Bulgarian Grammar List

Feminine singular nouns add -та for "the", whether they end in -а, -я or a consonant: жената, земята, нощта. Masculine nouns that end in -а, such as баща, take -та too.

To say "the" with a plural, look at its last letter: plurals in -и or -е add -те (книгите, мъжете), and plurals in -а or -я add -та (селата, братята).

Neuter singular nouns add -то for "the": селото, морето, детето, времето. Masculine nouns ending in -о, such as дядо, take -то too.

Masculine nouns ending in a consonant have two written forms of "the": the full article -ът for the subject (Влакът закъснява) and the short article -а for objects and after prepositions (Чакам влака). In casual speech they often sound almost the same.

Adjectives match the noun: нов стол (a new chair), нова книга (a new book), ново село (a new village), нови столове (new chairs).

Most nouns ending in -а or -я are feminine, like жена, книга and земя; a few words for men, like баща, are masculine.

At the end of a word, a voiced consonant is said like its voiceless partner: хляб sounds like хляп and град like грат. You still write the voiced letter, which you can hear again in forms like хлябът and градове.

Each verb ending shows the person, so you can say Говоря български (I speak Bulgarian) without аз. Use the pronoun only to stress or contrast the person, as in Аз съм от София, а ти?

Most masculine nouns end in a consonant, as in град, хляб and учител. A few consonant-final nouns are feminine, such as нощ.

Most nouns ending in о or е are neuter, as in село (village), море (sea) and дете (child). Words for men like дядо stay masculine.

Село becomes села and момче becomes момчета. Nouns ending in -це or -ище only swap е for а: яйце → яйца, училище → училища.

Nouns do not change to show who does what, so the neutral order is subject, verb, object: Мария чете книга. Other orders are possible for emphasis.

Nouns ending in a consonant are usually masculine (стол), nouns in -а or -я feminine (маса, земя), and nouns in -о or -е neuter (село, море). Gender decides the article, adjective endings and whether you say той, тя or то.

The numbers три, четири, пет, шест, седем, осем, девет and десет never change for gender. A masculine thing takes the count form after them, as in пет стола, and groups of men can be counted with трима, четирима, петима and шестима.

Feminine nouns drop а or я and add и. Most longer masculine nouns simply add и, and a final к, г or х then changes to ц, з or с.

Most one-syllable masculine nouns add ове: град → градове. After й the ending is usually еве: брой → броеве. After a number they use a different form.

Surnames in -ов and -ев change for women and families: Иван Петров, Мария Петрова, семейство Петрови (the Petrov family).

To say the, you add an ending: книга → книгата, село → селото, книги → книгите. The ending goes on the first word of the phrase, so an adjective takes it: новата книга.

Bulgarian uses a 30-letter Cyrillic alphabet in which most letters are read as written. Compared with Russian it lacks ё, ы and э, reads щ as "sht" and uses ъ as a vowel.

Only a stressed syllable has a fully clear а or о. Elsewhere а moves toward ъ and о toward у: вода̀ sounds close to [вуда̀]. To spell the word, find a form where that vowel is stressed, like во̀ди.

One present form covers now and always: Сега чета (I am reading now) and Всеки ден работя (I work every day).

Bulgarian has no to-form like to read. Dictionaries list the I form instead: чета means I read and is also how you look up read. Where English uses to + verb, Bulgarian uses да and a verb with a person ending: Искам да чета.

Stress is free and usually unwritten, and it can separate words: па̀ра is steam but пара̀ is coin. Dictionaries mark it with a grave accent.

А sets two different facts side by side without saying one contradicts the other. Use it to compare people, places or times, and to turn a question back to someone: А ти?

These five words name one person or thing as the subject. For things, choose той, тя or то by the noun's gender, not by whether it is alive.

Без means "without". It comes straight before a noun or pronoun, as in кафе без захар (coffee without sugar), and also gives times such as осем без пет (five to eight).

Благодаря works everywhere, from shops to letters; мерси is friendly and informal. Say what you are thankful for with за + noun or with , че + verb.

В places something inside a place or time, or shows movement into it. Before a word starting with в or ф it becomes във, as in във Варна.

Verbs like говоря (speak), мисля (think) and уча (study) form the present tense with и in the "you", "he/she", "we" and "you all" forms. After ж, ч and ш the endings are -а and -ат.

The number two agrees with the noun's gender: два града (two cities), две книги (two books), две деца (two children). For male people, use двама.

Bulgarian has no single letter for the "j" and "dz" sounds, so it writes them as дж and дз. When they stand for one sound, the two letters are not split across lines.

До means "to, as far as", "until" or "next to", depending on whether it follows a route, a time span or a location.

Time-of-day greetings: the adjective добър agrees with the noun (добро утро, добър ден), except in the fixed greeting Добър вечер.

Довиждане (one word) is the polite goodbye for anyone; чао is a casual "bye" used only when leaving.

The number one changes with gender: един град, една книга, едно дете. The plural form is едни.

Заповядай/заповядайте means "here you are", "come in, please" or "go ahead"; choose the form by who you are talking to.

Защо asks for a reason, as in Защо учиш български? (Why are you learning Bulgarian?); the answer starts with защото.

Защото means "because": Уча български, защото живея в София. It also starts the answer to a защо question.

Здравей ("hi") is for one familiar person and здравейте ("hello") for several people or polite address.

И joins words and sentences like "and"; before a single word it adds "also, too", as in И аз (Me too).

Извинете and извинявай mean "excuse me" or "sorry"; choose the polite or familiar form for the person you are speaking to.

Или offers alternatives, as in Чай или кафе? (Tea or coffee?) and днес или утре (today or tomorrow).

Use има to say that something exists somewhere and няма to say that it does not. The verb has no subject, so it stays the same for plural things.

Use имам for having something and нямам for not having it. The negative is its own verb, so Bulgarian never says не имам.

Use искам да and then the second verb in the same person: искам да пия, искаш да пиеш. Before a noun, искам needs no да.

Write йо in words like йога and район, and ьо after a consonant, as in шофьор. Bulgarian has no single letter for the sound yo.

Give your name with Казвам се ... and ask with Как се казваш? or Как се казвате? At the start of a sentence се follows the verb; after a question word it comes before it.

Use как to ask how something happens or how someone or something is. It also appears in set phrases like Как си? and Как се казваш?

Choose Как си? for friends and family and Как сте? for strangers, older people or a group. A usual answer is Добре съм, благодаря.

Use какво to ask what something is or what someone is doing. To ask about a person, use кой instead.

Use кога in questions about time. In standard Bulgarian, a time clause inside a sentence starts with когато instead.

Use кой to ask who someone is. Before a noun, choose кой, коя, кое or кои to match the noun's gender and number.

Use колко to ask about an amount, a number or a price. It never changes, and Колко струва? asks what something costs.

Use къде for location and for destination. To ask where someone comes from, use the separate word откъде.

Ли makes a yes-no question. Put it after the verb for a general question, or after another word to ask about that word. It is always written as a separate word.

Много covers English very, much, many and a lot. It never changes its form, and a countable noun after it is plural.

Bulgarian has no infinitive, so мога is followed by да and a verb in the same person as the subject: Мога да плувам, Можеш ли да дойдеш?

Може ли is followed by да and a verb to ask permission, or by a noun to ask for something. The verb after да shows who will act.

Pick the word by the owner and the ending by the thing owned: мой телефон, моя книга, мое писмо, мои приятели. Before a noun they usually take the article (моят телефон). After съм they stand alone (Телефонът е мой).

