ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ

Manchu

Tungusic (Manchu-Tungus, Southern) · historical / hidden variety

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

20 core words in Manchu

Water

ᠮᡠᡴᡝ

/mukə/

Fire

ᡨᡠᠸᠠ

/tuwa/

Sun

ᡧᡠᠨ

/ʃun/

Moon

ᠪᡳᠶᠠ

/bija/

Mother

ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ

/ənijə/

Father

ᠠᠮᠠ

/ama/

Eat

ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ

/dʒəmbi/

Drink

ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡳ

/omibi/

Love

ᡥᠠᡳᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ

/xairambi/

Heart

ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ

/nijaman/

Tree

ᠮᠣᠣ

/moː/

House

ᠪᠣᠣ

/boː/

Dog

ᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨ

/indaxuːn/

Cat

ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ

/kəsikə/

Hand

ᡤᠠᠯᠠ

/ɡala/

Eye

ᠶᠠᠰᠠ

/jasa/

Hello

ᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

/si sain/

Thank you

ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ

/banixa/

One

ᠡᠮᡠ

/əmu/

Good

ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

/sain/

Sources

Words compared

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

Meaning ManchuSibeJurchenNanaiEven (Lamut)EvenkiUdege
Water ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ muke /muke/ муэ /mue/ му /mu/ му /mu/ уй /uj/
Fire ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ tuwa /tuwa/ това /tova/ тоог /toːɡ/ того /toɡo/ тогбо /toɡbo/
Sun ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ ᠰᡠᠨ /sun/ šun /ʃun/ сиун /siun/ нөлтэн /nølten/ дылача /dɯlatɕa/ даигаси /daiɡasi/
Moon ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ biya /bija/ биа /bia/ бяг /bjaɡ/ бега /beɡa/ биа /bia/
Mother ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ /ənijə/ ᡝᠨᡞᠶᡝ /ənije/ eme /eme/ энин /enin/ эньэн /eɲen/ эни /eni/ энэ /ene/
Father ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ ᠠᠮᠠ /ama/ ama /ama/ ама /ama/ ама /ama/ ама /ama/ амэ /amə/
Eat ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ /dʒəmbi/ ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡞ /d͡ʒəmbi/ jefu /dʒefu/ депу /depu/ дьэб /dʒeb/ дептэ /depte/ джевэ /d͡ʒevə/
Drink ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡳ /omibi/ ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡞ /omibi/ omi /omi/ омичи /omitʃi/ ум /um/ умӣ /umiː/ омимэ /omimə/
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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-MongolicOld Japanese on-yomi
emu /emu/ emu /emu/ emu /əmu/ *əmun /*əmun/ om /əm/ *nigen /*niɡen/ iti /iti/
juwe /d͡ʒuwə/ juwe /dʑuwe/ juwe /d͡ʑuwə/ *dʒuər /*d͡ʒuər/ jur /dʒur/ *qoyar /*qojar/ ni /ɲi/
ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ *ilan /*ilan/ gur /ɡur/ *gurba(n) /*gurban/ sam /sam/
duin /duin/ duin /duin/ duin /duin/ *dügin /*dyɡin/ dur /dur/ *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ si /ɕi/
sunja /sund͡ʒa/ sunja /sundʑa/ sunja /sund͡ʑa/ *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ tau /tau/ *tabu(n) /*tabun/ go /ŋo/
ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɢun/ *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ nil /nil/ *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ roku /roku/
nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ *nadan /*nadan/ dalu /dalu/ *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/ siti /ɕiti/
jakūn /d͡ʒakʰuːn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ jakūn /d͡ʑaqun/ *dʒapkun /*d͡ʒapkun/ naim /naim/ *nayima(n) /*najiman/ pati /pati/
uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ isen /isen/ *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ kiu /kiu/
juwan /d͡ʒuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ juwan /d͡ʑuwan/ *dʒuwan /*d͡ʒuwan/ par /par/ *harba(n) /*harban/ zipu /ʑipu/
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