Face-to-face
Mongolian interpreters on site for appointments, hearings and meetings.
Asian languages
Mongolian interpreting and translation
Mongolian is the national language of Mongolia and is also spoken in the Inner Mongolia region of China. We provide Mongolian interpreters and translators for legal, healthcare, education and business work, in either of its two writing systems.
Монгол хэл
- Script
- Cyrillic (Mongolia), Traditional Mongolian script (Inner Mongolia, China; and official use in Mongolia)
- Direction
- Left to right
- ISO 639-3
mon
Mongolian belongs to the Mongolic language family. It includes Khalkha Mongolian, the standard of Mongolia, and the Mongolian varieties of Inner Mongolia such as Chakhar, Khorchin and Kharchin. Oirat in western Mongolia and Buryat in Russia and north-eastern Mongolia are closely related; they are sometimes treated as dialects of Mongolian and sometimes as separate languages.
Khalkha is the language of government, media and education in Mongolia, and almost all Mongolians use it. In Inner Mongolia, Mongolian is spoken alongside Mandarin Chinese, and many people are bilingual. Vowel harmony, long vowels and a rich system of case endings give the language a distinctive sound and structure, and the verb comes at the end of the sentence.
The two halves of the Mongolian-speaking world write the language differently. Mongolia uses a Cyrillic alphabet, with the extra letters Ө and Ү. Inner Mongolia continues to use the traditional vertical Mongolian script, written from top to bottom in columns that run left to right. Mongolia has also been reintroducing the traditional script into official use alongside Cyrillic under its national language legislation.
- Main areas: Mongolia
- Also used: China (Inner Mongolia)
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How we help
Mongolian services
Video (VRI)
Secure video interpreting when people are in different places.
Telephone, 24/7
Telephone interpreting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Certified translation
Certified Mongolian translation accepted by UK authorities.
SILA Linguists®
Mongolian interpreting and translation services from SILA Linguists®
SILA Linguists® provides Mongolian interpreters and translators for courts, immigration services, universities, healthcare and business work in the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Our first question is whether the speaker comes from Mongolia or from Inner Mongolia in China. Khalkha speakers from Mongolia often use Russian technical terms, while Inner Mongolian speakers borrow from Chinese and write in the traditional vertical script, so matching background is the quickest route to an accurate session.
Mongolian interpreters, from police interviews to mining negotiations
Our consecutive Mongolian interpreters are experienced in police and court interviews, immigration and asylum hearings, hospital appointments and student services. Our telephone interpreting runs around the clock throughout the year, and video interpreting using the SILA Linguists® app or the video system your service already has puts an experienced linguist on screen quickly.
For trade delegations, mining and resources meetings, academic events and cultural programmes we provide conference interpreters working in simultaneous mode, on site or by remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI). Interpreters confirm names, patronymics and dates of birth at the outset so that records line up with identity documents, and an interpreter of the client's preferred gender is available on request.
Translation in Cyrillic and traditional script
Translations for readers in Mongolia are produced in Cyrillic, with the additional letters Ө and Ү. For Inner Mongolia we work in the traditional script, which is written in vertical columns, so we check at the start whether the result will be printed, published online or used in an app, since not every system displays it correctly.
Mongolian certificates, diplomas, contracts and court documents are translated into English, and English material into Mongolian. Romanised names can vary between documents, so we follow the passport spelling. Certified Mongolian translation includes the translator's signed confirmation of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, the courts and colleges, and by employers. Mongolian documents for US or Canadian offices are certified to their requirements, including by a provincially certified translator where Canada asks. For companies entering the Mongolian market, we also localise websites, product information and training content.
Mongolian transcription and language analysis
Interview recordings, witness evidence and research audio are transcribed with time stamps and translated into English. For asylum claims where a person's origin is disputed, SILA Linguists® can arrange LADO, a specialist linguistic assessment of a person's likely place of origin, which may help distinguish speakers from Mongolia, Inner Mongolia or neighbouring regions.
Sectors we support in Mongolian
Our vetted, trained and qualified Mongolian linguists can support immigration and asylum services, police forces, solicitors and courts, NHS and private healthcare, universities and admissions offices, and businesses in mining, energy, engineering and trade. Every assignment is run by one coordinator, with vetted linguists working under strict confidentiality undertakings and UK data protection law, so you have a single point of contact whether you need one telephone call or a full delegation visit. Mongolian interpreting covers immigration hearings, universities, hospitals and business meetings in Canada and the United States too.
Good to know
Working with Mongolian
Interpreting
- Tell us whether the speaker comes from Mongolia or from Inner Mongolia. Vocabulary, pronunciation and loanwords differ: speakers from Mongolia use many Russian technical terms, while speakers from Inner Mongolia often borrow from Chinese. An interpreter from the same background will catch these differences quickly, and that matters in immigration interviews and witness statements.
- Mongolian personal names usually consist of a patronymic (the father's or sometimes mother's given name) followed by the person's own given name, and the given name is what people use day to day. Clan names have been reintroduced in Mongolia but are less often used. Confirm names, spellings and dates of birth at the start of an interview so that records match identity documents.
- Consecutive interpreting suits Mongolian in legal and medical settings, and video and telephone interpreting make it easy to reach an experienced linguist quickly. Conference and remote simultaneous interpreting is available for business, mining, education and cultural events.
Translation
- For Mongolia, translations are produced in Cyrillic. For readers in Inner Mongolia, the traditional script requires vertical layout and specific fonts, so check early whether the final format is a printed document, a web page or an app, as not every system displays vertical Mongolian correctly.
- Mongolian certificates, diplomas and court documents are usually issued in Cyrillic Mongolian, sometimes with an English section. Transliteration of names into Latin letters can vary between documents, so we follow the spelling in the passport where one is available. Certified translations are accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, tribunals, courts and universities, and by international bodies. Where a document is needed in the United States or Canada, we arrange the certification the receiving authority expects. That means a translator's certificate of accuracy for US immigration authorities, or a translator certified by a Canadian provincial association.
Related languages
Mongolian and its neighbours
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Where Mongolian is often needed
- Immigration and asylum interviews
- Healthcare appointments
- Courts and police interviews
- University admissions and student services
- Mining, trade and business meetings
Explore more asian languages or see all languages A to Z.
Get in touch
Need a Mongolian interpreter or translator?
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.