един/една/едно
The Number One
"One" has three forms: един град (one city), една книга (one book), едно дете (one child).
How It Works
The forms
- един — masculine: един брат (one brother), един билет (one ticket)
- една — feminine: една сестра (one sister), една нощ (one night)
- едно — neuter: едно дете (one child), едно кафе (one coffee)
- едни — plural, used with things that come in pairs or to mean "some": едни обувки (a pair of shoes)
The stress is on the last syllable in една, едно and едни.
Follow the gender, not only the ending
Most nouns show their gender by their ending (see Noun Gender), but not all. Кафе ends in -е and is neuter, so it is едно кафе. Нощ ends in a consonant but is feminine, so it is една нощ.
Counting
When you count without a noun, use the neuter form: едно, две, три, четири… Compare два/две, the only other number up to ten that changes for gender. From three upward, numbers have one form for every gender, though groups of men can be counted with special forms such as трима.
Ordering
Едно кафе, моля. and Една бира, моля. are everyday ways to order one of something. Later you will see един used like English "a" (Един as an Indefinite Article).
Examples (6)
- Имам един брат и една сестра.
I have one brother and one sister.
Word by Word: I-have one brother and one sister.
Брат is masculine (един); сестра is feminine (една).
- Едно кафе, моля.
One coffee, please.
Word by Word: One coffee, please.
Кафе is neuter, so the form is едно.
- Имаме едно дете.
We have one child.
Word by Word: We-have one child.
- Искам един билет за Варна.
I would like one ticket to Varna.
Word by Word: I-want one ticket for Varna.
- Чакай една минута.
Wait one minute.
Word by Word: Wait one minute.
Минута is feminine, so the form is една.
- Едно, две, три — започваме!
One, two, three — let's start!
Word by Word: One, two, three — we-start!
Counting aloud uses the neuter form едно.
Common Mistakes
Using the masculine form with a feminine noun.
Имам един книга.Имам една книга.Книга ends in -а and is feminine, so "one" must be една.
Using един with a neuter noun ending in -е.
Един кафе, моля.Едно кафе, моля.Кафе is neuter. Neuter nouns take едно.
Choosing the form from the final consonant alone.
Останахме един нощ в хотела.Останахме една нощ в хотела.Нощ ends in a consonant but is feminine, so it takes една.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The number one agrees with gender, so noun gender comes first.
Related Patterns
- два/двеThe Number Two
Two is the other number that changes for gender: два for masculine, две for feminine and neuter.
Level 1 - Numbers Three to Ten
From three upward, numbers have one form for every gender: три града, три книги, три деца.
Level 1 - Feminine Nouns in -а/-яFeminine Nouns Ending in А or Я
Feminine nouns in -а or -я take една: една книга, една стая.
Level 1 - Neuter Nouns in -о/-еNeuter Nouns Ending in О or Е
Neuter nouns in -о or -е take едно: едно дете, едно кафе.
Level 1 - един as an Indefinite Article
Един can also work like English "a", as in един човек (a man).
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice един/една/едно in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Bulgarian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
