SPEAK BULGARIAN FLUENTLY

HOW TO SPEAK (REAL) BULGARIAN

Bulgarian grammar is easy to learn! This Grammar Section is designed to help you grasp the essential rules as quickly and clearly as possible, so you can begin forming your own sentences from day one. Unlike other courses that overwhelm you with theory, our approach focuses on the most important rules that will allow you to speak Bulgarian confidently and naturally—starting today.

In the lessons ahead, you’ll find everything you need to master Bulgarian grammar, from basic sentence structure and verb conjugations to more advanced topics like noun gender, article usage, and prepositions. Each topic is explained with practical, easy-to-understand examples to help you not only learn the rules but also remember and apply them. We recommend learning the core 2000 Bulgarian vocabulary words first—this will make the examples much easier to follow and internalize.

The grammar topics covered include the Bulgarian alphabet, gender and number agreement, definite and indefinite articles, personal and possessive pronouns, conjunctions and prepositions. You’ll also dive into adverbs, adjectives, present, past and future tenses, as well as the imperative, modal verbs, negation, sentence structure, questions, and  relative clauses.

Click on any section title to jump directly to the topic you're interested in, or start from the beginning and let your knowledge grow naturally.

Bulgarian Pronunciation

Pronunciation in Bulgarian is relatively regular and phonetic, making it easier to learn than in many other European languages. Each letter corresponds closely to a single sound, and once you learn the alphabet and its associated sounds, reading and speaking become much more straightforward.

The Phonetic Nature of Bulgarian

Bulgarian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, and each letter represents a distinct sound. Unlike in English or French, Bulgarian is highly phonetic, meaning that words are pronounced the way they are spelled. This consistency is a major advantage for learners.

For example:
маса table
море sea
училище school

Each vowel and consonant is pronounced clearly, with no silent letters and very few digraphs or complex clusters.

Stress in Bulgarian

Stress in Bulgarian is dynamic and unpredictable. It can fall on any syllable in a word and often differs between grammatical forms of the same word. This makes stress an essential aspect of pronunciation to master.

For example:
вóда water (noun)
водá he/she leads (verb)

In these two examples, the same spelling has different meanings based on stress. Unfortunately, stress is not marked in normal writing, so learners must memorize it word by word or rely on dictionaries that include stress marks.

Stress in Bulgarian is also mobile, meaning it can shift depending on number, tense, or case.

глáва head
главáта the head

пѐсна song
песнѝте the songs

Vowel Pronunciation

There are six vowel phonemes in Bulgarian: а, е, и, о, у, ъ. Each is pronounced clearly and distinctly, regardless of stress, though there are some variations in unstressed syllables.

• а sounds like a in father
  мама mom

• е sounds like e in pet
  дете child

• и sounds like ee in see
  птица bird

• о sounds like o in not, though slightly more rounded
  дом home

• у sounds like oo in boot
  луна moon

• ъ is a unique Bulgarian vowel, somewhat like a mid-central uh sound
  сън sleep
  път road

Unstressed vowels tend to be shorter but not reduced to the extent they are in English or Russian. Bulgarian maintains vowel clarity even in unstressed positions.

Consonants and Voicing

Most consonants in Bulgarian come in voiced and voiceless pairs:

б-п, в-ф, д-т, г-к, з-с, ж-ш

At the end of a word, voiced consonants are usually devoiced:

град city → pronounced грат
хляб bread → pronounced хляп

This is called final devoicing, and it is a consistent rule in Bulgarian. In spelling, the original voiced letter remains, but in speech, it shifts to its voiceless counterpart.

Assimilation of Voicing

When words are spoken in connected speech, assimilation occurs between consonants. A voiced consonant may become voiceless if followed by a voiceless one, and vice versa.

For example:
в този ден on this day → pronounced в тозИ тен
с брат ми with my brother → pronounced з брат ми

This rule mostly applies to consonant clusters across word boundaries, and it’s a natural process in fluent Bulgarian speech.

Palatalization and Softness

Bulgarian does not have a formal system of palatalized consonants like Russian, but many consonants are softened before front vowels (е, и).

дядо grandfather
дете child

The д in дете sounds slightly softer due to the following е. This softness is subtle and does not change the meaning of the word, but it contributes to natural-sounding pronunciation.

The Role of the Hard Sign (ъ)

The letter ъ is unique to Bulgarian among modern Slavic languages. It appears frequently and is pronounced with a central vowel sound.

вървя I walk
мъж man
първи first

Learners often find ъ difficult at first, but it is critical to proper pronunciation. It often appears in unstressed syllables but is never silent or reduced.

Intonation and Rhythm

Bulgarian is a syllable-timed language, which means each syllable tends to take roughly the same amount of time. This creates a rhythm that is more even than stress-timed languages like English.

Questions in Bulgarian typically rise in pitch toward the end:
Ти ли си там? Are you there? – with rising intonation.

Statements usually fall in pitch:
Аз съм там. I am there. – with falling intonation.

Emphasis can also be added through pitch and stress, especially to indicate contrast or emotion.

Spelling vs. Pronunciation

Bulgarian spelling is extremely consistent, but due to rules like final devoicing and assimilation, pronunciation may differ slightly from what’s written.

Despite these changes, phonetic spelling remains a strong feature of the language, which is very helpful for learners.

For example:
любов love → pronounced любоф
клуб club → pronounced клуп

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Gender of Nouns in Bulgarian

In Bulgarian, every noun has a grammatical gender—either masculine, feminine, or neuter. Grammatical gender in Bulgarian is not always aligned with biological gender. While nouns referring to people and animals generally follow natural gender, many inanimate objects, concepts, and abstract terms are also classified into these three grammatical categories. Understanding how gender works is essential, as it influences adjective agreement, pronoun use, verb forms, and article suffixes.

Masculine Nouns

Masculine nouns in Bulgarian usually end in a consonant in their base (dictionary) form. These nouns may refer to male people, animals, objects, or abstract ideas.

човек – person
учител – teacher
стол – chair
вятър – wind
град – city

There are many masculine nouns that refer to people and animals:

брат – brother
баща – father
крал – king
вълк – wolf

However, not all masculine nouns refer to male beings. Many inanimate nouns also belong to this category:

дом – home
ден – day
час – hour

Special Case: Masculine Nouns Ending in –а or –я

Some masculine nouns, especially those denoting male persons, end in -а or -я, which may seem feminine at first glance. These are grammatically masculine, though they take some forms similar to feminine nouns in certain cases.

поета – the poet
дядо – grandfather
чичо – uncle

These nouns behave like feminine nouns in the plural and in certain declined forms, but they are masculine in agreement with adjectives and verbs.

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns most commonly end in -а or -я. These endings are the most straightforward markers of feminine gender. Feminine nouns include female persons, animals, and many inanimate or abstract nouns.

жена – woman
майка – mother
сестра – sister
книга – book
врата – door
песен – song

Feminine nouns that end in a soft consonant (a consonant followed by the soft sign "ь" in Old Church Slavonic origins) are also common, though in modern Bulgarian the sign isn’t written:

нощ – night
кръв – blood
радост – joy
любов – love

These feminine nouns don’t end in -а or -я, but they are still grammatically feminine. Many abstract concepts fall into this group.

Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns most often end in -о or -е. They include objects, diminutives, and abstract ideas.

дете – child
мляко – milk
море – sea
сърце – heart
поле – field

Some neuter nouns end in -и, particularly those borrowed from other languages or plural-looking nouns that are singular:

такси – taxi
жури – jury

There are also neuter nouns that derive from adjectives:

доброто – the good (thing)
лошото – the bad (thing)

These are used to nominalize concepts and take neuter agreement in adjectives and verbs.

How to Determine the Gender of a Noun

For most Bulgarian nouns, the ending gives a strong clue to gender:

• Consonant ending → usually masculine

• -а / -я ending → usually feminine

• -о / -е ending → usually neuter

However, as seen earlier, there are exceptions. The context and dictionary form should always be taken into account.

For example:

дете – child (ends in -е, neuter)
вода – water (ends in -а, feminine)
хляб – bread (ends in consonant, masculine)

Agreement with Adjectives

Gender affects how adjectives behave. Adjectives in Bulgarian must agree in gender, number, and definiteness with the noun they describe.

Masculine:

нов стол – new chair
син химикал – blue pen

Feminine:

нова книга – new book
синя чаша – blue cup

Neuter:

ново легло – new bed
синьо море – blue sea

Gender in Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Bulgarian also reflect gender, especially in the third person singular.

той – he (masculine)
тя – she (feminine)
то – it (neuter)

These pronouns must match the gender of the noun they replace.

Това е стол. Той е нов. – This is a chair. It is new.
Това е книга. Тя е стара. – This is a book. It is old.
Това е дете. То е малко. – This is a child. It is small.

Plural Nouns and Gender

When nouns become plural, their gender still affects the form of adjectives and pronouns, but not the article suffix (which is always -те for the definite form). Plural endings vary depending on gender, but over time, plural forms tend to be learned as part of the word itself.