Моля is a verb meaning I ask, used as a polite word. It softens requests, answers thanks, and as a question asks someone to repeat.

Use на for surfaces and for places and events such as на работа, на море and на концерт. It means both at and to, and the noun does not change.

Put не right before the verb: Не разбирам. Short words such as го, ми or се come after не and before the verb: Не го знам. Имам and има have their own negatives, нямам and няма.

The forms of съм cannot start a sentence on their own, but with не in front they can. Уморен съм becomes Не съм уморен.

Ние means we, вие means you when you talk to more than one person, and те means they for men, women and things alike. Written with a capital letter, Вие is also the polite way to address one person.

Но means but. Use it when the second part blocks, limits or surprises the first, as in Искам, но не мога (I want to, but I cannot). A comma always comes before но.

От means from. It shows an origin (от Англия), a starting point (от София), a sender (писмо от мама), a starting time (от понеделник) and what something is made of (от дърво).

Откъде means where from. Use it to ask about origin (Откъде си?) or about a source (Откъде знаеш?). It is written as one word, and the answer usually starts with от.

С means with, as in кафе с мляко (coffee with milk). Before с or з it becomes със: със сестра ми (with my sister).

Present forms of съм: аз съм, ти си, той е, ние сме, вие сте, те са. They never open a sentence: Студент съм (I am a student).

Също means also or too: Аз също съм студент (I am a student too). Put it before the verb, not at the end like English too.

Ти is familiar and Вие is polite. Вие takes plural verbs, as in Вие откъде сте? (Where are you from?), and is capitalized in polite writing.

Това е introduces a person or thing of any gender: Това е брат ми (This is my brother). For plurals, say това са: Това са моите книги (These are my books).

This and these match the noun: този град (this city), тази жена (this woman), това дете (this child), тези деца (these children).

Verbs like чакам (I wait) and имам (I have) end in м for I and keep а or я in every form: чакам, чакаш, чака, чакаме, чакате, чакат.

Verbs like чета (read), пиша (write) and живея (live) belong to the first conjugation. Their he and she form ends in -е (той чете). The I and they forms can end in -а/-ат or -я/-ят: чета/четат, живея/живеят, къпя/къпят. A preceding vowel is not the only reason for -я/-ят.

Щ always reads as "sht". Within one part of a word, Bulgarian writes the sound pair ш + т with this single letter, not with two letters.

In Bulgarian, ъ is a real vowel, not a silent sign. It appears in everyday words like път (road), къща (house) and ъгъл (corner), and in the article -ът.

Я and ю generally stand for two sounds, ya and yu, at the start of a word or after a vowel; stressed present-tense verb endings in -я have a different vowel sound. After a consonant they soften that consonant and add a or u, as in лято (summer) and любов (love).

Nouns ending in й, nouns in тел and some others such as ден, път and лекар take -ят/-я instead of -ът/-а, as in учителят (the teacher), денят (the day) and музеят (the museum).

Most adverbs made from adjectives look exactly like the neuter adjective, as in бързо (quickly) and тихо (quietly), while добър gives добре (well), as in Говориш добре (You speak well).

When an adjective comes first, it carries the article: masculine -ият/-ия, feminine -ата, neuter -ото and plural -ите, as in новият учител (the new teacher), новата кола (the new car) and новите книги (the new books).

Many perfectives add a prefix to the imperfective verb, as in пиша — напиша (write), правя — направя (do, make) and чета — прочета (read). The prefix for each verb has to be learned.

Many aspect pairs differ by a suffix or a change in the stem, as in купувам — купя (buy), давам — дам (give) and казвам — кажа (say). The imperfective member is usually the longer verb ending in -ам or -ям.

Days take в, months take през or в, and dates use на with an ordinal number, as in в понеделник (on Monday), през май (in May) and на пети май (on the fifth of May). Days and months are written in lower case.

A short possessive form can follow a noun that has the article, instead of a full possessive, as in книгата ми (my book), колата му (his car) and къщата ни (our house). Most singular words for family members drop the article: майка ми (my mother).

Some feminine nouns end in a consonant, including all abstract nouns in ост and ест and words such as нощ (night), сол (salt) and пролет (spring); they take the stressed article та, as in нощта and радостта (the joy).

A masculine singular noun or adjective takes the full article ът/ят as the subject or a definite complement after съм, and the short article а/я for objects and after prepositions, as in Столът е нов (The chair is new) and Седя на стола (I am sitting on the chair). The rule is mostly a spelling rule, because in speech the two often sound alike.

A few common verbs have short or irregular imperatives, as in ела/елате (come), виж/вижте (look), яж/яжте (eat), дай/дайте (give) and влез/влезте (come in). They do not follow the usual -и/-ете or -й/-йте pattern.

Some everyday nouns have irregular plurals, as in човек — хора (people), дете — деца (children), око — очи (eyes), ухо — уши (ears) and ден — дни (days). Learn each pair together with its plural article form.

Nouns such as баща (father), съдия (judge), чичо (uncle) and дядо (grandfather) are masculine although they end in a vowel. They take masculine adjectives but the article -та or -то.

Neuter nouns in -ие form the plural in -ия, as in упражнение — упражнения (exercises). Neuter nouns in -ме add -на, as in име — имена (names) and време — времена (times).

На expresses possession and belonging, like English of or 's, as in колата на Мария (Maria's car) and столицата на България (the capital of Bulgaria).

Teens and some tens have full and short forms that are both standard, such as единадесет or единайсет (eleven) and двадесет or двайсет (twenty). In a compound number, и goes before the last part only: двайсет и пет (25), сто и десет (110).

Ordinal numbers act like adjectives, such as първи, втори and трети (first, second, third), and take the article, as in първият ден (the first day) and третата улица (the third street).

Most verbs come in pairs: an imperfective verb presents an action as a process or a repeated event, and a perfective one presents it as a single completed whole, as in пиша/напиша (write) and купувам/купя (buy).

Short pronouns come right before the verb, as in Аз го виждам and Не го виждам, but move after the verb when nothing stands before it, as in Виждам го (I see him).

Most nouns for people ending in the suffix -ин, many of them nationalities, replace -ин with -и in the plural, as in българин — българи (Bulgarians) and англичанин — англичани (Englishmen).

When a possessive pronoun comes before a noun, it normally carries the definite article, as in моята стая (my room) and нашият град (our city). Without the article, мой приятел means "a friend of mine".

A word for a quantity or container is followed directly by the noun, with no word for of, as in чаша вода (a glass of water), кило ябълки (a kilo of apples) and парче хляб (a piece of bread).

Many verbs take the unstressed reflexive се, either for an action on oneself or as a fixed part of the verb, as in мия се (I wash), смея се (I laugh) and Как се казваш? (What is your name?).

Some verbs take the dative reflexive си, for something done for oneself or as a fixed part of the verb, as in мия си ръцете (I wash my hands), спомням си (I remember) and почивам си (I rest).

The л-participle, as in чел, чела, чело, чели (read), is built from the aorist and agrees in gender and number. It combines with съм in Чел съм тази книга (I have read this book).

The aorist is the main past tense for telling completed events, as in Вчера четох книга (Yesterday I read a book) and Купих хляб (I bought bread). Its form for I always ends in -х.

In a noun phrase only the first word that can take an article carries it, as in хубавото време (the nice weather), голямата бяла къща (the big white house) and моят приятел (my friend).

