Leaving Out Subject Pronouns

Level 1Sounds Like propuskane na ličnoto mestoimenie

Говоря български. = I speak Bulgarian. The ending -я already means I, so аз is not needed.

How It Works

The ending does the work.

  • Говоря — I speak
  • Говориш — you speak
  • Говори — he, she or it speaks
  • Говорим — we speak
  • Говорите — you speak (more than one person, or polite)
  • Говорят — they speak

So Къде живееш? and Ти къде живееш? both mean Where do you live? The shorter one is the everyday form.

When to keep the pronoun.

  • to contrast two people: Аз съм от София, а ти? (I am from Sofia, and you?)
  • to stress who does it: Днес аз плащам. (Today I am paying.)
  • to make clear who you mean with he or she: Той е лекар, а тя е учителка. (He is a doctor, and she is a teacher.)

Short forms of съм. Съм, си, е, сме, сте and са cannot be the first word of a sentence. If you drop the pronoun, start with another word: Студент съм. or Аз съм студент. See the present of съм.

Weather and time. Sentences about weather and time usually have no subject at all: Вали. (It is raining.) Студено е. (It is cold.) Късно е. (It is late.) You may hear То вали in casual speech, but plain Вали is the normal form. See impersonal verbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Говоря български.

    I speak Bulgarian.

    Word by Word: (I)-speak Bulgarian.

    The ending -я shows the subject is I.

  2. Къде живееш?

    Where do you live?

    Word by Word: Where (you)-live?

    The ending -еш shows the subject is ти.

  3. Студент съм.

    I am a student.

    Word by Word: Student (I)-am.

    Without аз, съм comes after the first word.

  4. Аз съм от София, а ти?

    I am from Sofia, and you?

    Word by Word: I am from Sofia, and you?

    The pronouns are said because the two people are contrasted.

  5. Вали.

    It is raining.

    Word by Word: (It)-rains.

    No word is needed for the English it.

  6. Имаме време.

    We have time.

    Word by Word: (We)-have time.

    The ending -ме shows the subject is ние.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting the sentence with съм after dropping аз.

    Съм студент.
    Студент съм.

    Съм cannot be the first word of a sentence. Put another word first, or keep аз: Аз съм студент.

  • Using the wrong ending once the pronoun is gone (intended: I speak Bulgarian).

    Говори български.
    Говоря български.

    Without аз, only the ending shows the person. Говори means he or she speaks; говоря means I speak.

How It Connects

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

Leaving Out Subject PronounsLevel 1

Learn This First

Leaving out subject pronouns needs both pronouns and verb endings.