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

Wear this language Pick the words you like, printed in the same typeface the map uses. Make a T-shirt from Manchu words →

87 core words in Manchu

Water

ᠮᡠᡴᡝ

mukə

Fire

ᡨᡠᠸᠠ

tuwa

Sun

ᡧᡠᠨ

ʃun

Moon

ᠪᡳᠶᠠ

bija

Star

ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ

usiˈχa

Night

ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ

dobori

Rain

ᠠᡤᠠ

aɡa

Snow

ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ

nimaŋɡi

Wind

ᡝᡩᡠᠨ

ədun

Earth

ᠪᠣᡳᡥᠣᠨ

boihon

Stone

ᠸᡝᡥᡝ

wəxə

Mountain

ᠠᠯᡳᠨ

alin

Sea

ᠮᡝᡩᡝᡵᡳ

mətəri

Mother

ᡝᠨᡳᠶᡝ

ənijə

Father

ᠠᠮᠠ

ama

Daughter

ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ ᠵᡠᡳ

sarɡan dʒui

I

ᠪᡳ

bi

You

ᠰᡳ

si

We

ᠮᡠᠰᡝ / ᠪᡝ

musə / bə

Name

ᡤᡝᠪᡠ

ɡəbu

Person

ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ

nijalma

Head

ᡠᠵᡠ

udʒu

Eye

ᠶᠠᠰᠠ

jasa

Ear

ᡧᠠᠨ

ʃan

Nose

ᠣᡶᠣᡵᠣ

oforo

Mouth

ᠠᠩᡤᠠ

aŋɡa

Tooth

ᠸᡝᡳᡥᡝ

weixe

Tongue

ᡳᠯᡝᠩᡤᡠ

ilɤŋɡu

Hand

ᡤᠠᠯᠠ

ɡala

Foot

ᠪᡝᡨᡥᡝ

pɤtʰxɤ

Heart

ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠮᠠᠨ

nijaman

Bone

ᡤᡳᡵᠠᠩᡤᡳ

ɡiraŋɡi

Blood

ᠰᡝᠩᡤᡳ

səŋɡi

Poop

ᡥᠠᠮᡠ

xamu

Love

ᡥᠠᡳᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ

xairambi

Tree

ᠮᠣᠣ

moː

Dog

ᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨ

indaxuːn

Cat

ᡴᡝᠰᡳᡴᡝ

kəsikə

Fish

ᠨᡳᠮᠠᡥᠠ

nimaxa

Bird

ᡤᠠᠰᡥᠠ

ɢasχa

Butterfly

ᡤᡝᡶᡝᡥᡝ

ɡəfəxə

Egg

ᡠᠮᡥᠠᠨ

umxan

Bear

ᠯᡝᡶᡠ

ləfu

Horse

ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ

morin

House

ᠪᠣᠣ

boː

Milk

ᠰᡠᠨ

sun

Honey

ᡥᡳᠪᠰᡠ

xibsu

Salt

ᡩᠠᠪᠰᡠᠨ

dabsun

Rice

ᠪᡝᠯᡝ

bələ

Iron

ᠰᡝᠯᡝ

sələ

Wheel

ᠮᡠᡥᡝᡵᡝᠨ

muxərən

Silk

ᠰᡳᡵᡤᡝ

sirɡə

Book

ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ

bitxə

Eat

ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ

dʒəmbi

Drink

ᠣᠮᡳᠪᡳ

omibi

Sleep

ᠠᠮᡤᠠᠮᠪᡳ

amɢambi

One

ᠡᠮᡠ

əmu

Two

ᠵᡠᠸᡝ

dʒuwə

Three

ᡳᠯᠠᠨ

ilan

Four

ᡩᡠᡳᠨ

duin

Five

ᠰᡠᠨᠵᠠ

sundʒa

Hundred

ᡨᠠᠩᡤᡡ

taŋɡuː

Hello

ᠰᡳ ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

si sain

Thank you

ᠪᠠᠨᡳᡥᠠ

banixa

Good

ᠰᠠᡳᠨ

sain

New

ᡳᠴᡝ

itʃə

Red

ᡶᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ

fulɡijan

White

ᡧᠠᠩᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ

ʃaŋɡijan

Black

ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ

saχalijan

Green

ᠨᡳᠣᠸᠠᠩᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ

niowaŋɡijan

Blue

ᠯᠠᠮᡠᠨ

lamun

Tea

ᠴᠠᡳ

tʃai

Sugar

ᡧᠠᡨᠠᠨ

ʃaˈtan

Ninety-nine

ᡠᠶᡠᠨᠵᡠ ᡠᠶᡠᠨ

ujundʒu ujun

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Tungusic (Manchu-Tungus, Southern)