After numbers and after колко, няколко and толкова, masculine nouns that do not name people take the count form in -а or -я instead of the ordinary plural: два стола, пет града, колко часа. Nouns for people keep the ordinary plural.

Commands add и/ете after a consonant stem and й/йте after a vowel, as in чети/четете (read), говори/говорете (speak) and чакай/чакайте (wait). The -ете and -йте forms speak to several people or politely to one.

The imperfect describes background, ongoing or repeated past actions and is built on the present stem, as in Четях, когато той дойде (I was reading when he came) and Всяко лято ходехме на море (Every summer we used to go to the seaside).

The perfect joins съм with the л-participle for a past action whose result or experience matters now, as in Бил съм в Лондон (I have been to London) and Чела ли си тази книга? (Have you read this book?).

The vocative is the form of a noun used to call or address someone, as in Иване! (Ivan!), мамо! (Mom!) and господине! (sir!). Female first names usually keep their ordinary form: Мария, ела! (Maria, come here!).

Ако introduces a real, possible condition. The if-clause usually uses the present tense even for a future event, and the main clause can be a future, a command or a present: Ако вали, ще остана вкъщи.

To say what hurts, make the body part the subject of боли and name the person with a short pronoun such as ме, те or го: Боли ме главата (I have a headache). Use болят when the subject is plural.

To say "was" or "were", use бях, беше, беше, бяхме, бяхте, бяха: Вчера бях болен. The shorter бе can replace беше for ти and for той, тя and то, and the negative is не бях.

Вече means already (Вече ядох), and in questions it matches English yet (Готова ли си вече?). Още means still (Още спи), not yet with не (Още не е дошъл), and more (Още едно кафе).

Frequency adverbs include винаги (always), често (often), понякога (sometimes) and никога with не (never), as in Често ходя на кино (I often go to the cinema) and Никога не пуша (I never smoke).

Всеки (всяка, всяко) means every or everyone, всички means all or everybody and всичко means everything, as in всеки ден (every day), Всички са тук (Everybody is here) and Всичко е наред (Everything is fine).

After да a perfective verb names one complete action, while an imperfective verb names a process or a habit, as in Искам да купя хляб (I want to buy bread) and Обичам да чета (I like to read).

Да with a first-person verb and ли asks whether the speaker should do something, as in Да ти помогна ли? (Shall I help you?) and Да отворя ли прозореца? (Shall I open the window?).

Masculine nouns for people take special numerals, двама, трима, четирима and so on, with the ordinary plural, as in двама братя (two brothers) and трима студенти (three students).

Друг means other or another and agrees with its noun, as in друг ден (another day), друга стая (another room) and другите хора (the other people).

За means for, about or bound for, as in подарък за теб (a present for you), Говорим за филма (We are talking about the film) and влакът за Бургас (the train to Burgas).

За да means in order to and is followed by a personal verb form, as in Уча, за да говоря с приятели (I study so that I can talk with friends) and Дойдох, за да ти помогна (I came to help you).

Има (there is) and няма (there is no) have the past имаше and нямаше and the future ще има and няма да има, as in Вчера имаше концерт (There was a concert yesterday) and Утре няма да има училище (There will be no school tomorrow).

When the wish concerns another person, the verb after да takes that person's ending, as in Искам да дойдеш (I want you to come) and Мама иска да уча (Mom wants me to study).

Какъв asks what kind of thing or what someone is like and agrees in gender and number: какъв, каква, какво, какви, as in Каква кола имаш? (What kind of car do you have?) and Какъв е новият ти учител? (What is your new teacher like?).

Когато introduces a time clause, as in Когато съм уморен, спя (When I am tired, I sleep) and Обади ми се, когато пристигнеш (Call me when you arrive). Questions use кога instead.

Time is asked with Колко е часът? and given with the hour, with и for minutes past and без for minutes to, as in Часът е три (It is three o'clock), три и половина (half past three) and пет без десет (ten to five).

Singular kinship nouns take a short possessive without the article, as in майка ми (my mother), баща ти (your father) and брат ѝ (her brother); with an adjective the article returns, as in по-малкият ми брат (my younger brother).

Direct object pronouns are usually the short unstressed forms ме, те, го, я, го, ни, ви, ги, as in Виждам те (I see you) and Познаваш ли го? (Do you know him?). They stand next to the verb and never start a sentence.

The full forms мене (мен), тебе (теб), него, нея, нас, вас and тях are used after prepositions and for emphasis, as in за тебе (for you), с тях (with them) and Него видях, не нея (I saw him, not her).

Indirect object pronouns have the short forms ми, ти, му, ѝ, му, ни, ви, им (to me, to you, to him, to her, to it, to us, to you, to them), as in Дай ми книгата (Give me the book) and Пиша ѝ писмо (I am writing her a letter).

Impersonal може да expresses possibility, like may or might, as in Може да вали (It may rain) and Може да е вкъщи (He might be at home).

Bulgarian nouns have no dative case, so the recipient of an action is marked with на, as in Давам книгата на Иван (I am giving the book to Ivan) and Казах на мама (I told Mom).

Age is asked with На колко години си? and given with на … години, as in На двайсет години съм (I am twenty) and Детето е на пет години (The child is five).

The superlative adds най- with a hyphen, as in най-голям (biggest) and най-бързо (fastest). When it picks out one thing, it usually carries the article: най-големият град (the biggest city).

Нали is an unchanging tag that asks for agreement, as in Ти си Мария, нали? (You are Maria, right?) and Нали ще дойдеш? (You will come, won't you?).

Недей or недейте with да and a present-tense verb tells someone not to do something, as in Недей да плачеш (Don't cry) and Недейте да се притеснявате (Don't worry). The verb after да matches the person you are talking to.

Words beginning with ни- need не on the verb, so negation is doubled, as in Никой не дойде (Nobody came), Нищо не знам (I know nothing) and Никъде не ходя (I am not going anywhere).

Words beginning with ня- are indefinite, such as някой (someone), нещо (something), някъде (somewhere) and някога (sometime), as in Някой звъни (Someone is ringing) and Искаш ли нещо? (Do you want something?).

The negative future is няма да with the present, as in Няма да дойда (I will not come) and Той няма да работи утре (He will not work tomorrow). Няма stays the same for every person.

Около means around a place and about with an amount, as in около къщата (around the house) and около двайсет души (about twenty people). It also gives an approximate time, as in около пет часа (at about five o'clock).

Онзи (masculine), онази (feminine), онова (neuter) and онези (plural) point to something farther away, as in онзи човек (that man) and онези къщи (those houses). They match the noun's gender and number.

Отивам (perfective отида) means going away from where the speaker is, and идвам (perfective дойда) means coming toward it, as in Отивам на работа (I am going to work) and Кога ще дойдеш? (When will you come?).

The thing being compared with follows от, as in Иван е по-висок от Петър (Ivan is taller than Petar) and Тук е по-топло от вкъщи (It is warmer here than at home). Pronouns after от take their full forms.

The comparative adds по- with a hyphen to an adjective or adverb, as in по-голям (bigger), по-хубава (nicer) and по-бързо (faster). The thing compared with follows от.

Повече (more) and по-малко (less, fewer) compare amounts and come before the noun, as in Искам повече време (I want more time), По-малко захар, моля (Less sugar, please) and Работя повече от теб (I work more than you).

Под, над, пред, зад, до and между say where something is, as in под масата (under the table), пред киното (in front of the cinema) and между нас (between us). They stand before a noun or a full pronoun such as мен or тях.

Преди means before or ago and след means after or in, as in преди обяд (before lunch), преди два часа (two hours ago), след работа (after work) and след десет минути (in ten minutes).