стол – столове – chair – chairs
книга – книги – book – books
море – морета – sea – seas

Why Gender Matters

Understanding and correctly using noun gender in Bulgarian is not just a matter of grammar—it’s essential for fluency. Gender determines:

• Article suffixes (столът, книгата, детето)

• Adjective endings (нов, нова, ново)

• Pronoun choice (той, тя, то)

• Verb agreement in past tense (той беше, тя беше, то беше)

Even for advanced learners, gender errors can affect comprehension and naturalness. Mastery of gender means not only recognizing it but also consistently applying it in real speech and writing.

The Bulgarian language has a rich and complex system for forming plural nouns, influenced by gender, word endings, stress patterns, and sometimes even meaning. Learning how to form and use plurals correctly is essential for speaking naturally and fluently. Unlike English, which typically uses the single suffix “-s” or “-es”, Bulgarian plurals vary significantly depending on the noun’s grammatical gender and its singular form.

In Bulgarian, every noun has both a singular and plural form. The plural is not formed by a single universal ending, but rather by a variety of endings that depend on:

• The gender of the noun

• The ending of the singular form

• The stress pattern

• Whether the noun is animate or inanimate (for masculine nouns in accusative case)

There is no fixed formula, so many plural forms must be memorized along with the noun. However, there are patterns and tendencies that can guide you.

Plural Formation for Masculine Nouns

Most masculine nouns in Bulgarian end in a consonant in the singular form. The plural endings for these nouns are usually:

• -и

• -ове

• -е

Examples:

стол – chair
столове – chairs

учител – teacher
учители – teachers

град – city
градове – cities

вълк – wolf
вълци – wolves

The ending -ове is very common with concrete objects and some one-syllable nouns. The ending -и is more common with professions, people, or polysyllabic words. The ending -е is less common but occurs with some words.

Plural Formation for Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns typically end in -а or -я. These nouns usually take the plural endings:

• -и

• -и with stem change in some cases

Examples:

жена – woman
жени – women

врата – door
врати – doors

песен – song
песни – songs

ръка – hand
ръце – hands (irregular)

Some feminine nouns undergo internal changes when forming the plural, such as vowel shifts or irregular patterns. These are often high-frequency words and must be memorized.

Plural Formation for Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns usually end in -о or -е. Their plural forms typically end in:

• -а

• -я

Examples:

дете – child
деца – children (irregular)

море – sea
морета – seas

езеро – lake
езера – lakes

мляко – milk (uncountable – no plural)

цвете – flower
цветя – flowers

As seen in examples like деца and цветя, neuter nouns are especially prone to irregular plurals. Many of these are part of basic vocabulary, so they should be learned with their plural forms from the start.

Irregular Plurals

Bulgarian has many irregular plural forms, especially for short and high-frequency nouns. These forms often involve internal vowel changes, consonant changes, or completely different stems.

човек – person
хора – people

дете – child
деца – children

брат – brother
братя – brothers

син – son
синове – sons

вода – water
води – waters

In many cases, these plurals do not follow any predictable rule and must be learned by heart.

Plural of Nouns Ending in a Vowel

Some foreign words or loanwords that end in a vowel, such as -и or -у, form their plural differently or remain unchanged.

такси – taxi
таксита – taxis

меню – menu
менюта – menus

радио – radio
радиа – radios

These nouns are typically neuter, and they take -та in the plural definite form.

The Definite Article in Plural

Unlike in the singular, the definite article in the plural is uniform across all genders: the suffix -те.

столове – chairs
столовете – the chairs

жени – women
жените – the women

морета – seas
моретата – the seas

The definite article is added to the plural form of the noun, not to the singular stem.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Some Bulgarian nouns, especially mass nouns or uncountables, do not usually appear in the plural. These include abstract ideas, substances, and some collective terms.

вода – water (usually singular)
захар – sugar
любов – love
радост – joy

However, in certain contexts, even abstract nouns may have plural forms when referring to different types or instances:

води – types of water
любови – loves (poetic or literary)

Plurals and Adjective Agreement

When a noun becomes plural, the adjectives and other modifiers must also take their plural forms, which are generally:

• -и for masculine and feminine

• -и for neuter and plural

нови столове – new chairs
хубави жени – beautiful women
топли морета – warm seas
сладки деца – sweet children

The adjective must match the number and definiteness of the noun it modifies.

Plural Pronouns

Bulgarian has distinct plural personal pronouns:

ние – we
вие – you (plural/formal)
те – they

These pronouns replace plural nouns and must agree in number with verbs and adjectives.

Ние сме тук. – We are here.
Те идват. – They are coming.

Plural in Bulgarian

Articles in Bulgarian

One of the most fascinating features of Bulgarian grammar is the way it treats definiteness, which differs significantly from how articles are used in English or other Western European languages. Bulgarian does not use separate indefinite articles ("a", "an") or definite articles ("the") as standalone words. Instead, definiteness is expressed through suffixes attached to the noun or, in some cases, to adjectives. This characteristic sets Bulgarian apart and offers learners a unique linguistic experience

No Indefinite Article in Bulgarian

Unlike English, Bulgarian does not have an equivalent to "a" or "an". When a noun is indefinite, it appears without any article. For example:

книга – a book
човек – a person
куче – a dog

The context or accompanying words (like numerals, adjectives, or indefinite pronouns) clarify that the noun is indefinite. For instance:

една книга – one book
някакъв човек – some person
всяко куче – every dog

The Definite Article as a Suffix

Bulgarian uses postposed definite articles, which means that the article comes after the noun as a suffix. This suffix changes depending on:

• The gender of the noun

• The number (singular or plural)

• The position of the noun in the sentence (whether it's the subject or not)

Here are the basic rules:

Masculine Nouns (Singular)

For masculine singular nouns, there are two forms of the definite article:

• -ът / -ят – used when the noun is the subject of the sentence

• -а / -я – used when the noun is not the subject (i.e., object or after a preposition)

The choice between -ът and -ят or -а and -я depends on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a palatalized sound.

стол – chair
столът е нов – the chair is new (subject)
виждам стола – I see the chair (object)

учител – teacher
учителят говори – the teacher is speaking
познавам учителя – I know the teacher

Feminine Nouns (Singular)

For feminine nouns, the definite article suffix is:

• -та

This form is invariable, regardless of the word’s role in the sentence.

жена – woman
жената идва – the woman is coming
виждам жената – I see the woman

врата – door
вратата е отворена – the door is open
затвори вратата – close the door

Neuter Nouns (Singular)

For neuter nouns, the definite article suffix is:

• -то

Again, this form is fixed regardless of word order.

дете – child
детето спи – the child is sleeping
гледам детето – I’m watching the child

мляко – milk
млякото е топло – the milk is warm
пия млякото – I drink the milk

Definite Article in the Plural

In the plural, all nouns—regardless of gender—take the -те definite article suffix.

книги – books
книгите са интересни – the books are interesting
чета книгите – I’m reading the books

столове – chairs
столовете са нови – the chairs are new
виждам столовете – I see the chairs

деца – children
децата играят – the children are playing
гледам децата – I’m watching the children

Adjective-Noun Word Order and Articles

When an adjective comes before a masculine singular noun, the definite article is usually added to the adjective instead of the noun. This applies only to masculine singular nouns functioning as subjects.

новият стол е удобен – the new chair is comfortable
старият учител говори – the old teacher is speaking

When the noun is not the subject, the article is still added to the noun:

виждам новия стол – I see the new chair
срещнах стария учител – I met the old teacher

For feminine, neuter, and plural nouns, the article is usually placed on the noun, not on the adjective:

новата книга е интересна – the new book is interesting
новото дете е тихо – the new child is quiet
новите книги са тук – the new books are here

Articles and Possessive or Demonstrative Pronouns

When a noun is preceded by a demonstrative or possessive pronoun, the definite article is not used. The definiteness is already implied:

моята книга – my book
тази врата – this door
онзи стол – that chair

You wouldn’t say моята книгата or тази вратата – that would be incorrect and redundant.

Special Notes on Masculine Nouns Ending in -а / -я

Some masculine nouns end in -а or -я, similar to feminine nouns in form. These often refer to male persons:

баща – father
чичо – uncle
дядо – grandfather

They take the -та article form, just like feminine nouns:

бащата спи – the father is sleeping
чичото идва – the uncle is coming

Pronouns in Bulgarian are an essential part of speech that allow speakers to replace nouns and avoid repetition. They are deeply connected to gender, number, person, and case, and their correct use is crucial to achieving natural fluency. Bulgarian pronouns inflect for case (nominative, accusative, dative), and many have clitic (short) forms used in unstressed positions in the sentence.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Bulgarian indicate the person and number of the subject or object. They agree with verbs and are inflected based on grammatical case.

Nominative (subject form)

аз – I
ти – you (singular)
той – he
тя – she
то – it
ние – we
вие – you (plural/formal)
те – they

Аз съм тук. – I am here.
Той чете книга. – He is reading a book.
Ние живеем в София. – We live in Sofia.

Accusative (direct object)

мен / ме – me
теб / те – you
него / го – him
нея / я – her
него / го – it
нас / ни – us
вас / ви – you (plural/formal)
тях / ги – them

Long forms (e.g. мен) are used for emphasis or after prepositions. Short (clitic) forms (e.g. ме) are unstressed and come before the verb.

Тя ме вижда. – She sees me.
Обичам го. – I love him.
Без теб не мога. – I can’t (do it) without you.

