към
Toward with Към
Към points in a direction without saying you arrive: Вървя към морето. (I am walking toward the sea.)
How It Works
1. Direction. Към shows which way someone goes or looks. It says nothing about arriving:
- Вървя към морето. (I am walking toward the sea.)
- Обърни се към мен. (Turn toward me.)
- Прозорците гледат към планината. (The windows face the mountain.)
To name where you are going and will arrive, use в or на (Отивам на море., I am going to the seaside). To say 'as far as', use до.
2. Approximate time. With clock times and parts of a period, към means 'around' or 'toward': към пет часа (around five o'clock), към края на месеца (toward the end of the month). Около is also used for times and numbers.
3. Feelings and attitudes. Many nouns and adjectives for feelings are followed by към, where English uses in, for or to: интерес към (interest in), любов към (love for), уважение към (respect for), отношение към (attitude toward), внимателен към (considerate to).
4. Belonging to a group. Към can also mean 'part of' or 'attached to': Това животно спада към бозайниците. (This animal belongs to the mammals.) In official names: библиотеката към университета (the library attached to the university).
5. Pronouns. After към, as after every preposition, use the full pronoun forms: към мен, към теб, към него, към нея, към тях. See full object pronouns.
6. Visiting people. When you go to see a person, use при: Отивам при лекаря. (I am going to see the doctor.) Отивам към лекаря only means that you are walking in his direction.
Examples (6)
- Вървя към морето.
I am walking toward the sea.
- Ела към пет часа.
Come around five o'clock.
With a clock time, към means 'around'.
- Обърни се към мен, моля.
Please turn toward me.
- Този път води към селото.
This road leads toward the village.
- Детето има голям интерес към музиката.
The child has a great interest in music.
Интерес is followed by към, where English says 'in'.
- Прозорците гледат към планината.
The windows face the mountain.
Common Mistakes
Translating 'interest in' word for word.
Имам интерес в музиката.Имам интерес към музиката.Bulgarian uses към after интерес, любов, уважение and similar words for feelings.
Using към when the intended meaning is 'I am going to see the doctor'.
Утре отивам към лекаря.Утре отивам при лекаря.Към only gives a direction, so this sentence means you are heading toward him. To visit a person, use при.
Using a subject pronoun after към.
Той вървеше към аз.Той вървеше към мен.After a preposition, use the full object form of the pronoun: мен, теб, него, нея, нас, вас, тях.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Toward follows the basic prepositions.
Related Patterns
- доTo, Until and Next to with До
До means 'up to' or 'as far as' and implies reaching a point, while към only gives the direction.
Level 1 - околоAround and About with Около
Около is the other common way to say 'around' with times and numbers.
Level 2 - приAt Someone's Place with При
При is used for going to see a person, where към would only mean 'toward' them.
Level 3 - на + PlacePlace and Direction with На
На is used for many destinations such as на море and на работа.
Level 1