През marks passing through a place or a period of time, as in през парка (through the park), през лятото (in the summer) and през нощта (during the night).

Само means only or just, as in Само един въпрос (Just one question) and Говоря само български (I speak only Bulgarian). It stands before the word it limits.

Physical and emotional states use an adverb, a short dative pronoun and е, as in Студено ми е (I am cold) and Скучно ни е (We are bored). The person who feels it is the dative pronoun, not the subject.

Трябва да expresses necessity. Трябва never changes for person; the verb after да does, as in Трябва да уча (I have to study) and Трябва да тръгваме (We have to get going).

Хайде да with a we-form verb suggests doing something together, as in Хайде да вървим (Let's go) and Хайде да пием кафе (Let's have a coffee). Хайде on its own means "come on".

With харесва ми, the thing you like is the subject and the person is a short dative pronoun, as in Харесва ми тази песен (I like this song). Use харесват for plural things: Харесват ми планините (I like the mountains).

Ходя means going somewhere regularly or walking around, as in Ходя на фитнес (I go to the gym). Вървя means walking or moving along right now, as in Вървя по улицата (I am walking along the street).

Че introduces what someone says, thinks, knows or feels, as in Мисля, че е прав (I think he is right). Unlike English "that", it cannot be left out, and in writing a comma separates the че-clause from the main clause.

Чий asks whose and agrees with the thing owned: чий, чия, чие, чии, as in Чия е тази чанта? (Whose bag is this?) and Чие е детето? (Whose child is it?).

The future is ще plus the present form of the verb: ще пиша, ще пишеш, ще пише. Ще stays the same for every person, short pronouns come after it, and the negative is няма да.

To say "I will be", use ще бъда or ще съм. Both are correct; ще съм is more common in everyday speech, and ще бъда sounds a little more careful.

Ям (eat) and дам (give) look like -ам verbs, but most of their forms add д: ядеш, яде and дадеш, даде. Дам is perfective, so it follows ще, да or ако.

The short pronoun ѝ (to her, her) is written with a grave accent so it looks different from the word и (and). Both sound the same.

When an adjective stands between a number and a masculine noun, the noun keeps its count form and the adjective takes the plural, as in два нови стола (two new chairs) and три големи града (three big cities).

Adjectives such as български (Bulgarian) and градски (city, urban) end in -ски in the masculine and plural, -ска in the feminine and -ско in the neuter, as in българска музика (Bulgarian music) and българският език (the Bulgarian language).

Use the aorist for completed events that move a story forward, and the imperfect for background scenes, actions in progress and past habits, as in Валеше, когато излязох (It was raining when I went out).

Use the aorist for a finished event at a definite past time, and the perfect for past experience or a result that matters now, as in Вчера ходих на кино (Yesterday I went to the cinema) and Ходил ли си в Париж? (Have you ever been to Paris?).

A perfective command asks for one complete action and an imperfective one for a repeated or ongoing action, as in Затвори вратата! and Затваряй вратата след себе си! Negative commands normally use the imperfective, and a warning uses да не with the perfective.

A subordinate clause is set off with a comma, as in Знам, че си прав (I know that you are right). A clause in the middle of a sentence gets commas on both sides.

The short word си after a noun means one's own and always points back to the subject, as in Той обича жена си (He loves his wife). It is used instead of ми, ти, му, ѝ, ни, ви, им when the owner is the subject.

Endings such as че, ка, це, ичка and енце express smallness or affection, as in столче (little chair), къщичка (little house) and момиченце (little girl).

An ъ or е in the last syllable of many masculine words drops out when an ending is added, as in добър — добра (good), малък — малка (small), ъгъл — ъгли (corners) and орел — орли (eagles). Not every ъ or е drops, so learn each word with its forms.

A known object is often repeated by a short pronoun, especially when it comes first, as in Книгата я прочетох (I read the book) and На Мария ѝ казах (I told Maria).

Many feminine nouns for people are formed from the masculine with -ка, -ица or -иня, as in учител — учителка (teacher), певец — певица (singer) and грък — гъркиня (Greek woman). Some official titles stay masculine even for women.

Verbs for weather and natural processes have no subject and no word for "it", as in Вали (It is raining), Застудява (It is getting cold) and Съмва се (Day is breaking).

Се with a third-person singular verb states what people in general do, as in Тук не се пуши (No smoking here) and Как се стига до гарата? (How does one get to the station?).

An indirect question keeps its question word and the original tense, as in Кажи ми къде живееш (Tell me where you live) and Не помня кога започва филмът (I do not remember when the film starts).

When several short words meet, they follow a fixed order: да, не, ще, then the auxiliary, the indirect object pronoun, the direct object pronoun, е and finally the verb, as in Ще ти го дам (I will give it to you) and Той ѝ го е дал (He has given it to her).

Се with a transitive verb often makes a passive: the thing acted on becomes the subject and the doer is left out, as in Тук се продават билети (Tickets are sold here) and Как се пише това? (How is this spelled?).

The passive joins съм with the past passive participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number, as in Магазинът е затворен (The shop is closed) and Къщата е построена през 1900 година (The house was built in 1900).

Където and когато can start a clause that describes a place or a time, as in градът, където живея (the city where I live) and денят, когато се запознахме (the day when we met).

A few masculine nouns take -ища in the plural, as in път — пътища (roads), край — краища (regions) and сън — сънища (dreams).

Some nouns exist only in the plural, as in очила (glasses), пари (money) and гащи (underpants), and they take plural agreement: Парите са в чантата (The money is in the bag).

Prefixes give motion verbs a direction, as in влизам/вляза (go in), излизам/изляза (go out), минавам/мина (pass), пристигам/пристигна (arrive) and заминавам/замина (leave on a trip). Each is an aspect pair.

When you report something you only heard about, third-person verbs drop е and use the bare л-participle, as in Той бил болен (He was ill, I am told). Keeping е, as in Тя е заминала (She has left, as I can tell), can show a conclusion drawn from evidence.

The imperfect describes what used to happen regularly, as in Всяка сутрин пиех кафе (Every morning I would drink coffee) and Като малък често ходех на село (As a child I often went to the village).

An imperfective verb in the aorist sums up an activity as a finished whole, as in Вчера цял ден четох (Yesterday I read all day) and Два часа чакахме (We waited for two hours).

Past passive participles end in н or т and agree like adjectives, as in написан (written), отворена (opened) and измито (washed). They often describe a result: Вратата е отворена (The door is open).

Perfective verbs have present forms, such as купя and свърша, but these cannot describe what is happening now. They appear after words like да, ще, ако and когато, as in Ще купя хляб (I will buy bread) and Когато свърша, ще ти се обадя (When I finish, I will call you).

The pluperfect joins бях with the л-participle for an action finished before another past moment, as in Когато стигнах, влакът беше заминал (When I arrived, the train had left).

The present tense of an imperfective verb can talk about planned or scheduled future events, as in Утре заминавам за Варна (I am leaving for Varna tomorrow) and Влакът тръгва в осем (The train leaves at eight).

A verb with се and a short dative pronoun says what someone feels like doing, as in Спи ми се (I feel sleepy), Яде ми се нещо сладко (I feel like something sweet) and Иска ми се да пътувам (I would like to travel).

Imperfective verbs form neuter nouns in не that name the activity, as in четене (reading), писане (writing) and плуване (swimming).

