The Present Perfect

Level 2Sounds Like minalo neopredeleno vreme

Бил съм в Лондон. (I have been to London.) Use the perfect for experiences and for results that matter now: the present of съм + the past participle.

How It Works

1. The forms of чета (read).

  • чел / чела съм (I have read), чел / чела си (you have read)
  • чел / чела / чело е (he, she, it has read)
  • чели сме, чели сте, чели са (we, you, they have read)

2. The participle. It is formed from the aorist: четох → чел, писах → писал, бях → бил, ходих → ходил, дойдох → дошъл (дошла, дошли). Some change я to е in the plural: видял but видели. See the л-participle.

3. Word order. The forms of съм are short, unstressed words, so they cannot open a sentence:

  • Бил съм там. or Аз съм бил там. (I have been there.)
  • Negative: Не съм бил там. (I have not been there.)
  • Question: Бил ли си там? (Have you been there?)

4. When to use it.

  • Experience: Никога не съм ял суши. (I have never eaten sushi.)
  • A result that matters now: Загубила съм ключовете. (I have lost the keys, and I still can't find them.)
  • A past fact with no time given: Той е заминал за Варна. (He has left for Varna.)

5. Perfect or aorist? For events at a stated past time, use the aorist: Вчера ходих на кино. (I went to the cinema yesterday.) The perfect asks about the experience: Ходил ли си на кино тази седмица? (Have you been to the cinema this week?) See aorist versus perfect.

Examples (6)

  1. Бил съм в Лондон два пъти.

    I have been to London twice.

  2. Чела ли си тази книга?

    Have you read this book?

    Чела is feminine, so the question is addressed to a woman.

  3. Никога не съм ял суши.

    I have never eaten sushi.

  4. Той е заминал за Варна.

    He has left for Varna.

    The result matters now: he is not here.

  5. Загубила съм ключовете.

    I have lost the keys.

    A woman is speaking, so the participle is загубила.

  6. Виждали сме се някъде.

    We have met somewhere before.

    Word by Word: We have seen each other somewhere.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting the sentence with the auxiliary.

    Съм бил в Лондон.
    Бил съм в Лондон.

    Съм is an unstressed word and cannot open a sentence. Put the participle first, or start with аз.

  • Putting не before the participle instead of before съм.

    Не бил съм там.
    Не съм бил там.

    In the negative, не comes directly before the auxiliary: не съм, не си, не е.

  • Forgetting to make the participle agree when a woman is speaking.

    Аз съм бил в Лондон.
    Аз съм била в Лондон.

    If the speaker is a woman, the participle must be feminine: била. Бил is only for a man.

How It Connects

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The Present PerfectLevel 2

Learn This First

The present perfect combines съм with the л-participle.

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Patterns that build on this one.

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