Dative (indirect object)

ми – to me
ти – to you
му – to him
ѝ – to her
ни – to us
ви – to you (plural/formal)
им – to them

Даде ми книга. – He gave me a book.
Купих му подарък. – I bought him a gift.
Ще ти се обадя. – I will call you.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the verb. They are used for actions performed on oneself or among a group.

се – oneself (accusative or dative)
си – to oneself (dative)
себе си / себе си / мен си / теб си – myself, yourself (emphatic, used after prepositions or for clarity)

Той се мие. – He is washing himself.
Пазете се. – Take care (of yourselves).
Говоря си. – I’m talking to myself.

Possessive Pronouns

These indicate ownership and must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

мой, моя, мое, мои – my
твой, твоя, твое, твои – your (singular)
негов, негова, негово, негови – his
неин, нейна, нейно, нейни – her
наш, наша, наше, наши – our
ваш, ваша, ваше, ваши – your (plural/formal)
техен, тяхна, тяхно, техни – their

Моята книга е тук. – My book is here.
Техният дом е голям. – Their house is big.
Неговото куче е мило. – His dog is sweet.

Demonstrative Pronouns

These are used to point out specific people or things.

този, тази, това, тези – this, these
онзи, онази, онова, онези – that, those

Тази жена е лекар. – This woman is a doctor.
Онези мъже работят там. – Those men work there.
Това е моят приятел. – This is my friend.

Interrogative Pronouns

These are used to ask questions.

кой – who
какво – what
чий – whose
който, която, което, които – which one (used in some questions and also as relative)

Кой е това? – Who is that?
Какво искаш? – What do you want?
Чия е тази къща? – Whose is this house?

Relative Pronouns

Used to link clauses, referring back to a noun.

който, която, което, които – who, which, that

Мъжът, който дойде, е учител. – The man who came is a teacher.
Книгата, която четеш, е интересна. – The book you’re reading is interesting.

Indefinite Pronouns

These refer to unspecified people or things.

някой – someone
нещо – something
никой – no one
нищо – nothing
всички – everyone
всяко нещо – everything
някакъв – some kind of

Някой звъни. – Someone is ringing.
Нищо не знам. – I know nothing.
Всички са тук. – Everyone is here.

Pronouns in Bulgarian

Prepositions are essential elements in Bulgarian grammar. They show the relationship between words in a sentence—indicating location, direction, time, cause, possession, and more. Bulgarian prepositions are usually followed by nouns or pronouns in a specific grammatical case—most often accusative, dative, or genitive-like forms.

Prepositions of Place and Direction

These prepositions indicate where something is or where something is going. They often require the accusative case, especially when there is motion involved.

в – in, into

в къщата – in the house
влизам в стаята – I enter the room
живея в София – I live in Sofia

на – on, onto, at, to

на масата – on the table
седя на стола – I sit on the chair
отивам на училище – I’m going to school

до – near, next to, by

до прозореца – by the window
живея до реката – I live near the river

пред – in front of

пред къщата – in front of the house
чакам пред вратата – I’m waiting at the door

зад – behind

зад сградата – behind the building
кучето е зад дървото – the dog is behind the tree

между – between

между хората – among the people
седя между Иван и Мария – I sit between Ivan and Maria

сред – in the middle of, among

сред гората – in the middle of the forest
сред учениците – among the students

Prepositions of Motion

към – toward

отивам към града – I’m going toward the city
погледна към мен – He looked toward me

от – from, of

идвам от работа – I come from work
страх от тъмното – fear of the dark

през – through, across, during

минавам през парка – I go through the park
през лятото – during the summer

по – along, across, by means of

по улицата – along the street
пътувам по пътя – I travel on the road
говоря по телефона – I talk on the phone

Prepositions of Time

в – in, at

в понеделник – on Monday
в три часа – at three o’clock
вечерта съм свободен – I’m free in the evening

на – on, at

на Коледа – on Christmas
на обяд – at lunchtime

от … до – from … to

от понеделник до петък – from Monday to Friday
работя от 9 до 17 – I work from 9 to 5

след – after

след работа – after work
следобед – in the afternoon

преди – before

преди срещата – before the meeting
преди обяд – before noon

Prepositions of Cause, Purpose, and Means

заради – because of

заради времето – because of the weather
останах вкъщи заради дъжда – I stayed home because of the rain

поради – due to (formal)

поради технически причини – due to technical reasons

с – with

с приятели – with friends
режа с нож – I cut with a knife

без – without

без вода – without water
живея без телевизор – I live without a TV

Prepositions of Possession and Relation

на – of, belonging to

книгата на Иван – Ivan’s book
дъщерята на Мария – Maria’s daughter

This structure is used instead of the possessive “’s” found in English.

относно – regarding, concerning

относно договора – regarding the contract
въпрос относно проекта – a question concerning the project

Prepositions After Adjectives and Verbs

Some verbs and adjectives require specific prepositions, and this must be learned with the verb or phrase.

говоря за проблема – I talk about the problem
мисля за теб – I think about you
радвам се на успеха ти – I am happy about your success
интересувам се от история – I’m interested in history
спомням си за детството – I remember my childhood
зависи от времето – It depends on the weather

Prepositions with Pronouns

After prepositions, personal pronouns take their full (stressed) forms:

до мен – next to me
с теб – with you
за него – about him
от нас – from us
при тях – at their place

Чакам пред теб. – I’m waiting in front of you.
Говорим за нея. – We’re talking about her.
Останах при тях. – I stayed at their place.

Compound and Complex Prepositions

Bulgarian also uses compound prepositions, usually borrowed from formal or bureaucratic language.

във връзка с – in connection with
по отношение на – with regard to
в резултат на – as a result of
от страна на – on the part of

Във връзка с писмото ви… – In connection with your letter…
По отношение на договора… – With regard to the contract…

Prepositions in Bulgarian

Conjunctions are crucial elements in Bulgarian grammar that serve to connect words, phrases, and clauses. They help create more complex, nuanced sentences by showing relationships such as addition, contrast, cause, condition, and purpose. Bulgarian uses a wide range of conjunctions, many of which closely parallel their English equivalents, though their placement and form may differ slightly.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect words or clauses of equal grammatical status—such as two nouns, two verbs, or two independent clauses.

и – and

Аз искам кафе и чай. – I want coffee and tea.
Той пише и говори добре. – He writes and speaks well.
Мария е тук и Петър също. – Maria is here and Peter too.

а – and / but (contrast)

Used to contrast two subjects or ideas without being as strong as “но”.

Аз съм тук, а той е навън. – I’m here, and he is outside.
Тя е тиха, а брат ѝ е шумен. – She is quiet, and her brother is loud.

но – but

Искам да отида, но нямам време. – I want to go, but I have no time.
Той е умен, но мързелив. – He is smart, but lazy.

или – or

Искаш ли кафе или чай? – Do you want coffee or tea?
Можем да останем или да тръгнем. – We can stay or leave.

нито … нито – neither … nor

Нито яде, нито пие. – He neither eats nor drinks.
Нито аз, нито ти знаем отговора. – Neither I nor you know the answer.

също – also

Той също дойде. – He also came.
Аз съм тук. Тя също. – I am here. She too.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent (subordinate) clauses—clauses that cannot stand alone and rely on the main clause to complete the meaning.

че – that

Знам, че си уморен. – I know that you’re tired.
Мисля, че ще вали. – I think that it will rain.

ако – if

Ако вали, ще останем вкъщи. – If it rains, we’ll stay home.
Ще дойда, ако мога. – I’ll come if I can.

защото – because

Не излязох, защото бях болен. – I didn’t go out because I was sick.
Той е тъжен, защото го боли главата. – He is sad because his head hurts.

понеже – since, because

Softer and often used in spoken language.

Понеже е късно, трябва да тръгваме. – Since it’s late, we have to go.

докато – while, as long as, until

Докато чаках, четох книга. – While I waited, I read a book.
Няма да излизаш, докато не свършиш. – You won’t go out until you finish.

когато – when

Когато пристигна, ще ти се обадя. – When I arrive, I’ll call you.
Помня, когато бях малък. – I remember when I was little.

въпреки че – although, even though

Въпреки че беше студено, той излезе. – Even though it was cold, he went out.
Въпреки че не исках, отидох. – Although I didn’t want to, I went.

преди да – before (doing something)

Преди да излезеш, заключи вратата. – Before you go out, lock the door.
Измий си ръцете преди да ядеш. – Wash your hands before eating.

след като – after (doing something)

След като се нахраних, си легнах. – After I ate, I went to bed.
Ще говоря с него след като дойде. – I’ll speak to him after he comes.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs, linking related elements in a sentence.

или … или – either … or

Или ще учиш, или ще повтаряш годината. – Either you study, or you repeat the year.
Или аз, или ти трябва да го направим. – Either I or you must do it.

и … и – both … and

И Петър, и Мария дойдоха. – Both Peter and Maria came.
Искам и хляб, и сирене. – I want both bread and cheese.

не само … но и – not only … but also

Не само работи, но и учи. – He not only works, but also studies.
Тя е не само умна, но и красива. – She is not only smart but also beautiful.