Bulgarian verb forms can show the source of information: the ordinary past for what you witnessed, as in Той дойде, the л-participle without е for what you were told, as in Той дошъл, and the form with е for what you inferred, as in Той е дошъл.

When ли follows a word other than the verb, the question is about that word, as in Ти ли дойде? (Was it you who came?) and Днес ли заминаваш? (Is it today that you are leaving?).

To talk about something that is not true, put the verb after ако in the imperfect and use щях да or бих in the result, as in Ако имах време, щях да дойда (If I had time, I would come).

Без да is usually followed by a present-tense verb and means "without doing something", as in Излезе, без да каже нищо (He went out without saying anything).

The conditional combines бих, би, би, бихме, бихте, биха with the л-participle for polite requests and hypotheses, as in Бих искал кафе (I would like a coffee) and Би ли ми помогнал? (Would you help me?).

Бъда is the form of съм (be) used after да and in commands, as in Искам да бъда лекар (I want to be a doctor) and Бъди внимателен! (Be careful!). It also forms the future ще бъда.

Вместо да means instead of doing, as in Вместо да учи, гледа телевизия (Instead of studying, he watches TV) and Ела с нас, вместо да седиш вкъщи (Come with us instead of sitting at home).

Все още stresses that something continues and вече не that it has stopped, as in Все още живее в Русе (He still lives in Ruse) and Вече не пуша (I no longer smoke).

Въпреки че and макар че introduce a concession, as in Въпреки че валеше, излязохме (Although it was raining, we went out) and Макар че е късно, ще дойда (Although it is late, I will come).

Several да-clauses can follow one another, each with its own personal verb, as in Искам да мога да плувам (I want to be able to swim) and Трябва да започна да уча (I need to start studying).

Дали introduces indirect yes-no questions and wondering, as in Не знам дали ще дойде (I do not know whether he will come) and Дали ще вали? (I wonder if it will rain).

Докато with an imperfective verb means while, and with a perfective verb, often with не, it means until, as in Докато готвех, той четеше (While I was cooking, he was reading) and Чакай тук, докато се върна (Wait here until I come back).

Един, една and едно can work like English a or a certain when introducing someone or something new and specific, as in Търси те един човек (A man is looking for you). Plural едни means some or certain.

Затова introduces a consequence, as in Бях болен, затова не дойдох (I was ill, so I did not come). The cause comes first, the result after затова.

Или ... или offers alternatives that exclude each other, as in Или идваш, или оставаш (Either you come or you stay). A comma always goes before the second или.

Каквото (what, whatever) and колкото (as much as) introduce relative clauses with no noun before them, as in Прави каквото искаш (Do what you want) and Яж колкото искаш (Eat as much as you want).

Като means like when comparing and as when naming a role, as in Пее като птица (She sings like a bird) and Работи като учител (He works as a teacher).

Като can introduce a time clause meaning when or once, as in Като дойдеш, ще говорим (When you come, we will talk) and Като се прибрах, заспах (Once I got home, I fell asleep).

The question word кой has the object form кого, which is standard after prepositions and as an object (casual speech often uses кой), and the rarer dative кому; the relative който has когото and комуто, as in Кого търсите? (Who are you looking for?) and човекът, с когото говорих (the man I talked with).

Relative clauses begin with който, which agrees with its noun, and are set off by a comma, as in човекът, който говори (the man who is talking) and книгата, която чета (the book that I am reading).

Колко and какъв open exclamations, as in Колко хубаво! (How nice!) and Какъв умен човек! (What a clever man!). Какъв changes to каква, какво and какви to match the noun.

Към means 'toward', as in Вървя към морето (I am walking toward the sea). With times it means 'around', as in към пет часа (around five o'clock).

To say you miss someone, make the missed person the subject of липсвам and show who misses them with a short pronoun, as in Липсваш ми (I miss you) and Липсват ни приятелите (We miss our friends).

Some first-conjugation verbs change к to ч and г to ж before е, as in мога — можеш (can), пека — печеш (bake) and сека — сечеш (cut).

Не само ..., но и adds a second, often stronger point, as in Той говори не само английски, но и френски (He speaks not only English but also French).

Не трябва да means 'must not', while няма нужда да or не е нужно да means 'need not', as in Не трябва да пушиш тук (You must not smoke here) and Няма нужда да идваш (You don't need to come).

Не ..., а corrects a statement: не cancels one element and а brings in the right one, as in Не е синьо, а зелено (It is not blue but green) and Не днес, а утре (Not today but tomorrow).

Нека, often followed by да, joins a present-tense verb to suggest something, express a wish or allow something, as in Нека да помисля (Let me think) and Нека влезе (Let him come in).

Нито ... нито means neither ... nor, and a verb before it keeps не, as in Не пия нито кафе, нито чай (I drink neither coffee nor tea) and Нито той знае, нито тя (Neither he nor she knows).

Някакъв (some kind of), никакъв (no ... at all, with не) and всякакъв (all kinds of) agree with their noun, as in някакъв проблем (some problem), Нямам никаква идея (I have no idea at all) and всякакви хора (all kinds of people).

The negative future in the past is нямаше да with the present for every person, as in Нямаше да дойда без теб (I would not have come without you) and Без помощта ти нямаше да успеем (Without your help we would not have succeeded).

Обаче marks a contrast and can stand at the start of a clause or inside it, as in Искам да дойда, обаче нямам време (I want to come; however, I have no time) and Той обаче не знаеше (He, however, did not know).

Отколкото introduces a compared clause, as in По-лесно е, отколкото мислех (It is easier than I thought) and Повече работи, отколкото почива (He works more than he rests).

По means along, around or across a surface and also by a means of communication, as in по улицата (along the street), по света (around the world) and по телефона (on the phone).

Понеже gives a reason and often starts the sentence, as in Понеже закъснях, изпуснах влака (Because I was late, I missed the train) and Понеже е празник, магазините са затворени (Because it is a holiday, the shops are closed).

Преди да is followed by a personal verb form, as in Измий си ръцете, преди да ядеш (Wash your hands before you eat) and Обади се, преди да тръгнеш (Call before you set off).

При places you with a person: at their home or office, or going to them, as in Отивам при лекаря (I am going to the doctor's) and Живея при родителите си (I live with my parents). With places and situations it means near, at or in case of.

Свой means one's own and points back to the subject of its clause, as in Всеки обича своя град (Everyone loves their own city) and Тя взе своите неща (She took her things). It agrees with the owned noun, not with the owner.

Се can mean each other, as in Виждаме се утре (We will see each other tomorrow) and Те се обичат (They love each other). With verbs that take на, use си: Помагаме си (We help each other).

Себе си is the full reflexive pronoun, meaning myself, yourself, himself and so on. It is used after prepositions, as in Говори за себе си (He talks about himself), and for emphasis, while ordinary reflexive verbs use the short се.

Сигурно (surely, probably), вероятно (probably) and може би (maybe) show how sure the speaker is, as in Сигурно е вкъщи (He is probably at home) and Може би ще дойда (Maybe I will come).

A few adjectives, chiefly син (blue), have soft endings: син, синя, синьо, сини, as in синьо небе (blue sky) and синята риза (the blue shirt).

След като introduces an action that happens first, as in След като вечеряхме, гледахме филм (After we had dinner, we watched a film). About the future it takes a present verb without ще: Ще ти пиша, след като пристигна (I will write to you after I arrive).

Some state nouns combine with е and a short accusative pronoun, as in Страх ме е (I am afraid), Срам ме е (I am ashamed) and Не те ли е страх? (Aren't you afraid?).

