The Article in General Statements

Level 5Sounds Like rodovo značenie na člena

Кучето е вярно животно. (The dog is a loyal animal.) Жените живеят по-дълго. (Women live longer.)

How It Works

1. The kind as a whole. A singular noun with the article can stand for a whole species or type: Кучето е вярно животно (The dog is a loyal animal), Мобилният телефон промени начина, по който общуваме (The mobile phone changed the way we communicate).

2. All members. A plural with the article speaks about the members of a group in general: Жените живеят по-дълго от мъжете (Women live longer than men), Котките обичат топлото (Cats like warmth). English has no article here, but Bulgarian needs one; see the plural articles.

3. Substances and ideas. In general statements, mass and abstract nouns take the article: Водата кипи при сто градуса (Water boils at a hundred degrees), Любовта е сляпа (Love is blind), Такъв е животът (That's life). See the article as an ending.

4. Without the article. A bare noun usually means some or any, not the whole kind: Купих ябълки (I bought apples), Искам вода (I want water), Трябва ти повече търпение (You need more patience). A noun that classifies after е is also bare: Кучето е животно.

5. Един for any single example. To say what any one member does, you can use един: Един добър учител винаги изслушва учениците си (A good teacher always listens to their students).

Examples (6)

  1. Кучето е вярно животно.

    The dog is a loyal animal.

  2. Жените живеят по-дълго от мъжете.

    Women live longer than men.

    Word by Word: The-women live longer than the-men.

  3. Водата кипи при сто градуса.

    Water boils at a hundred degrees.

  4. Любовта е сляпа.

    Love is blind.

  5. Котките обичат да спят на топло.

    Cats like to sleep somewhere warm.

  6. Мобилният телефон промени начина, по който общуваме.

    The mobile phone changed the way we communicate.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the article off an abstract noun in a general statement.

    Любов е сляпа.
    Любовта е сляпа.

    A general statement about love as an idea needs the article: любовта.

  • Dropping the article from plurals that mean a whole group (intended meaning: women in general).

    Жени живеят по-дълго от мъже.
    Жените живеят по-дълго от мъжете.

    Without the article, the plural sounds like "some women". For a general statement about women and men, use the article.

How It Connects

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

The Article in General StatementsLevel 5

Learn This First

The generic article builds on the articles.