Conjunctions in Bulgarian

Adjectives in Bulgarian are vital for describing people, objects, places, feelings, and abstract concepts. They must agree in gender, number, and definiteness with the noun they modify, and their endings change accordingly. Bulgarian adjectives can be placed before or after the noun and may take definite forms, which adds a layer of complexity not present in English.

The Role of Adjectives in Bulgarian

Adjectives describe qualities or characteristics of nouns. They answer questions like:

• Какъв? / Каква? / Какво? / Какви? – What kind (masculine / feminine / neuter / plural)?

нов стол – new chair
красива жена – beautiful woman
тихо дете – quiet child
интересни книги – interesting books

Adjectives must always agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and definiteness.

Gender Agreement

Bulgarian adjectives change their endings depending on the gender of the noun:

Masculine Singular

Adjective usually ends in -∅ or -ен

висок мъж – tall man
умен човек – smart person

Feminine Singular

Adjective ends in -а

висока жена – tall woman
умна майка – smart mother

Neuter Singular

Adjective ends in -о or -е

високо дете – tall child
умно момиче – smart girl

Plural (All Genders)

Adjective ends in -и

високи мъже – tall men
умни жени – smart women
интересни деца – interesting children

Definiteness in Adjectives

Bulgarian adjectives have a definite form when the noun is definite. This often means adding a suffix to the adjective, particularly in masculine singular.

Masculine Singular

When the noun is the subject, the adjective takes -ият or -ят:

новият стол е удобен. – The new chair is comfortable.

When the noun is not the subject, the adjective takes -ия or -я:

виждам новия стол. – I see the new chair.

Feminine, Neuter, and Plural

Definiteness is shown by adding the definite article to the noun, not the adjective, but the adjective still precedes the noun:

новата чаша – the new cup
новото легло – the new bed
новите книги – the new books

Adjective Position in the Sentence

Adjectives usually appear before the noun, but in poetic or literary contexts, they can appear after the noun for stylistic effect.

красива жена – beautiful woman
жена красива и горда – a woman beautiful and proud (literary)

When using demonstratives or possessives, the order is:

тази хубава къща – this beautiful house
моята стара кола – my old car

Forming the Negative

To form the negative of an adjective, use не before the adjective.

неумен човек – an unintelligent person
некрасива сграда – an unattractive building
недоволен клиент – a dissatisfied customer

In compound or set expressions, the negative form is often written as one word:

недоволен, несигурен, непознат

Comparative and Superlative Forms

Bulgarian adjectives can express comparison just like in English (bigger, better, etc.).

Comparative

Formed with the prefix по- (more):

по-голям – bigger
по-красив – more beautiful
по-умен – smarter

Той е по-висок от мен. – He is taller than me.

Superlative

Formed with the prefix най- (most):

най-голям – biggest
най-красив – most beautiful
най-умен – smartest

Това е най-интересната книга. – This is the most interesting book.

Both comparative and superlative adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun.

Short-Form Adjectives (Predicate Position)

When used after the verb “to be” (съм) in the predicate, adjectives keep their normal (short) form:

Книгата е интересна. – The book is interesting.
Децата са шумни. – The children are noisy.

They can also follow verbs like изглеждам (look like), оставам (remain), ставам (become), etc.

Тя изглежда уморена. – She looks tired.
Той стана известен. – He became famous.

Common Irregular or Special Adjectives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative/superlative forms or are frequently used with metaphorical meaning.

добър – good
по-добър – better
най-добър – best

лош – bad
по-лош – worse
най-лош – worst

малък – small
по-малък – smaller
най-малък – smallest

голям – big
по-голям – bigger
най-голям – biggest

Adjectives Used as Nouns

Bulgarian often uses adjectives as substantives to describe people or abstract ideas:

беден – poor man
богатите – the rich (people)
доброто – the good (thing)
лошото – the bad (thing)

Доброто побеждава. – The good wins.
Богатите живеят в този квартал. – The rich live in this neighborhood.

Adjectives in Bulgarian

The present tense in Bulgarian is used to describe actions happening right now, general truths, repeated events, and states of being. It is one of the most frequently used tenses and forms the foundation of everyday conversation. Unlike English, Bulgarian verbs in the present tense carry information about the person and number of the subject within their endings—so personal pronouns are often omitted unless needed for emphasis or clarity.

When the Present Tense is Used

In Bulgarian, the present tense is used for:

• Actions happening now
  Чета книга. – I am reading a book.

• Habitual or repeated actions
  Всеки ден ходя на работа. – I go to work every day.

• General truths or states
  Слънцето изгрява от изток. – The sun rises in the east.

• Timeless facts and opinions
  Обичам музика. – I love music.

Subject Pronouns in the Present Tense

Bulgarian verbs show person and number through their endings, but subject pronouns can still be used for emphasis or clarity.

аз – I
ти – you (singular)
той – he
тя – she
то – it
ние – we
вие – you (plural/formal)
те – they

Verb Conjugation in the Present Tense

Bulgarian verbs fall into three main conjugation groups, based on the ending of the infinitive (dictionary form). The infinitive itself is not marked, but we typically use the 1st person singular present tense form to identify a verb’s pattern.

Each verb has a stem, to which person-specific endings are added.

Let’s look at examples of regular verbs from each group.

Group 1: Verbs ending in -а / -я in 1st person singular

Example: работя – to work

аз работя – I work
ти работиш – you work
той / тя / то работи – he / she / it works
ние работим – we work
вие работите – you (plural) work
те работят – they work

These verbs often have present stems ending in a consonant, followed by the endings:

• -я, -иш, -и, -им, -ите, -ят

Group 2: Verbs ending in -е in 1st person singular

Example: чета – to read

аз чета – I read
ти четеш – you read
той / тя / то чете – he / she / it reads
ние четем – we read
вие четете – you (plural) read
те четат – they read

Endings for this group are generally:

• -а, -еш, -е, -ем, -ете, -ат

Group 3: Verbs ending in -и in 1st person singular

Example: говоря – to speak

аз говоря – I speak
ти говориш – you speak
той / тя / то говори – he / she / it speaks
ние говорим – we speak
вие говорите – you (plural) speak
те говорят – they speak

Endings here are similar to Group 1, but the stem often ends in a vowel:

• -я, -иш, -и, -им, -ите, -ят

Omission of the Subject Pronoun

Because verb endings already indicate the subject, pronouns are often omitted unless contrast or emphasis is needed.

Играя футбол. – I play football.
Пишем писмо. – We are writing a letter.

But if you want to stress the subject:

Аз играя, а ти гледаш. – I play, and you watch.

Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense

Some of the most common Bulgarian verbs are irregular and must be memorized. These include съм (to be), имам (to have), мога (can), and others.

съм – to be

аз съм – I am
ти си – you are
той / тя / то е – he / she / it is
ние сме – we are
вие сте – you (plural) are
те са – they are

Той е лекар. – He is a doctor.
Ние сме ученици. – We are students.

имам – to have

аз имам – I have
ти имаш – you have
той / тя / то има – he / she / it has
ние имаме – we have
вие имате – you (plural) have
те имат – they have

Имам кола. – I have a car.
Те имат деца. – They have children.

мога – can, be able to

аз мога – I can
ти можеш – you can
той / тя / то може – he / she / it can
ние можем – we can
вие можете – you (plural) can
те могат – they can

Мога да плувам. – I can swim.
Можеш ли да помогнеш? – Can you help?

Negative Form

To form the negative in the present tense, simply place не before the verb.

Не знам. – I don’t know.
Той не говори английски. – He doesn’t speak English.
Не искаме кафе. – We don’t want coffee.

Questions in the Present Tense

Bulgarian forms yes/no questions by changing intonation or adding the particle ли after the verb or subject.

Говориш ли френски? – Do you speak French?
Четеш ли тази книга? – Are you reading this book?

For wh-questions, use interrogative words:

Какво правиш? – What are you doing?
Къде живееш? – Where do you live?
Кой идва? – Who is coming?

Verbs with Reflexive Form in Present Tense

Reflexive verbs use the particle “се” and follow the same conjugation patterns.

смея се – I laugh
грижа се – I take care of
чувствам се добре – I feel good

Те се смеят. – They are laughing.
Грижиш ли се за себе си? – Do you take care of yourself?

Present Tense in Bulgarian

The past tense in Bulgarian—also known as the aorist—is one of the most fundamental and commonly used tenses. It is used to describe completed actions that took place at a specific time in the past, similar to the simple past in English. Bulgarian verbs in the past tense are fully conjugated, reflecting person, number, and gender—something that makes them different from English past tense verbs.

When the Past Tense Is Used

The Bulgarian past tense is used to express:

• A completed action in the past
  Изядох ябълката. – I ate the apple.

• A sequence of past events
  Станах, закусих и излязох. – I got up, had breakfast, and left.

• A state or condition in the past
  Бях уморен. – I was tired.

• Habitual past actions (with adverbs)
  Всяка сутрин ходех на училище. – Every morning I used to go to school.

This tense answers the question Какво стана? – What happened?

Structure of the Past Tense

The Bulgarian past tense is formed using the past active aorist participle of the verb plus personal endings.

The participle is derived from the perfective or imperfective verb stem. The endings change according to person, number, and gender.

