Why did administration in Yuan China depend on interpreters and translators?

In the Yuan dynasty, the reliance on interpreters and translators was a direct result of the linguistic divide between the ruling Mongol minority and the Chinese population.

Few Mongols, even late into the dynasty, possessed knowledge of the Chinese language or script. Conversely, very few Chinese individuals learned the language of their conquerors. Because Mongol served as the primary language of the state, most official decrees, ordinances, and decisions were drafted in Mongol first. To communicate these to the Chinese populace and bureaucracy, a Chinese interlinear version was added to these documents.12

This administrative dualism meant that the government could not function without intermediaries to bridge the gap. The resulting Chinese translations often used colloquial language and followed Mongol word order, which likely appeared foreign to the native Chinese literati. This reliance on translation was a reflection of the broader Mongol policy of maintaining their own cultural identity and avoiding full assimilation into the Chinese social system.12