Струва ми се and изглежда express a cautious opinion or appearance, as in Струва ми се, че вали (It seems to me that it is raining) and Изглежда уморен (He looks tired).

Току-що marks something that has just happened, as in Току-що пристигнах (I have just arrived) and Филмът току-що започна (The film has just started).

Толкова ... колкото compares equal degrees, as in Не е толкова студено, колкото вчера (It is not as cold as yesterday) and Не е толкова трудно, колкото мислиш (It is not as hard as you think).

Трябва with a short dative pronoun expresses need, and the needed thing is the subject, as in Трябва ми помощ (I need help) and Трябват ми пари (I need money).

Хиляда becomes хиляди after other numbers, and милион takes the count form, as in две хиляди души (two thousand people), три милиона (three million) and през 2026 година (in 2026).

Щом means "as soon as" when it talks about time, and "since" or "if that is so" when it builds on a fact the speakers already accept. For a future event it takes the present tense, usually of a perfective verb: Щом пристигна (As soon as I arrive).

Щях да, щеше да and the other forms of щях plus да and the present say what was going to happen, as in Щях да ти се обадя, но забравих (I was going to call you, but I forgot). The usual negative is нямаше да.

Many Bulgarian roots switch between я and е. You keep я when the vowel is stressed and the next syllable does not contain е or и, as in бял, бяла and голяма. You write е when the next syllable has е or и, before ж, ш, ч, щ or й, and when the vowel is unstressed, as in бели, големи and места.

Many abstract nouns end in -ост or -ство. Nouns in -ост are feminine and take -та (радостта), while nouns in -ство are neuter and take -то (приятелството).

Suffixes such as -ен, -ов and -ски form adjectives from nouns, as in дървен (wooden) from дърво, есенен (autumn) from есен and градски (urban) from град. They agree with the noun like any adjective.

An adjective with the article can stand for people or an idea, as in бедните (the poor) and Новото винаги плаши (The new is always frightening). The neuter often means the ... thing: важното, the important thing.

The adverbial participle ends in -йки and means while doing or by doing. It is formed only from imperfective verbs and always has the same subject as the main verb.

Numbers with the ending -ина mean about that many, as in десетина души (about ten people) and стотина метра (about a hundred metres). Около, към and pairs like два-три also give approximate numbers.

Numbers take the article when the counted group is already known, as in двата града (the two cities), двете жени (the two women), тримата братя (the three brothers) and петте книги (the five books).

Което, always neuter singular in this use, can refer back to a whole statement rather than a single noun. It comes after a comma, like English which in He was late, which annoyed me.

Bulgarian fractions use the feminine ordinal, singular after една and plural after higher numbers, as in една трета and две трети. Half before a noun is половин, and a quarter is четвърт.

Suffixes such as -тел, -ач and -ар form nouns for people who do something, as in читател (reader), играч (player) and пекар (baker).

The doer in a passive sentence is introduced by от, as in Романът е написан от Иван Вазов (The novel was written by Ivan Vazov) and Решението беше взето от директора (The decision was made by the director).

The present active participle ends in -щ, describes someone who is doing something and agrees like an adjective, as in четящ (reading), работещ (working) and пътуващите хора (the traveling people).

Bulgarian folk tales, legends and jokes are told in reported forms because no one telling them saw what happened, as in Имало едно време един цар (Once upon a time there was a king). In the third person there is no е: живели, отишъл, рекла.

In the first and second person the reported forms keep съм, си, сме and сте, as in Аз съм бил виновен, така ли? (So I am supposedly the one to blame?) and Ти си знаел! (So you knew!).

The reported present and imperfect share one form built on the imperfect л-participle, as in Той работел в банка (He works or worked in a bank, reportedly) and Те живеели във Виена (They live or lived in Vienna, reportedly).

Reported statements use че and keep the speaker's original tense, as in Каза, че е уморен (He said he was tired) and Каза, че ще дойде (He said he would come). Questions take дали or a question word, and requests take да.

A prefix makes a verb perfective and often changes its meaning (пиша, write → препиша, copy out). A suffix then makes an imperfective partner with that same new meaning (преписвам), for repeated or ongoing actions.

Не is written separately before verbs but joined to many adjectives, adverbs and nouns, as in не знам (I don't know), неудобен (uncomfortable) and неуспех (failure). When it contrasts two ideas, as in не голям, а малък, it stays separate.

The future perfect says that something will already be done by a certain point in the future. It joins the future of съм with the л-participle: ще съм завършил (I will have finished).

A second л-participle is built on the imperfect stem, as in четял, четяла, четели (reading) and пишел (writing). It forms the reported present and imperfect, as in Той четял (He is reading, reportedly), while the perfect and the conditional normally use the ordinary л-participle.

The reported aorist passes on a completed past event with the ordinary л-participle, as in Той написал книга (He wrote a book, reportedly) and Тя заминала вчера (She left yesterday, reportedly). The third person has no е.

The reported perfect and pluperfect share one form: бил, била, било or били plus the л-participle, as in Той бил заминал (He had left, reportedly) and Писмото било пристигнало (The letter had arrived, reportedly). Both words agree with the subject.

Known information usually comes first and new or emphasized information last, so Книгата я купи Мария (It was Maria who bought the book) and Мария купи книгата (Maria bought the book) answer different questions.

A reported command or request uses да, as in Каза ми да дойда (He told me to come) and Помоли ги да чакат (She asked them to wait). The verb after да agrees with the person who must do the action.

Many verbs form neuter nouns in -ние that name an event or result, as in решение (decision), движение (movement) and обяснение (explanation). They differ from -не nouns such as решаване, which name the ongoing activity.

To talk about a past that did not happen, put the pluperfect after ако (Ако бях знаел, If I had known) and щях да in the result clause (щях да дойда, I would have come).

Ами is a spoken word that usually starts a reply. It softens an answer, raises an objection or brings up a new point. After a negative clause it corrects it, like "but rather".

Бихте ли is the conditional auxiliary with ли. Followed by a plural л-participle, it turns a request into a very polite question, like "Would you mind ...?" or "Could you possibly ...?".

В случай че introduces a situation that may or may not happen, and what to do if it does. It is a compound conjunction written as three words with no comma inside; before a noun, use в случай на.

Въпреки is a preposition meaning "despite" or "in spite of". A noun or pronoun follows it directly: въпреки дъжда, въпреки всичко, въпреки това.

An unreal wish, like English "If only ...!", uses да with a past form. The imperfect is about now (Да имах време! If only I had time!), and the pluperfect is about the past (Да бях знаел! If only I had known!).

Instead of the imperative, Bulgarian can use да with a present-tense verb to insist on an instruction: Да си дойдеш рано! (Make sure you come home early!). Да не + verb warns someone not to do something.

Да не би да shows worry that something unwanted is true or might happen. In a question it means "you haven't ..., have you?", and after an instruction it means "in case".

Дано is a particle that expresses hope about something you cannot control. It is followed by a verb in the present tense, with or without да, as in Дано успееш (I hope you succeed).

Дори и да introduces a condition that does not change the outcome, like English even if. Use the present tense for real possibilities and the imperfect for imaginary ones.

Дори and даже mean even and can replace each other. Place them directly before the word or phrase they stress; before a negated verb they come in front of не.

Едва has two main uses. It means barely or with difficulty, and it means only when something happens later, or is smaller, than expected.

Един друг expresses each other. When the verb needs a preposition, it goes in the middle, as in помагат си един на друг (they help each other) and говорим един с друг (we talk with each other).