Personal Endings in the Past Tense

Here are the standard personal endings added to the past tense stem:

• аз – -х

• ти – -∅ (just the stem)

• той / тя / то – -∅, with the verb agreeing in gender

• ние – -хме

• вие – -хте

• те – -ха

The verb form also reflects gender in the 3rd person singular:

• Masculine: just the participle

• Feminine: + -а

• Neuter: + -о

Example: Regular Verb – чета (to read)

аз четох – I read
ти чете – you read
той чете – he read
тя чете – she read
то чете – it read
ние четохме – we read
вие четохте – you (plural) read
те четоха – they read

Note: The past form of чета is чет-.

Example: Regular Verb – говоря (to speak)

аз говорих – I spoke
ти говори – you spoke
той говори – he spoke
тя говори – she spoke
ние говорихме – we spoke
вие говорихте – you (plural) spoke
те говориха – they spoke

Again, the past stem is used throughout, and gender agreement is not shown in 1st or 2nd person but is implicit in 3rd person singular through context or pronouns.

Gender Agreement in the Past Tense

In the third person singular, Bulgarian verbs agree with the subject’s gender.

Masculine:

Той дойде. – He came.
Петър каза истината. – Petar told the truth.

Feminine:

Тя дойде. – She came.
Мария каза истината. – Maria told the truth.

The form of the verb is the same, but the pronoun or name indicates gender. However, with participles used as adjectives, gender agreement is marked more clearly:

уморен / уморена / уморено / уморени – tired

Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense

Some high-frequency verbs have irregular past stems. These forms must be memorized.

съм – to be

аз бях – I was
ти беше – you were
той / тя / то беше – he / she / it was
ние бяхме – we were
вие бяхте – you (plural) were
те бяха – they were

имам – to have

аз имах – I had
ти имаше – you had
той имаше – he had
ние имахме – we had
вие имахте – you had
те имаха – they had

Forming the Negative

To make a negative past tense sentence, simply place не before the verb.

Не ходих на работа. – I didn’t go to work.
Те не дойдоха. – They didn’t come.
Тя не разбра нищо. – She didn’t understand anything.

Asking Questions in the Past Tense

Bulgarian forms yes/no questions by changing intonation or adding ли after the verb or pronoun.

Ходих ли там? – Did I go there?
Дойде ли тя? – Did she come?
Яде ли супа? – Did he eat soup?

Use question words for more detail:

Кога дойде? – When did you come?
Какво каза? – What did you say?
Кой ти се обади? – Who called you?

Reflexive Verbs in the Past Tense

Reflexive verbs use се and follow the same conjugation rules as regular verbs.

Събудих се рано. – I woke up early.
Те се смяха. – They laughed.
Ти се подстрига добре. – You got a good haircut.

Verbs of Motion in the Past Tense

Many Bulgarian verbs of motion (e.g. отивам, идвам, тръгвам) are imperfective by default. Use the perfective equivalent for a completed action:

отивам (to go) → отида
идвам (to come) → дойда

Отидох в магазина. – I went to the store.
Той дойде късно. – He came late.

Time Expressions with the Past Tense

Use time phrases to anchor past events:

вчера – yesterday
преди малко – a little while ago
миналата седмица – last week
преди година – a year ago
снощи – last night

Снощи гледах филм. – Last night I watched a film.
Миналата седмица пътувах до Варна. – Last week I traveled to Varna.

Past Tense in Bulgarian

The future tense in Bulgarian is used to talk about actions that will happen after the present moment. Unlike English, where verbs take a future form through “will” or “going to,” Bulgarian forms the future with a special particle and a present tense verb. This makes the construction both simple and powerful, as it builds on your knowledge of the present tense.

How to Form the Future Tense

The future simple tense in Bulgarian is formed with:

ще + present tense verb

The particle ще is invariable—it does not change by person, number, or gender.

Examples:

Аз ще уча. – I will study.
Ти ще пишеш. – You will write.
Той ще дойде. – He will come.
Ние ще отидем. – We will go.
Те ще играят. – They will play.

No changes occur to the verb stem—only the present tense form is used after ще.

Future Tense with All Persons

Singular

аз ще говоря – I will speak
ти ще четеш – you will read
той / тя / то ще работи – he / she / it will work

Plural

ние ще ядем – we will eat
вие ще чакате – you (plural/formal) will wait
те ще тръгнат – they will leave

Omission of Subject Pronouns

Because Bulgarian verbs are conjugated for person, subject pronouns like аз, ти, той can be omitted unless needed for emphasis.

Ще уча. – I will study.
Ще видим. – We’ll see.

Ти ще дойдеш, а аз ще остана. – You will come, and I will stay.

Making the Future Tense Negative

To negate the future tense, place няма да before the verb instead of ще.

Examples:

Няма да уча. – I will not study.
Няма да закъснея. – I won’t be late.
Няма да ходим утре. – We won’t go tomorrow.
Те няма да играят. – They won’t play.

This construction is very common in both written and spoken Bulgarian.

Asking Questions in the Future Tense

For yes/no questions, ще comes before the verb (and often before the subject as well, depending on emphasis):

Ще дойдеш ли утре? – Will you come tomorrow?
Ще има ли среща? – Will there be a meeting?
Ще пътувате ли до Варна? – Will you travel to Varna?

Use question words for open questions:

Кога ще пристигнеш? – When will you arrive?
Какво ще правиш утре? – What will you do tomorrow?
Кой ще говори първи? – Who will speak first?

Future Tense with Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs keep the се particle and follow the same rule:

Ще се върна. – I will return.
Тя ще се омъжи. – She will get married.
Ще се видим утре. – We’ll see each other tomorrow.

The reflexive pronoun may appear before or after the verb, depending on structure, but it always stays with the verb.

Using Future for Intentions and Plans

In Bulgarian, ще + present tense can express not only predictions but also intentions, promises, or planned actions.

Ще ти помогна. – I will help you.
Ще ти се обадя по-късно. – I’ll call you later.
Утре ще уча цял ден. – Tomorrow I’ll study all day.

Future in the Past (Conditional Mood)

To express a future action from the perspective of the past, Bulgarian uses the structure:

щях да + infinitive verb

This is often used in reported speech, hypothetical statements, or regret.

Казах, че щях да дойда. – I said I would come.
Той щеше да говори, но се отказа. – He was going to speak, but he changed his mind.
Щях да ти се обадя, но забравих. – I was going to call you, but I forgot.

Here, щях, щеше, щяха come from the past tense of съм (to be) + да + verb.

Time Expressions with the Future Tense

You can use various time markers to clarify when the future action will occur:

утре – tomorrow
другата седмица – next week
след малко – in a moment
след два дни – in two days
в бъдеще – in the future

Утре ще пътуваме. – We will travel tomorrow.
След малко ще започнем. – We will start in a moment.

Future Tense in Bulgarian

The imperative mood in Bulgarian is used to give commands, instructions, requests, advice, or invitations. It is a direct and powerful grammatical tool that can express anything from polite suggestions to strict orders. Bulgarian has both singular and plural/formal imperative forms and also allows for negative commands and reflexive commands.

When to Use the Imperative

• Giving direct orders:
  Седни! – Sit down!

• Offering encouragement:
  Опитай пак! – Try again!

• Making polite suggestions:
  Нека отидем. – Let’s go.

• Instructions and directions:
  Завий надясно. – Turn right.

• Warnings and prohibitions:
  Не пуши тук! – Don’t smoke here!

Imperative for Second Person Singular (ти)

Most regular Bulgarian verbs form the singular imperative by removing the first-person singular ending and adding:

• -и or -ай depending on the verb stem

Examples:

чета (to read) → чети! – read!
пиша (to write) → пиши! – write!
работя (to work) → работи! – work!
говоря (to speak) → говори! – speak!
чакам (to wait) → чакай! – wait!
слушам (to listen) → слушай! – listen!

Imperative for Second Person Plural or Formal (вие)

To form the plural/formal imperative, add -йте to the stem used for the singular form:

чети → четете! – read!
пиши → пишете! – write!
говори → говорете! – speak!
чакай → чакайте! – wait!
слушай → слушайте! – listen!

Use this form when speaking to more than one person or when being polite with a single person.

Моля, седнете. – Please, sit down.
Прочетете това. – Read this.

First Person Plural Imperative (нека + verb) – Let’s…

Bulgarian does not have a special verb form for “let’s”, but it uses the particle нека or хайде да followed by the present tense.

Нека отидем. – Let’s go.
Хайде да започнем. – Let’s start.
Нека останем тук. – Let’s stay here.

This construction expresses collective actions with encouragement or suggestion.

Negative Commands

To make a negative imperative, use не + the imperative form of the verb:

Singular:

Не говори! – Don’t speak!
Не закъснявай! – Don’t be late!
Не пий! – Don’t drink!

Plural / Formal:

Не говорете! – Don’t speak!
Не закъснявайте! – Don’t be late!
Не пушете тук! – Don’t smoke here!

Use this form for instructions, prohibitions, or gentle warnings.

Imperatives with Reflexive Verbs

When forming the imperative for reflexive verbs, use the same rules and place the reflexive pronoun се after the verb.

