майка ми
Kinship Terms Without the Article
For close family, say майка ми (my mother), баща ти (your father), брат ѝ (her brother). There is no article on the noun.
How It Works
1. The pattern. With ordinary nouns, a short possessive follows a noun with the article: колата ми (my car). Singular words for close relatives skip the article:
- майка ми, баща ми (my mother, my father)
- брат ти, сестра ти (your brother, your sister)
- баба му, дядо му (his grandmother, his grandfather)
- леля ѝ, чичо ѝ (her aunt, her uncle)
- дъщеря ни (our daughter)
2. When the article comes back.
- In the plural: родителите ми (my parents), братята ми (my brothers), децата ни (our children).
- With an adjective, which comes first and takes the article: по-малкият ми брат (my younger brother), любимата ми леля (my favorite aunt). See the article on the first word.
- With a diminutive: братчето ми (my little brother).
3. Words that take the article. In the standard language, son, husband and spouse take the article: синът ми (my son), мъжът ми (my husband), съпругът ми, съпругата ми. You will hear син ми and мъж ми in casual speech, but write them with the article. Жена ми (my wife) has no article.
4. Full possessives. With a full possessive, the article is normal: моята майка (my mother). It adds a little emphasis. See possessives with the article.
Examples (6)
- Майка ми е учителка.
My mother is a teacher.
- Брат ти вкъщи ли е?
Is your brother at home?
- Баба ми живее на село.
My grandmother lives in the countryside.
- Родителите ми са от Пловдив.
My parents are from Plovdiv.
In the plural, the kinship noun takes the article again.
- По-малкият ми брат учи в Англия.
My younger brother studies in England.
The adjective comes first, so it carries the article.
- Сестра ѝ се казва Елена.
Her sister's name is Elena.
Common Mistakes
Adding the article to a singular kinship noun.
Майката ми е лекарка.Майка ми е лекарка.Singular kinship nouns take the short possessive without an article: майка ми.
Dropping the article in the plural.
Родители ми живеят в София.Родителите ми живеят в София.The exception covers only the singular. Plurals take the article: родителите ми.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Kinship terms without the article are an exception to short possessives.
Related Patterns
- мой/твойPossessive Pronouns
Full possessives such as моята майка are another way to say my mother.
Level 1 - The Article on the First Word
Explains why по-малкият ми брат puts the article on the adjective.
Level 2 - ѝ / иThe Pronoun Ѝ Versus the Word И
The possessive ѝ in брат ѝ is written with a grave accent.
Level 2 - Possessives With the Article
Full possessives before a noun carry the article.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice майка ми in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Bulgarian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