За- can mark the beginning of an action, as in запея (start singing), заплача (burst into tears) and заваля (start raining). The new verb is perfective, so it names the single moment the action starts.

Both prepositions give a cause and take a noun or pronoun, not a clause. Заради is everyday and can also mean for someone's sake, while поради sounds more formal and is common in notices and writing.

Както links a clause of manner or comparison, like English as or the way that. It usually starts a full clause, while като is used for a comparison with a noun alone.

A relative word such as който, каквото, където or когато followed by и да means whoever, whatever, wherever or whenever. It says the result is the same whichever person, thing or place it is.

Колкото ..., толкова means "the more ..., the more", as in Колкото повече учиш, толкова по-лесно става (The more you study, the easier it gets). Both halves usually contain a comparative.

Май is a colloquial particle meaning "it seems" or "I think", as in Май ще вали (It looks like rain) and Май си прав (I think you are right). It softens a statement into a guess.

A full pronoun can be doubled by its short form to emphasize or contrast a person, as in Мене ме е страх (As for me, I am afraid), На мене ми харесва (I like it, at least) and Него го познавам (Him I know). The short form must match the full one in person, number and case.

Няма какво да means "there is nothing to", as in Няма какво да правим (There is nothing we can do) and Няма от какво да се страхуваш (There is nothing to be afraid of). The same pattern works with кой, къде and other question words.

Освен ако (не) means "unless", as in Ще дойда, освен ако не вали (I will come unless it rains). The не does not make the clause negative and can be left out.

Откакто marks when a continuing situation began, as in Откакто се премести, не сме се виждали (Since he moved, we haven't seen each other). It is followed by a clause; before a noun or a length of time, use от.

По- can mean doing something for a short while, as in поседя (sit for a while), поговоря (have a chat) and почета (read a little). The new verb is perfective and is written as one word, with no hyphen.

Пък marks contrast, surprise or impatience, as in Аз пък не искам (Well, I don't want to) and Ти пък откъде знаеш? (And how would you know?). It is mostly used in conversation.

Сам means alone or by oneself, and самият (самата, самото, самите) means the very one or oneself for emphasis, as in Живея сам (I live alone) and самият президент (the president himself).

Според introduces an opinion or a source, as in Според мене е прав (In my opinion, he is right) and според прогнозата (according to the forecast).

Сякаш and като че ли compare with an unreal or apparent situation, as in Говори, сякаш знае всичко (He talks as if he knows everything) and Като че ли вали (It seems to be raining).

Така че introduces a result, as in Беше късно, така че си легнахме (It was late, so we went to bed).

Трябва да е with the л-participle expresses a confident deduction about the past, as in Трябва да е заминал (He must have left) and Трябва да е била уморена (She must have been tired).

Тъй като gives a reason in a neutral or formal style, as in Тъй като беше късно, останахме вкъщи (Since it was late, we stayed home).

Тъкмо means just at that moment or exactly, as in Тъкмо излизах, когато звънна телефонът (I was just leaving when the phone rang) and Тъкмо това исках (That is exactly what I wanted).

Уж casts doubt on a claim or marks pretense, as in Уж беше болен, а отиде на кино (He was supposedly ill, yet he went to the cinema) and Уж ще дойде утре (He is supposed to come tomorrow).

Хем ... хем links two facts that are true at once, as in Хем е евтино, хем е хубаво (It is both cheap and good).

Чак marks a surprisingly late time, a long distance or a high degree, as in Дойде чак в полунощ (He didn't come until midnight) and Стигнахме чак до морето (We went all the way to the sea).

Чийто, чиято, чието and чиито mean whose and take the gender and number of the thing owned, not the owner, as in писателят, чиято книга чета (the writer whose book I am reading) and съседите, чието куче лае (the neighbors whose dog is barking).

To pass on what someone says will happen, use щял да and the present, as in Той щял да дойде утре (He will come tomorrow, reportedly). The negative is нямало да for every person: Нямало да вали (It won't rain, they say).

Some л-participles serve as adjectives describing a resulting state, as in изгоряла гора (a burnt forest), остарял човек (an aged man) and паднали листа (fallen leaves).

An adverbial participle phrase shares the subject of the main clause and describes a simultaneous action, as in Вървейки по улицата, срещнах приятел (Walking along the street, I met a friend) and Той четеше, слушайки музика (He was reading while listening to music).

Conclusive forms say "I did not see it, but I conclude that it happened". They look like the perfect, as in валяло е, and unlike reported forms they keep е and са in the third person.

Fixed participle expressions such as честно казано, общо взето and съдейки по work like single comment words. They do not agree with any noun, and they are set off by commas.

Formal and administrative writing prefers verbal nouns and chains of nouns with на, as in извършване на проверка (carrying out an inspection) and подобряване на качеството (improving the quality).

A participle can head a phrase describing a noun, mostly in writing, as in книгата, написана от него (the book written by him) and хората, чакащи на опашката (the people waiting in line).

The passive is съм + past passive participle, but after да and ще it normally uses the forms of бъда: да бъде, ще бъде. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

A question word followed by ли makes a wondering or rhetorical question, as in Кой ли е звънял? (I wonder who called) and Какво ли прави сега? (I wonder what he is doing now).

Narrative and formal texts often place the subject after the verb when introducing a new participant or event, as in Започна заседанието (The session began) and В залата влезе директорът (The director came into the hall).

The article can refer to a whole kind, as in Кучето е вярно животно (The dog is a loyal animal) and Жените живеят по-дълго (Women live longer).

The historical present tells past events in the present tense, to make a story vivid or to present history as a clear sequence. The verbs are imperfective, as in the ordinary present.

Formal texts use a neuter singular passive participle with е, беше or ще бъде and no personal subject, as in Беше решено срещата да се отложи (It was decided to postpone the meeting) and Прието е, че ... (It is accepted that ...).

News reports and biographies often state facts with the perfect instead of the aorist, as in Министърът е подал оставка (The minister has resigned) and Президентът е заявил, че ще подпише закона (The president has stated that he will sign the law).

Passive forms are reported with бил, as in Мостът бил построен от римляните (The bridge was built by the Romans, reportedly) and Писмото било изпратено вчера (The letter was sent yesterday, they say).

Some verbs, including many verbs in -ирам and -изирам, serve as both perfective and imperfective, so context decides, as in Утре ще организирам среща (Tomorrow I will organize a meeting) and Всяка година организираме фестивал (Every year we organize a festival).

Colloquial абе sets a familiar, casual or dismissive tone and значи means so when drawing a conclusion or confirming, as in Абе, остави го (Oh, just leave it) and Значи утре в осем? (So, tomorrow at eight?).

Бе and ма are spoken particles that address the listener very familiarly, often with impatience or surprise. Use them only with close friends and family; with anyone else they sound rude.

В резултат на and the more bookish вследствие на introduce a cause as a noun phrase, as in в резултат на кризата (as a result of the crisis) and вследствие на наводнението (as a consequence of the flood).

Все едно means it is all the same or as if, as in Все ми е едно (It's all the same to me) and Говори, все едно знае всичко (He talks as if he knows everything).

Да with present forms makes wishes, blessings and toasts, as in Да сте живи и здрави! (May you be alive and well!), Да живее! (Long live!) and Да ви е сладко! (Enjoy your meal!).

Де is a spoken particle placed after a word, usually a command, to urge someone on or show mild impatience. A separate word де is a short, casual form of къде (where).