Singular:

Събуди се! – Wake up!
Измий се! – Wash yourself!
Настани се удобно! – Make yourself comfortable!

Plural / Formal:

Събудете се! – Wake up!
Измийте се! – Wash yourselves!
Настанете се удобно! – Make yourselves comfortable!

In negative form:

Не се притеснявай! – Don’t worry!
Не се страхувайте! – Don’t be afraid!

Common Irregular Imperative Forms

Some frequently used verbs have irregular imperative forms that must be memorized:

дай! – give!
дойди! – come!
ела! – come here!
вземи! – take!
бъди! – be!
виж! – look!
кажи! – say!
яж! – eat!

Plural / formal:

дайте! – give!
елате! – come!
вземете! – take!
бъдете! – be!
кажете! – say!
яжте! – eat!

Softening the Imperative: Polite Requests

To make your commands or requests more polite, you can add:

• моля – please

• бихте ли… – would you…

Моля, затворете прозореца. – Please close the window.
Бихте ли ми помогнали? – Would you help me?
Може ли да ми покажете? – Can you show me?

These are useful for formal situations or speaking with strangers.

Fixed Expressions and Idioms

Imperatives appear in many common Bulgarian expressions:

Хайде! – Come on!
Върви си! – Go away!
Почакай малко! – Wait a bit!
Спри! – Stop!
Излез навън! – Go outside!
Не се шегувай! – Don’t joke around!

Imperative in Bulgarian

The passive voice in Bulgarian is used to emphasize the action or its recipient rather than the doer of the action. It answers the question: What is being done? or What happened to someone or something? While the active voice focuses on the subject performing the action, the passive voice shifts focus to the person or thing receiving it.

Passive with the Verb “Съм” + Past Passive Participle

This is the most common and standard passive construction. It is formed with:

съм (to be) + past passive participle

The participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.

Singular:

Книгата е написана. – The book is written.
Вратата е отворена. – The door is opened.
Филмът е гледан. – The film is watched.

Plural:

Книгите са прочетени. – The books are read.
Документите са подписани. – The documents are signed.

This form focuses on the result or state of an action.

Passive in the Past Tense with “Беше” + Participle

Used to describe completed past actions in the passive voice.

Писмото беше изпратено. – The letter was sent.
Мостът беше построен през 2005 година. – The bridge was built in 2005.

If the agent is mentioned, it is introduced by от (by):

Къщата беше построена от баща му. – The house was built by his father.

Passive with “Ще бъде” + Participle (Future Passive)

This is the future passive form, using ще бъде (will be) + participle.

Документът ще бъде подписан утре. – The document will be signed tomorrow.
Решението ще бъде обявено скоро. – The decision will be announced soon.

Passive with Reflexive “Се” (Impersonal Passive)

The reflexive passive with се is extremely common and often used in spoken language, signs, and instructions. It is impersonal, focusing on what is done generally, without naming the agent.

Вратата се отваря в 8 часа. – The door opens at 8 o’clock.
Тук се говори български. – Bulgarian is spoken here.
Това не се прави. – This is not done.

This structure uses the active verb form, but the subject becomes the recipient of the action.

Passive in Present Tense (with Reflexive “Се”)

To form the present passive reflexively:

се + present tense verb (3rd person form)

Книгата се чете. – The book is being read.
Децата се водят в училище. – Children are taken to school.
Улицата се ремонтира. – The street is being repaired.

For plural subjects:

Книгите се продават добре. – The books sell well.

Passive in Instructions and Notices

Signs, official statements, or rules often use the passive with се for neutrality:

Не се пуши. – No smoking.
Парите се връщат при касата. – Money is refunded at the cashier.
Входът се затваря в 18:00. – The entrance closes at 6 PM.

This avoids stating who performs the action, making the message universal.

Passive Participle Forms

The past passive participle is formed by:

• Adding -н / -ен / -т to the verb stem

• Adjusting the ending for gender and number

написан, написана, написано, написани – written
прочетен, прочетена, прочетено, прочетени – read
отворен, отворена, отворено, отворени – opened
затворен, затворена, затворено, затворени – closed

These participles are used with съм to form compound passive tenses.

Passive with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs like може (can), трябва (must), or следва (should) can introduce passive constructions:

Това може да бъде направено. – This can be done.
Решението трябва да бъде взето. – The decision must be made.
Докладът следва да бъде изпратен. – The report should be sent.

These are formal, often used in academic, administrative, or journalistic contexts.

Difference Between Passive and Reflexive

The particle се can form both reflexive and passive constructions. Context determines the meaning.

Той се бръсне. – He is shaving (himself). → reflexive
Той се подстригва. – He is getting a haircut. → passive/reflexive
Хлябът се пече. – The bread is being baked. → passive

Look at whether the subject performs the action on itself or receives it from someone else.

Passive in Bulgarian

Adverbs in Bulgarian are words that modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or entire sentences. They describe how, when, where, to what extent, or why something happens. Bulgarian adverbs are generally invariable, meaning they do not change for gender, number, or case, which makes them simpler to use than adjectives or verbs.

What Do Adverbs Modify?

Adverbs can modify:

• Verbs:
  Той говори бързо. – He speaks quickly.

• Adjectives:
  Много интересен филм. – A very interesting film.

• Other adverbs:
  Тя пее много добре. – She sings very well.

• Whole sentences:
  За съжаление, не мога да дойда. – Unfortunately, I can't come.

Types of Adverbs

Adverbs of Manner (Как? – How?)

Describe how an action is performed.

бързо – quickly
добре – well
тихо – quietly
зле – badly
лесно – easily
трудно – difficultly

Той работи добре. – He works well.
Тя учи бързо. – She studies quickly.

Adverbs of Time (Кога? – When?)

Indicate when something happens.

сега – now
утре – tomorrow
вчера – yesterday
днес – today
често – often
рядко – rarely
никога – never
винаги – always

Той дойде вчера. – He came yesterday.
Аз винаги закусвам. – I always eat breakfast.

Adverbs of Place (Къде? – Where?)

Describe where the action takes place.

тук – here
там – there
нагоре – up
надолу – down
навън – outside
вътре – inside
отпред – in front
отзад – behind

Децата са навън. – The children are outside.
Той стои отзад. – He is standing behind.

Adverbs of Quantity and Degree (Колко? – How much?)

Describe extent, intensity, or degree.

много – a lot
малко – a little
твърде – too (much)
доста – quite, enough
почти – almost
напълно – completely
съвсем – entirely

Тя е много умна. – She is very smart.
Беше почти невъзможно. – It was almost impossible.

Adverbs of Cause and Purpose (Защо? – Why?)

Explain reason or purpose.

затова – therefore
защото – because
нарочно – on purpose
случайно – by accident

Не отидох, защото бях уморен. – I didn’t go because I was tired.
Той го направи нарочно. – He did it on purpose.

Word Formation: From Adjectives to Adverbs

Many adverbs are formed directly from adjectives by taking the neuter singular form:

бърз (fast) → бързо (quickly)
лек (easy) → лесно (easily)
труден (difficult) → трудно (difficultly)
тих (quiet) → тихо (quietly)

This rule applies to most descriptive adjectives.

Comparison of Adverbs

Like adjectives, adverbs can show comparative and superlative degrees.

Comparative: add по- (more)

по-бързо – faster
по-добре – better
по-рано – earlier

Тя работи по-бързо от мен. – She works faster than me.

Superlative: add най- (most)

най-бързо – fastest
най-добре – best
най-често – most often

Той пее най-добре. – He sings the best.

Placement of Adverbs

Adverbs in Bulgarian are usually placed:

• After the verb:
  Пиша бавно. – I write slowly.

• Before the verb (for emphasis):
  Винаги пътувам с влак. – I always travel by train.

• Before adjectives or other adverbs**:
  Много красиво. – Very beautiful.
  Съвсем тихо. – Completely quiet.

Word order is flexible, but different placements can shift the focus or tone of the sentence.

Common Adverbial Expressions

от време на време – from time to time
наистина – really
вече – already
още – still / yet
най-накрая – finally
веднага – immediately
понякога – sometimes

Тя вече замина. – She already left.
Ще го направя веднага. – I’ll do it right away.
Понякога ходя пеша. – Sometimes I walk.

Adverbs in Bulgarian

Modal verbs in Bulgarian express ability, necessity, permission, intention, obligation, or possibility—just like modal verbs in English (can, must, should, etc.). However, Bulgarian handles modality through a combination of modal verbs, auxiliary constructions, and sometimes particles. Unlike English, Bulgarian does not have a fixed list of modal verbs, but instead uses full verbs with modal meaning followed by another verb in the infinitive-like "да + present tense" form.

Key Characteristics of Bulgarian Modals

• Modal expressions are formed with a modal verb + да + verb in present tense.

• The second verb remains unchanged (infinitive-like) and follows да.

• The modal verb is conjugated to agree with the subject.

Мога – can, to be able to

мога is the most common verb for expressing ability or permission.

Present:

Аз мога да чета. – I can read.
Ти можеш да плуваш. – You can swim.

Past:

Той не можа да дойде. – He couldn't come.
Не можах да го намеря. – I couldn't find him.

Future:

Ще мога да говоря утре. – I will be able to speak tomorrow.

