ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ

Manchu

Tungusic (Manchu-Tungus, Southern)

FamilyTungusic (Manchu-Tungus, Southern) Speakers~20 (critically endangered) ScriptManchu (Mongolian-derived) CountriesChina (Heilongjiang, Liaoning) Official inNo Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3mnc

Manchu (manju gisun, ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ) was the language of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), the language of the imperial court and one of two co-official languages alongside Chinese. Despite ~10M ethnic Manchus today, fewer than 20 native speakers remain — almost all elderly residents of Sanjiazi village in Heilongjiang. Manchu is a Tungusic language using a vertical alphabet derived from Mongolian (which itself derives from Old Uyghur). Vast Manchu archives from the Qing remain a critical historical resource. Sibe (xib), spoken in Xinjiang by descendants of 18th-century Manchu garrisons, is closely related and serves as a living continuation.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Manchu

Water

ᠮᡠᡴᡝ

/mukə/

Fire

ᡨᡠᠸᠠ

/tuwa/

Sun

ᡧᡠᠨ

/ʃun/

Moon

ᠪᡳᠶᠠ

/bija/

Star

ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ

/usiˈχa/

Mother

ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ

/ənijə/

Father

ᠠᠮᠠ

/ama/

I

ᠪᡳ

/bi/

You

ᠰᡳ

/si/

Name

ᡤᡝᠪᡠ

/ɡəbu/

Eye

ᠶᠠᠰᠠ

/jasa/

Hand

ᡤᠠᠯᠠ

/ɡala/

Heart

ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ

/nijaman/

Love

ᡥᠠᡳᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ

/xairambi/

Tree

ᠮᠣᠣ

/moː/

House

ᠪᠣᠣ

/boː/

Dog

ᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨ

/indaxuːn/

Cat

ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ

/kəsikə/

Eat

ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ

/dʒəmbi/

Drink

ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡳ

/omibi/

One

ᠡᠮᡠ

/əmu/

Two

ᠵᡠᠸᡝ

/dʒuwə/

Hello

ᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

/si sain/

Thank you

ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ

/banixa/

Good

ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

/sain/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Tungusic (Manchu-Tungus, Southern) languages

Meaning ManchuSibeJurchenNanaiUdegeEvenkiEven (Lamut)
Water ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ muke /muke/ муэ /mue/ уй /uj/ мӯ /muː/ мӯ /muː/
Fire ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ tuwa /tuwa/ това /tova/ тогбо /toɡbo/ того /toɡo/ тоог /toːɡ/
Sun ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ ᠰᡠᠨ /sun/ šun /ʃun/ сиун /siun/ даигаси /daiɡasi/ дылача /dɯlatɕa/ нөлтэн /nølten/
Moon ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ biya /bija/ биа /bia/ биа /bia/ бега /beɡa/ бяг /bjaɡ/
Star ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usiˈχa/ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usˈχa/ usiha /usixa/ хосякта /xoˈsʲakta/ ваикта /ˈwaikta/ осикта /oˈsikta/ осикат /oˈsikat/
Mother ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ /ənijə/ ᡝᠨᡞᠶᡝ /ənije/ eme /eme/ энин /enin/ энэ /ene/ эни /eni/ эньэн /eɲen/
Father ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ ama /ama/ ама /ama/ амэ /amə/ амин /amin/ аман /aman/
I ᠪᡳ /bi/ ᠪᡳ /bi/ bi /bi/ ми /mi/ би /bi/ би /bi/ би /bi/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Manchu
ᠪᡳ ᠠᠨᡨᠠᡥᠠ ᡳ ᠵᡠᠯᡝᡵᡳ ᡥᡡᡩᠠ ᡩᡝ ᠰᠠᠪᡠᡥᠠᠩᡤᡝ ᡝᡨᡠᡴᡠ ᠪᡝ ᡝᡨᡠᡴᡳ ᡨᡠᠸᠠᡴᡳ ᠰᡝᠮᠪᡳ
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Han readings compared

Compared with related Tungusic > Southern languages

Character ManchuJurchenSibeProto-TungusicKhitanProto-MongolicProto-Hmong-Mien
emu /emu/ emu /emu/ emu /əmu/ *əmun /*əmun/ om /əm/ *nigen /*niɡen/ *ʔɨ /*ʔɨ/
juwe /dʒuwə/ juwe /dʑuwe/ juwe /dʑuwə/ *dʒuər /*dʒuər/ jur /dʒur/ *qoyar /*qojar/ *ʔu̯i /*ʔu̯i/
ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ *ilan /*ilan/ gur /ɡur/ *gurba(n) /*gurban/ *pjɔu /*pjɔu/
duin /duin/ duin /duin/ duin /duin/ *dügin /*dyɡin/ dur /dur/ *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ *plei /*plei/
sunja /sundʒa/ sunja /sundʑa/ sunja /sundʑa/ *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ tau /tau/ *tabu(n) /*tabun/ *prja /*prja/
ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɢun/ *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ nil /nil/ *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ *kruk /*kruk/
nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ *nadan /*nadan/ dalu /dalu/ *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/
jakūn /dʒakʰuːn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ *dʒapkun /*dʒapkun/ naim /naim/ *nayima(n) /*najiman/
uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ isen /isen/ *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ *N-ɟuə̯X /*N-ɟuə̯X/
juwan /dʒuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ *dʒuwan /*dʒuwan/ par /par/ *harba(n) /*harban/ *gju̯əpD /*gju̯əpD/
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