Дето is a colloquial relative word that never changes, as in човекът, дето го видяхме (the man we saw); formal writing uses който instead, as in човекът, когото видяхме.

Доколкото limits a statement to what the speaker knows or to a certain extent, as in Доколкото знам, той е в чужбина (As far as I know, he is abroad) and Ще ти помогна, доколкото мога (I'll help you as much as I can).

Едва ли expresses strong doubt, much like English hardly or unlikely, as in Едва ли ще успее (He is hardly likely to succeed) and Едва ли! (I doubt it!).

Из- often means doing something completely or out of, as in изпия (drink up), изям (eat up) and изляза (go out).

Compound prepositions such as изпод (from under), измежду (from among) and отвъд (beyond) add a sense of origin or distance, as in изпод масата (from under the table) and отвъд реката (beyond the river).

Както ..., така и links two parallel items in formal style, as in както студенти, така и преподаватели (both students and teachers).

Кой да е, какъв да е and където да е mean any at all, as in Дай ми коя да е книга (Give me any book) and Седни където да е (Sit anywhere).

Колкото и да with a verb means however much, as in Колкото и да се опитвам, не мога (However hard I try, I can't).

Макар и concedes a point with a single word or phrase, as in Дойде, макар и късно (He came, albeit late) and макар и за малко (even if only for a while).

На- with се means doing something until satisfied, as in наям се (eat one's fill), наспя се (get enough sleep) and нагледам се (look one's fill).

Не че ..., но softens a refusal or correction, as in Не че не искам, но нямам време (It's not that I don't want to, but I have no time).

Нима opens a surprised or rhetorical question, as in Нима не знаеше? (Didn't you really know?) and Нима това е възможно? (Can that really be possible?).

Нито on its own can mean not even or not a single, as in Не каза нито дума (He didn't say a single word) and Нито дума! (Not a word!).

Освен че adds a further point, as in Освен че е умен, той е и много работлив (Besides being clever, he is also very hardworking).

Относно (regarding) and във връзка с (in connection with) introduce a topic in formal letters and reports, as in Относно срещата... (Regarding the meeting...) and Във връзка с вашето писмо... (In connection with your letter...).

Пре- often means doing something again or too much, as in препиша (copy out), преработя (rework) and преям (overeat).

The formal expressions с оглед на and предвид introduce a consideration, as in с оглед на обстоятелствата (in view of the circumstances) and предвид времето (given the weather).

С цел takes a noun or да, as in с цел подобряване на услугите (with the aim of improving the services) and с цел да спестим време (in order to save time).

Следва да is a formal way to say that something should or must be done. Следва never changes for person: Вие следва да..., Кандидатите следва да...

Следователно introduces a logical conclusion, and при това adds another point on top of what was just said. Both are typical of formal writing and careful speech.

Стига да means "provided that" or "as long as": if this one condition is met, the main event will follow. For a present or future condition, the verb after it is in the present tense, never with ще.

A detached phrase adds extra information and is set off by commas: one after it at the start of a sentence, one on each side in the middle, one before it at the end. A participle placed right before its noun, inside the noun phrase, is not detached and takes no commas.

After an if-clause, formal Bulgarian can begin the main clause with то, as in Ако това е вярно, то трябва да действаме (If that is true, then we must act). Leaving то out is always correct.

Dubitative forms repeat what someone else claimed and signal that the speaker does not believe it. They are reported forms with one more бил, as in Той бил бил болен! (Supposedly he's ill; I don't believe it!).

Imperfective passive participles such as обичан (loved), четен (read) and търсен (sought-after, in demand) describe ongoing or repeated treatment. Perfective partners such as прочетен (read through) describe a completed act.

Some vocatives survive mainly in literary, religious and emotional speech, such as Боже (God), Господи (Lord), друже (friend) and братко (brother). Many change their final consonant: г → ж, к → ч, ц → ч.

Modern Bulgarian nouns have no case endings, but some old forms survive in set phrases and literary style, such as Слава Богу (Thank God), Господи! (Lord!), никому (to nobody), всекиму (to everyone) and нощем (at night).

Bulgarian builds четящ (reading) and четейки (while reading) from imperfective чета, but it has no such forms from perfective прочета. Use a secondary imperfective such as прочитам instead, or a full clause for an action finished before another one.

Repeating a verb, as in Чакахме, чакахме и накрая си тръгнахме (We waited and waited and finally left), stresses that the action lasted a long time. The next part usually says what happened in the end.

In an exclamation, reported forms can express surprise at a fact that has just become clear to the speaker, often one they did not expect. The same forms can also sound ironic.

The ethical dative is a short pronoun such as ми, ти or си that does not name a recipient. It adds warmth, insistence, irony or indignation, as in Да ми се пазиш! (Take good care of yourself, for my sake!).

A perfective verb can take imperfect endings, as in дойдеше and влезеше, but only in a dependent clause. It describes a completed event that happened again and again in the past, or an imagined event after ако or да.

Colloquial си can make an activity sound relaxed and self-contained, as in Седя си вкъщи (I'm just sitting at home) and Живее си спокойно (He lives quietly, minding his own business). It follows the usual rules for short pronouns.

А именно means "namely" or "that is to say". It follows a general word and spells out exactly what it covers, with a comma before it.

Бивш, настоящ and бъдещ place a person or thing in time: former, current or future. They change for gender, number and the article like any adjective.

In everyday speech взема (take) loses its literal meaning and adds surprise to the next verb. Ще взема да means "I think I'll just", взе да can mean "started to", and взе, че means "went and did" something unexpected.

Colloquial има да has two uses. With a personal subject, имам да means that a task is still ahead of you. As a fixed impersonal има да, it predicts something that is bound to happen, often with irony or a threat.

Камо ли means "let alone". After a first statement, it adds a second, bigger case that is even less likely to be true, as in Не мога да ходя, камо ли да тичам (I can't walk, let alone run).

A question word followed by ли не means every possible place, thing, person or way: къде ли не (everywhere), какво ли не (everything), кой ли не (everyone), как ли не (in every way).

Не ще + present is a bookish, poetic negative future, as in Не ще забравя (I shall not forget). In everyday speech the neutral form is няма да, and не ща, не щеш, не ще mean "don't want".

При което links a new clause to the whole situation just described, as in Колата се удари в дърво, при което пострада шофьорът (The car hit a tree, and the driver was injured in the crash). It belongs to news, reports and formal writing.

The old verb река (say) lives on in narration and set phrases, as in рекох (I said) and така да се рече (so to speak). In neutral speech, use кажа and казах.

Legal and official texts use съгласно and по силата на, as in съгласно закона (in accordance with the law) and по силата на договора (by virtue of the contract). In everyday speech, според or по is more usual.

Та links a clause that follows from the one before, as in Изморих се, та си легнах (I got tired, so I went to bed). At the start of a sentence it picks up a topic again: Та, както ти казвах, ... (So, as I was telling you, ...).

Хич + не means "not at all", as in Хич не ме интересува (It doesn't interest me at all) and Хич не е лесно (It isn't easy at all). It is informal and belongs to speech.

Ще да with съм marks a guess, as in Ще да е на около шейсет години (He must be about sixty). With an л-participle it guesses about the past: Ще да е забравил (He must have forgotten).

Що за means "what kind of", as in Що за човек е той? (What kind of person is he?). In exclamations it shows surprise or annoyance: Що за глупост! (What nonsense!)

The future perfect in the past joins щях да with съм and the л-participle, as in щях да съм свършил (I would have finished). It mostly describes a finished result that would have existed if things had gone differently.