с/със
With С
С means with. It becomes със when the next word starts with с or з: с приятел, but със сестра ми.
How It Works
С means with. It has no stress of its own and is said together with the next word, so с приятел sounds like one word.
Three everyday jobs.
- Company: Ходя на кино с приятели. (I go to the cinema with friends.)
- Something added or a feature: кафе с мляко (coffee with milk), стая с балкон (a room with a balcony).
- A tool or a vehicle: Пиша с химикалка. (I write with a pen.) Пътувам с автобус. (I travel by bus.)
When to write със. Use със only when the next word begins with the sound с or з: със сестра ми, със захар, със Стефан. The rule follows the sound, so a number written in digits counts too: със 7 души (read седем). Everywhere else write с: с мляко, с теб. Writers sometimes use със before another word to stress the preposition itself, but in everyday writing keep с. The same sound rule gives в/във.
Pronouns after с. Use the object forms: с мен, с теб, с него, с нея, с нас, с вас, с тях. See пълни местоимения мене/тебе/него/нея.
Ние с Мария. To say Maria and I, Bulgarian often says we with Maria: Ние с Мария сме колеги. The verb is plural because ние is the subject.
The opposite. без means without: кафе с мляко or кафе без мляко.
Examples (6)
- Пия кафе с мляко.
I drink coffee with milk.
Word by Word: I-drink coffee with milk.
Мляко starts with м, so the plain form с is used.
- Ходя на кино с приятели.
I go to the cinema with friends.
Word by Word: I-go to cinema with friends.
С shows the people you are with.
- Живея със сестра ми.
I live with my sister.
Word by Word: I-live with sister my.
Сестра begins with с, so the preposition becomes със.
- Искам чай със захар.
I would like tea with sugar.
Word by Word: I-want tea with sugar.
Захар begins with з, so със is used here too.
- Пътувам до работа с автобус.
I travel to work by bus.
Word by Word: I-travel to work with bus.
With a vehicle, с means by.
- Ние с Мария сме колеги.
Maria and I are colleagues.
Word by Word: We with Maria are colleagues.
Ние с Мария is the usual way to say Maria and I.
Common Mistakes
Writing с before a word that starts with с.
Живея с сестра ми.Живея със сестра ми.Two с sounds would run together, so the preposition becomes със before с and з.
Using unstressed със before another sound in an ordinary phrase such as със мляко.
Пия кафе със мляко.Пия кафе с мляко.In ordinary unstressed use, със goes before с or з. Мляко begins with м, so write с мляко; an emphatically stressed със can occur elsewhere.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- в/въвIn and to with В
В becomes във before в and ф, the same sound rule that turns с into със.
Level 1 - безWithout with Без
Без (without) is the opposite of с: кафе с мляко or кафе без мляко.
Level 1 - мене/тебе/него/неяFull Object Pronouns
After с, pronouns take these forms: с мен, с него, с нея.
Level 2 - ние/вие/теPlural Subject Pronouns
Ние с Мария (Maria and I) uses ние as the subject with a plural verb.
Level 1 - иAnd, Also and Too with И
И joins two people as and; с presents one as being with the other.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice с/със in Bubblegum
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