Трябва – must, have to, should

трябва expresses necessity, duty, or obligation. It is impersonal—it doesn't conjugate by person.

Examples:

Трябва да уча. – I have to study.
Трябва да тръгнем. – We must leave.
Трябва ли да чакаме? – Do we have to wait?

For stronger emphasis or third-person constructions, you can add a subject:

На теб ти трябва помощ. – You need help.
На мен ми трябва време. – I need time.

Може – may, might, it is possible

може expresses possibility or permission in an impersonal way.

Examples:

Може да вали. – It might rain.
Може ли да вляза? – May I come in?
Не може да е истина. – It can't be true.

This form is very common in polite questions:

Може ли едно кафе? – Can I have a coffee?
Може ли да ви помогна? – May I help you?

Искам – to want

искам is a full verb, but functions as a modal when followed by да + verb to express intention or desire.

Examples:

Искам да спя. – I want to sleep.
Те искат да дойдат. – They want to come.
Не искаш ли да отидем? – Don’t you want to go?

Хубаво е / Добре е – It is good to...

These impersonal phrases express mild suggestion or advice.

Добре е да говориш с нея. – It’s good to talk to her.
Хубаво е да си починеш. – It would be good to rest.

Нека / Хайде да – Let’s...

Used to encourage or suggest action, like the English “let’s.”

Нека започнем. – Let’s begin.
Хайде да тръгваме. – Let’s get going.

Бива – It’s acceptable, allowed

бива is impersonal and expresses moderate permission or ability.

Бива ли да отворя прозореца? – Is it okay if I open the window?
Той бива в математиката. – He's okay at math.

Налага се – It is necessary, one must

Another impersonal verb meaning it becomes necessary (often due to external pressure).

Налага се да отложим срещата. – We have to postpone the meeting.
Понякога се налага да чакаш. – Sometimes you have to wait.

Стига да – As long as... / Provided that...

This is used to express a condition for possibility.

Можеш да отидеш, стига да си готов. – You can go, as long as you’re ready.
Ще го направим, стига да не вали. – We’ll do it, provided it doesn’t rain.

Лесно е да… / Трудно е да… – It’s easy to... / It’s hard to...

Impersonal phrases often used to describe ease or difficulty in doing something:

Лесно е да се каже. – It’s easy to say.
Трудно е да се обясни. – It’s hard to explain.

Common Modal Expressions in Questions

• Може ли...? – Can I...? / Is it allowed...?
  Може ли да вляза? – May I come in?

• Трябва ли...? – Do I have to...?
  Трябва ли да го правя сега? – Do I have to do it now?

• Искаш ли...? – Do you want...?
  Искаш ли да излезем? – Do you want to go out?

• Да не би да...? – Could it be that...? (used for polite suspicion or surprise)
  Да не би да си болен? – Are you sick by any chance?

Modal Verbs in Bulgarian

Negation in Bulgarian

Negation in Bulgarian is essential for expressing the opposite of an idea, denying facts, or forming negative questions, commands, and expressions. The process of negation is relatively consistent but has specific rules depending on whether you're negating verbs, nouns, adjectives, or entire sentences. Bulgarian also uses double negation—a feature that may seem unusual to English speakers but is grammatically correct and necessary.

The Negative Particle не

The main particle used for negation in Bulgarian is не, equivalent to not in English. It is placed directly before the verb:

Не знам. – I don’t know.
Той не говори английски. – He does not speak English.
Ние не живеем тук. – We don’t live here.

There are no auxiliary verbs like do/does/did in Bulgarian. Negation is formed simply with не + verb.

Negation in Different Tenses

Present Tense

Не искам кафе. – I don’t want coffee.
Тя не чете. – She isn’t reading.

Past Tense

Не ходих на работа. – I didn’t go to work.
Те не ядоха нищо. – They didn’t eat anything.

Future Tense

Bulgarian does not use не for future negation. Instead, use the phrase няма да (will not), followed by the present tense verb:

Няма да уча утре. – I will not study tomorrow.
Той няма да дойде. – He won’t come.

Double Negation

In Bulgarian, double negation is required. That means that when a negative pronoun (like no one, nothing, never) is used, it must be combined with the particle не or няма.

Examples:

Никой не дойде. – No one came.
Нищо не разбрах. – I didn’t understand anything.
Никога не съм бил в Париж. – I have never been to Paris.
Никъде не ходим. – We don’t go anywhere.

Using only one of the two (like saying никой дойде) is grammatically incorrect in Bulgarian.

Negative Pronouns and Adverbs

These negative forms must be used with "не" or "няма":

• никой – no one

• нищо – nothing

• никога – never

• никъде – nowhere

• нито – neither / nor

• никакъв – no kind of / no type of

Examples:

Никой не ми се обади. – No one called me.
Няма нищо в хладилника. – There is nothing in the fridge.
Никога не пуша. – I never smoke.

Negation with Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs are negated in the same way, with не placed before the reflexive particle се and the verb.

Не се смей. – Don’t laugh.
Тя не се чувства добре. – She doesn’t feel well.
Не се притеснявайте. – Don’t worry.

Negative Imperatives (Commands)

To give a negative command, use не + imperative:

Не пей! – Don’t sing!
Не говорете! – Don’t speak!
Не се движи! – Don’t move!

This applies for both singular and plural forms.

Negation in Compound Tenses

In compound tenses like past perfect or future perfect, не is placed before the auxiliary verb:

Не съм виждал този филм. – I haven’t seen this movie.
Те не бяха дошли навреме. – They hadn’t arrived on time.

Negation with “съм” (to be)

The verb съм (to be) is also negated using не:

Аз не съм учител. – I am not a teacher.
Те не са тук. – They are not here.
Той не беше готов. – He wasn’t ready.

Common Negative Constructions

не мога – I can’t

Не мога да помогна. – I can’t help.

не знам – I don’t know

Не знам какво да кажа. – I don’t know what to say.

не искам – I don’t want

Не искам да говоря с него. – I don’t want to speak to him.

не трябва – must not / shouldn't

Не трябва да закъсняваш. – You must not be late.

не харесвам – I don’t like

Не харесвам този филм. – I don’t like this movie.

Word Order with Negation

Usually, не is placed immediately before the verb, but when pronouns or particles are involved, the order may vary slightly:

Той не го видя. – He didn’t see him.
Не ми се яде. – I don’t feel like eating.

Still, не always negates the verb—not the pronoun.

Bulgarian is a synthetic language with relatively flexible word order, thanks to its use of grammatical endings and particles to convey meaning. While Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) is the most common sentence structure, Bulgarian allows for significant variation depending on emphasis, style, questioning, and focus. Mastering word order is essential for speaking naturally and for understanding how nuance and emotion are expressed in the language.

Basic Word Order: Subject – Verb – Object (SVO)

The neutral and most common word order in Bulgarian is:

Subject – Verb – Object

Аз чета книга. – I read a book.
Той гледа филма. – He watches the movie.
Децата играят футбол. – The children play football.

In this order, each part of the sentence is clear and unmarked for focus or emotion.

Flexible Word Order

Thanks to verbal and nominal endings, Bulgarian allows more freedom in sentence structure. You can reorder elements to emphasize different parts of the sentence:

Книга чета аз. – It’s a book that I’m reading.
Чета аз книга. – It’s I who is reading a book.
Аз книга чета. – I’m reading a book (and not something else).

These variations are grammatically correct but serve different stylistic or emphatic purposes.

Emphasis and Focus

In Bulgarian, the end of the sentence often carries the most emphasis. To highlight a particular word, it can be moved to the end:

Обичам те. – I love you.
Теб обичам. – You are the one I love.

Подарък ѝ купи той. – He bought her a gift. (emphasizing he)
Той ѝ купи подарък. – He bought her a gift. (neutral)

Changing the word order shifts the focus without changing the basic meaning.

Position of Clitic Pronouns

Bulgarian uses short (clitic) pronouns for direct and indirect objects. These must appear in second position in the sentence—typically after the first stressed word or phrase.

Той ме видя. – He saw me.
Видя ме. – He saw me.
Аз го обичам. – I love him.
Днес ѝ дадох книгата. – Today I gave her the book.

In compound tenses, clitics often come between the auxiliary and the main verb:

Бях го видял. – I had seen him.
Ще ти се обадя. – I will call you.

Word Order in Questions

Yes/no questions often follow the same word order as statements but with rising intonation or by adding the particle “ли”:

Ти идваш? – Are you coming?
Идваш ли? – Are you coming?
Ще дойдеш ли утре? – Will you come tomorrow?

In “ли” questions, the verb usually comes first:

Говориш ли английски? – Do you speak English?
Обичаш ли музика? – Do you love music?

Wh-questions start with a question word, followed by the verb:

Къде живееш? – Where do you live?
Какво правиш? – What are you doing?
Кога ще тръгнем? – When will we leave?

Word Order with Negation

Negation in Bulgarian is straightforward. Не (not) precedes the verb:

Не искам кафе. – I don’t want coffee.
Той не работи днес. – He’s not working today.

If a clitic pronoun is used, it follows не:

Не ме виждаш. – You don’t see me.
Не ѝ дадох пари. – I didn’t give her money.

