ами

The Reply Particle Ами

Level 4Sounds Like ami

Ами не знам. (Well, I don't know.) Ами ако вали? (But what if it rains?) This small word makes a reply sound natural.

How It Works

1. Starting a reply.

  • Hesitation or thinking: Ами не знам още. (Well, I don't know yet.) Ами... как да ти кажа. (Well... how should I put it.)
  • An explanation that seems obvious to the speaker: — Защо не дойде? — Ами бях болен. (Well, I was sick.)
  • Strong agreement: Ами да! (Of course!) Ами така е. (Well, that's true.)

2. Objections and new points.

  • Ами ако вали? (But what if it rains?)
  • Ами сега? (So what now?)
  • Аз съм добре. Ами ти? (I'm fine. And what about you?)

3. "Not this, but that." After a negative clause, ами works like the conjunction а: Не искам чай, ами кафе. In careful writing the pattern не..., а is the neutral choice; ами is its spoken form. For a plain contrast such as "poor but happy", use но.

4. Register. Ами belongs to conversation. In formal writing, use но, а or обаче instead. Other conversational words with a similar job are пък and абе and значи.

Examples (6)

  1. — Ще дойдеш ли довечера? — Ами не знам още.

    "Are you coming tonight?" "Well, I don't know yet."

  2. Ами ако вали?

    But what if it rains?

  3. — Защо не дойде? — Ами бях болен.

    "Why didn't you come?" "Well, I was sick."

  4. Аз съм добре. Ами ти?

    I'm fine. And what about you?

  5. Не искам чай, ами кафе.

    I don't want tea, I want coffee.

    After a negative clause, ами means "but rather".

  6. Изпуснахме автобуса. Ами сега?

    We missed the bus. So what now?

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the word the way it often sounds in fast speech.

    Ъми не знам.
    Ами не знам.

    The unstressed а is reduced in speech, so it can sound like ъ, but the word is always written ами.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

амиLevel 4The Reply Particle Ами

Words in This Pattern

амиами