Meaning ManchuJurchenSibeNanaiUdegeProto-TungusicEvenki
Water ᠮᡠᡴᡝ /mukə/ muke /muke/ ᠮᡠᡣᡝ /mukʰu/ муэ /mue/ ули /uli/ *mū /mū/ мӯ /muː/
Fire ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tuwa/ to /to/ ᡨᡠᠸᠠ /tʰuɑ/ тава /tava/ то̄ /toː/ *tawa /tawa/ того /toɡo/
Sun ᡧᡠᠨ /ʃun/ še'un /ʃeun/ ᡧᡠᠨ /sun/ сиун /siun/ сӯ /suː/ *sigūn /sigūn/ дылача /dilatʃa/
Moon ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /bija/ bia /bia/ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ /biɑ/ биа /bia/ биа /bia/ *bēga /bēga/ бега /beɡa/
Star ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usiˈχa/ ušiha /uʃixa/ ᡠᠰᡳᡥᠠ /usxɑ/ хосикта /xosikta/ ваикта /ˈwaikta/ *xōsikta /xoːsikta/ осикта /oˈsikta/
Night ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ /dobori/ dobori /dobori/ ᡩᠣᠪᠣᡵᡳ /dœviri/ долбо /dolbo/ догбо /doɡbo/ *dolbo /dolbo/ долбони /dolboni/
Rain ᠠᡤᠠ /aɡa/ agu /aɡu/ ᠠᡤᠠ /ɑɣɑ/ тугдэ /tuɡdə/ тигдэ /tiɡde/ *tigde /tiɡde/ тыгдэ /tiɡdə/
Snow ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ /nimaŋɡi/ imanggi /imaŋɡi/ ᠨᡳᠮᠠᠩᡤᡳ /nimɑŋ/ симата /simata/ има̄ /imaː/ *imana /imana/ иманна /imanˈna/
Page 1/10

Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Manchu
ᠪᡳ ᠠᠨᡨᠠᡥᠠ ᡳ ᠵᡠᠯᡝᡵᡳ ᡥᡡᡩᠠ ᡩᡝ ᠰᠠᠪᡠᡥᠠᠩᡤᡝ ᡝᡨᡠᡴᡠ ᠪᡝ ᡝᡨᡠᡴᡳ ᡨᡠᠸᠠᡴᡳ ᠰᡝᠮᠪᡳ
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 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Han readings compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Tungusic > Southern

Character ManchuJurchenSibeProto-TungusicKhitanProto-MongolicPhags-pa Chinese
一 emu /emu/ emu /emu/ emu /əmu/ *əmun /*əmun/ am /am/ *nigen /*niɡen/ yi /ʔi/
二 juwe /dʒuwə/ juwe /dʑuwe/ juwe /dʑuwə/ *dʒuər /*dʒuər/ jur /dʒur/ *qoyar /*qojar/ ži /ʐi/
三 ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ ilan /ilan/ *ilan /*ilan/ hur /hur/ *gurba(n) /*ɡurban/ sam /sam/
四 duin /duin/ duin /duin/ duin /duin/ *dügin /*dyɡin/ dur /dur/ *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ shi /sɨ/
五 sunja /sundʒa/ sunja /sundʑa/ sunja /sundʑa/ *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ tau /tʰau/ *tabu(n) /*tabun/ u /wu/
六 ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɡun/ ninggun /niŋɢun/ *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ nil /nil/ *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ lėu /lɥu/
七 nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ nadan /nadan/ *nadan /*nadan/ dolo /dolo/ *doluɣa(n) /*doluɣan/ tsʻi /tsʰi/
八 jakūn /dʒakʰuːn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ jakūn /dʑakɯn/ *dʒapkun /*dʒapkun/ — *nayima(n) /*najiman/ ba /pa/
九 uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ uyun /ujun/ *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ is /is/ *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ giw /kiw/
十 juwan /dʒuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ juwan /dʑuwan/ *dʒuwan /*dʒuwan/ par /par/ *harba(n) /*harban/ ši /ʐi/
Page 1/11

Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree

Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.

Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home