In negative questions:

Не искаш ли кафе? – Don’t you want coffee?
Не го ли познаваш? – Don’t you know him?

Word Order with Adjectives and Nouns

In Bulgarian, adjectives usually precede the noun:

красива жена – beautiful woman
нов стол – new chair
интересна книга – interesting book

In poetic or emphatic speech, the adjective may follow the noun:

жена красива и горда – a woman beautiful and proud

When the noun is definite, the article is attached to the noun, not the adjective (except for masculine subject-position):

новата кола – the new car
старото училище – the old school

Word Order with Adverbs

Adverbs usually follow the verb:

Той говори бързо. – He speaks quickly.
Учиш добре. – You study well.

But for emphasis or style, they can be moved:

Бързо говори той. – He speaks quickly (emphasizing quickly).

Word Order in Commands

Imperatives often have the verb first:

Седни тук! – Sit here!
Пий вода! – Drink water!

Clitic pronouns go after the verb:

Кажи ми. – Tell me.
Дай ми го. – Give it to me.

In negative imperatives, the structure is:

Не се тревожи. – Don’t worry.
Не го пипай. – Don’t touch it.

Word Order with Prepositions

Prepositions always come before the noun or pronoun:

на масата – on the table
до него – next to him
с мен – with me

Clitic pronouns used after prepositions take their full (stressed) forms:

за мен – for me
от теб – from you

Word Order for Emphasis and Contrast

Bulgarian often places the emphasized word at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Петър дойде, не Иван. – Peter came, not Ivan.
И нея я поканих. – I invited her too (emphasizing her).

Bulgarian can drop the subject entirely if it’s clear:

Искам кафе. – I want coffee.
Ще дойда утре. – I’ll come tomorrow.

Word Order in Bulgarian

Asking questions in Bulgarian is a core part of communication, whether you're trying to gather information, confirm facts, or start a conversation. Bulgarian forms questions using specific question words, intonation, and the particle “ли”. Unlike English, Bulgarian doesn’t require auxiliary verbs like do or did—questions are built directly from the verb structure.

Yes/No Questions

The most common way to form a yes/no question in Bulgarian is by raising your intonation or inverting the word order—often placing the verb first.

Examples:

Четеш ли? – Are you reading?
Той идва ли? – Is he coming?
Работиш днес? – Are you working today?

Alternatively, just saying a statement with rising intonation can turn it into a question:

Идваш? – You're coming? (said with rising tone)

The Question Particle “ли”

Bulgarian uses the particle “ли” to form yes/no questions in a more formal or neutral tone. “Ли” usually comes immediately after the verb or subject, depending on what is being questioned.

Examples:

Говориш ли английски? – Do you speak English?
Ще дойдеш ли утре? – Will you come tomorrow?
Те ли идват? – Are they the ones coming?

If a pronoun is emphasized, it can come before “ли”:

Ти ли каза това? – Was it you who said that?
Той ли спечели? – Did he win?

WH-Questions (Information Questions)

Bulgarian uses specific interrogative words to ask for information. These are placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and the subject (if needed).

Common WH-words:

• Кой? – Who?

• Какво? – What?

• Къде? – Where?

• Кога? – When?

• Как? – How?

• Защо? – Why?

• Колко? – How much? / How many?

• Чий? – Whose?

Examples:

Кой идва? – Who is coming?
Какво правиш? – What are you doing?
Къде живееш? – Where do you live?
Кога заминаваш? – When are you leaving?
Как се казваш? – What is your name?
Защо плачеш? – Why are you crying?
Колко струва това? – How much does this cost?
Чий е този телефон? – Whose phone is this?

Questions with Prepositions

When a preposition is part of the question, it usually comes before the interrogative word in formal style, or is attached to the end of it in colloquial speech.

Examples:

С кого отиваш? – With whom are you going?
За какво говориш? – What are you talking about?
На кого звъниш? – To whom are you calling?

Colloquial equivalents:

С кого си? – Who are you with?
Защо му се смееш? – Why are you laughing at him?

Negative Questions

To ask negative yes/no questions, place не before the verb and use “ли” if needed.

Не идваш ли? – Aren’t you coming?
Не яде ли месо? – Doesn’t he eat meat?
Не беше ли там? – Weren’t you there?

These questions often express surprise, doubt, or confirmation.

Tag Questions

Tag questions in Bulgarian are formed with expressions like:

• нали? – right? / isn’t it?

• така ли е? – is that so?

• да, така ли? – yes, is that so?

Ти си уморен, нали? – You’re tired, right?
Тя беше там, така ли? – She was there, was she?

Questions with “може ли” and “искам”

To ask polite requests or permissions, Bulgarian often uses може ли (can I / may I) and искам (I want).

Може ли да вляза? – May I come in?
Може ли едно кафе? – Can I get a coffee?
Искаш ли да отидем на кино? – Do you want to go to the cinema?
Искаш ли вода? – Do you want water?

Common Spoken Patterns

In spoken Bulgarian, especially informal speech, question structure can be abbreviated or reordered for style and tone:

К’во става? – What’s up?
Къде си бе? – Where are you, man?
Ще дойдеш, нали? – You’re coming, right?

These are grammatically relaxed but widely used.

Questions in Bulgarian

Relative clauses in Bulgarian are subordinate clauses that give more information about a noun (called the antecedent). Just like in English, they are introduced by relative pronouns such as who, which, or that. However, Bulgarian relative clauses have their own specific structure, including the use of the relative pronoun “който” and its gender, number, and case agreement with the antecedent.

What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause describes or defines a noun. It can:

• Specify which person or thing you’re talking about (restrictive clause)

• Add extra, non-essential information (non-restrictive clause)

Examples:

Това е човекът, който ми помогна. – This is the man who helped me.
Книгата, която четеш, е много интересна. – The book that you’re reading is very interesting.

The Relative Pronoun “който”

The main relative pronoun in Bulgarian is който (who, which, that). It agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it refers to.

Forms of “който”:

• който – who, that (masculine singular)

• която – who, that (feminine singular)

• което – which, that (neuter singular)

• които – who, that (plural for all genders)

These forms must match the antecedent (the noun being described).

Subject of the Relative Clause

When the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause, use the correct form of който, followed by a verb.

Examples:

Момичето, което говори, е моята сестра.
The girl who is speaking is my sister.

Това е филмът, който спечели наградата.
This is the film that won the prize.

Хората, които чакат, са туристи.
The people who are waiting are tourists.

In these sentences, който / която / което / които replaces the subject within the clause.

Object of the Relative Clause

When the relative pronoun is the object of the verb, the structure remains the same—but the verb is directed at the relative pronoun.

Examples:

Човекът, когото срещнах, беше учтив.
The man whom I met was polite.

Книгата, която чета, е много дълга.
The book that I’m reading is very long.

Децата, които видях в парка, играеха футбол.
The children whom I saw in the park were playing football.

Note: In spoken Bulgarian, the object form когото is often simplified to който for ease.

With Prepositions

When a verb in the relative clause requires a preposition, it is placed before the relative pronoun—especially in formal Bulgarian.

Examples:

Човекът, с когото говорих, е инженер.
The man with whom I spoke is an engineer.

Това е къщата, в която живеехме.
This is the house in which we used to live.

Жената, на която се обадих, е адвокат.
The woman I called (to) is a lawyer.

In more colloquial speech, the preposition can appear at the end of the relative clause:

Това е човекът, който говорих с него.
(This is not standard, but heard in spoken Bulgarian.)

Relative Clauses with Possession

To express whose, use the relative pronoun чийто, which agrees with the possessed noun, not the owner.

Forms of “чийто”:

• чийто – whose (masculine)

• чиято – whose (feminine)

• чието – whose (neuter)

• чиито – whose (plural)

Examples:

Жената, чиято кола е червена, е моя съседка.
The woman whose car is red is my neighbor.

Ученикът, чиито родители са учители, е много умен.
The student whose parents are teachers is very smart.

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

In English, we often omit that or which. In Bulgarian, this is not possible—the relative pronoun is always required.

✅ Филмът, който гледах, беше интересен.
❌ Филмът гледах беше интересен.

Relative Clauses and Word Order

The word order inside a relative clause follows standard Bulgarian sentence structure. You can still place clitic pronouns, negation, and adverbs normally.

Това е момичето, което не го видях вчера.
This is the girl whom I didn’t see yesterday.

Книгата, която ми даде, е на масата.
The book that you gave me is on the table.

Non-restrictive Relative Clauses (Extra Information)

Bulgarian uses commas to separate non-essential (non-restrictive) relative clauses, just like in English.

Сестра ми, която живее в Лондон, ще дойде утре.
My sister, who lives in London, will come tomorrow.

Тази песен, която толкова обичаш, е стара.
That song, which you love so much, is old.

Without the commas, the clause becomes restrictive—identifying which sister or which song.

Common Relative Constructions

• който и да е – whoever
  Който и да е дошъл, не съм го видял.
  Whoever came, I didn’t see him.

• каквото и да е – whatever
  Каквото и да кажеш, няма да повярвам.
  Whatever you say, I won’t believe it.

• там, където – where
  Отидохме там, където се срещнахме за първи път.
  We went where we first met.

Relative Clauses in Bulgarian

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