имам/нямам
Having with Имам and Нямам
Имам means "I have" and нямам means "I do not have". Use them for things, people, time and plans.
How It Works
All the forms:
аз имам / нямам
ти имаш / нямаш
той, тя, то има / няма
ние имаме / нямаме
вие имате / нямате
те имат / нямат
They follow the third conjugation, and the pronoun is usually left out: Имам брат. (I have a brother.)
One word for "not have": Нямам време. (I don't have time.) Putting не in front of имам is a mistake.
Questions and short answers: Put ли after the verb: Имаш ли кола? (Do you have a car?) You can answer with the verb alone: Имам. or Нямам.
Useful phrases: Имам нужда от помощ. (I need help.) Нямам представа. (I have no idea.)
Not for age: In Bulgarian you do not "have" years. Say На двайсет години съм. (I am twenty.), as shown in на колко години.
Without a person: The form има / няма on its own also means "there is / there is no": see има/няма.
Examples (6)
- Имам брат и сестра.
I have a brother and a sister.
Word by Word: I-have brother and sister.
- Нямам време.
I don't have time.
Word by Word: Not-have-I time.
- Имаш ли кола? – Нямам.
Do you have a car? – No, I don't.
Word by Word: Have-you (question) car? – Not-have-I.
A short answer repeats the verb instead of saying just yes or no.
- Имаме малко куче.
We have a small dog.
Word by Word: We-have small dog.
- Те нямат деца.
They don't have children.
Word by Word: They not-have children.
- Имам нужда от помощ.
I need help.
Word by Word: I-have need of help.
Common Mistakes
Putting не in front of имам.
Не имам време.Нямам време.The negative of имам is the single verb нямам, with its own endings: нямам, нямаш, няма and so on.
Using имам to give your age.
Имам двайсет години.На двайсет години съм.Age is given with на ... години съм, literally "I am at twenty years".
How It Connects
Learn This First
Имам and нямам use third-conjugation endings.
Related Patterns
- има/нямаThere Is and There Is Not
Without a person, има and няма mean there is and there is no.
Level 1 - лиYes-No Questions with Ли
Имаш ли...? is the usual way to ask whether someone has something.
Level 1 - на колко годиниTalking About Age
Age uses на ... години съм, not имам.
Level 2 - имаше/нямашеPast and Future of Има
Shows the past and future of the impersonal има and няма.
Level 2 - Leaving Out Subject Pronouns
The ending already shows the person, so аз, ти and so on are usually left out.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice имам/нямам in Bubblegum
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