един as an Indefinite Article

Level 3Sounds Like edin kato neopredelitelen člen

Bulgarian has no required word for a: Имам кола. (I have a car.) But един, една, едно can introduce a specific person or thing that is new to the listener: Търси те един човек. (A man is looking for you.)

How It Works

1. No article is the neutral choice. Bulgarian has a definite article (the ending -ът, -та, -то) but no required word for English a. A bare noun is the normal way to mention something: Имам кола. (I have a car.) Търся работа. (I am looking for a job.)

2. Един for someone or something new and specific. When you bring a particular person or thing into the conversation and the listener does not know it yet, you can put един, една, едно before the noun. It is close to English a or a certain:

  • Търси те един човек. (A man is looking for you.)
  • Имам една идея. (I have an idea.)
  • Вчера видях едно много интересно куче. (Yesterday I saw a very interesting dog.)

When such a new, indefinite noun opens the sentence as its subject, един is usually needed: Един съсед ми каза, че ще вали. (A neighbour told me that it will rain.) Stories and anecdotes often start this way: Имало едно време един цар... (Once upon a time there was a king...)

3. The forms agree with the noun. They are the same forms as the number one: един for masculine, една for feminine, едно for neuter and едни for plural nouns.

4. Plural едни means some or certain. Дойдоха едни хора. (Some people came.) With nouns that exist only in the plural, едни refers to one item: едни очила (a pair of glasses), едни дънки (a pair of jeans).

5. A or one? The same word is also the number, so context and stress decide: Искам едно кафе, не две. (I want one coffee, not two.)

6. Where to leave it out.

  • After съм when you say what someone is: Той е лекар. (He is a doctor.) Тя е българка. (She is Bulgarian.)
  • After a negative verb: Нямам кола. (I don't have a car.) Нямам една кола would mean that one car of several is missing.
  • In simple identifying sentences a bare noun is normal: Това е ябълка. (This is an apple.)

With an evaluating adjective, един can add emotional colour: Беше една чудесна вечер. (It was a wonderful evening.) Do not put един before every noun the way English uses a; careful Bulgarian uses it only when it adds meaning.

Examples (6)

  1. Търси те един човек.

    A man is looking for you.

    Един introduces a particular man the listener does not know yet.

  2. Имам една идея.

    I have an idea.

    Една agrees with the feminine noun идея.

  3. Вчера в парка видях едно куче без каишка.

    Yesterday in the park I saw a dog without a leash.

    Едно agrees with the neuter noun куче and brings a new, specific dog into the story.

  4. На вратата чакат едни хора.

    Some people are waiting at the door.

    Plural едни means some or certain.

  5. Трябват ми едни нови обувки.

    I need a new pair of shoes.

    With a plural noun for a pair, едни means one pair.

  6. Брат ми е лекар.

    My brother is a doctor.

    No един: after съм, a profession is stated with a bare noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding един to say what someone's job is.

    Сестра ми е една учителка.
    Сестра ми е учителка.

    To state a profession after съм, Bulgarian uses the bare noun. With една the sentence no longer simply says what she does; it sounds like she is just some teacher or other.

  • Using един after a negative verb to mean not any.

    Нямам една кола.
    Нямам кола.

    Нямам една кола means that one car is missing, for example one of several. To say I don't have a car, use the bare noun.

How It Connects

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

един as an Indefinite ArticleLevel 3

Learn This First

Един as an indefinite article contrasts with the definite article.

Words in This Pattern

един