
None
Japanese is not an agglutinative language in the same way.
None
Chinese relies on tones, not harmony.
