ние/вие/те
Plural Subject Pronouns
ние = we, вие = you (more than one person), те = they. Те works for any group: men, women or things.
How It Works
The three plural pronouns.
- ние means we: Ние сме вкъщи. (We are at home.)
- вие means you when you speak to two or more people: Вие откъде сте? (Where are you all from?)
- те means they: Те са студенти. (They are students.)
One word for they. Те can mean a group of men, a group of women, a mixed group or several things: Къде са ключовете? — Те са на масата. (Where are the keys? — They are on the table.)
The verb matches. With съм you get ние сме, вие сте and те са. Present-tense verbs end in -м or -ме, -те and -т: ние говорим, вие говорите, те говорят. Because the ending already shows the person, the pronoun is often left out: Говорим български. See leaving out subject pronouns.
Polite Вие. To speak politely to one person, you also use вие, written with a capital letter: Вие ли сте господин Петров? (Are you Mr. Petrov?) The verb stays plural, but an adjective after it is singular and matches the person: Вие сте много любезна. (You are very kind, said to a woman.) See ти and Вие.
Other forms. For I, you, he, she and it, see the singular pronouns. After a preposition, the plural pronouns become нас, вас and тях: с нас (with us), за тях (for them).
Examples (6)
- Ние сме вкъщи.
We are at home.
Word by Word: We are at-home.
Ние goes with сме.
- Те са студенти.
They are students.
Word by Word: They are students.
Те covers any group: men, women or both.
- Вие откъде сте?
Where are you all from?
Word by Word: You from-where are?
Вие for a group of people, with the plural verb сте.
- Къде са ключовете? — Те са на масата.
Where are the keys? — They are on the table.
Word by Word: Where are keys-the? — They are on table-the.
Те can also mean things.
- Ние говорим български, а те говорят английски.
We speak Bulgarian, and they speak English.
Word by Word: We speak Bulgarian, and they speak English.
Here the pronouns are said because the two groups are contrasted.
- Вие ли сте госпожа Иванова?
Are you Mrs. Ivanova?
Word by Word: You question-particle are Mrs. Ivanova?
Polite Вие for one person: capital letter and a plural verb.
Common Mistakes
Using a singular verb with ние, вие or те.
Те е студенти.Те са студенти.Те is plural, so the verb is са. Е goes only with той, тя or то.
Using тя for a group of women.
Мария и Елена? Тя е в парка.Мария и Елена? Те са в парка.Тя means one woman. Any group of two or more people is те, and the verb is plural.
Using the ти form of the verb with polite Вие.
Вие си много любезна.Вие сте много любезна.Polite Вие always takes the plural verb сте, even when you speak to one person.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Plural subject pronouns follow the singular ones.
Related Patterns
- съм/си/е/сме/сте/саPresent Tense of Съм
Сме, сте and са are the forms of съм that go with ние, вие and те.
Level 1 - Leaving Out Subject Pronouns
The verb ending shows the person, so these pronouns are often dropped.
Level 1 - ти / ВиеFamiliar Ти and Polite Вие
When to use polite Вие instead of ти.
Level 1 - мой/твойPossessive Pronouns
Наш, ваш and техен are the possessives for ние, вие and те.
Level 1 - мене/тебе/него/неяFull Object Pronouns
The object forms, including нас, вас and тях.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ние/вие/те in Bubblegum
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