трябва ми

Needing Something with Трябва Ми

Level 3Sounds Like trâbva mi

To say I need help, say Трябва ми помощ, literally help is needed to me. The person is a short dative pronoun.

How It Works

1. The pattern. трябва + a short dative pronoun + the thing needed. The logic is the same as in харесва ми: the person is in the dative, and the thing is the subject.

2. Agreement. A singular thing: Трябва ми нов телефон (I need a new phone). A plural thing: Трябват ми нови обувки (I need new shoes). In the past: Трябваше ми време (I needed time), Трябваха ми пари (I needed money). In the future: Ще ми трябва чадър (I'll need an umbrella).

3. Questions and negatives. Трябва ли ти нещо? (Do you need anything?), Какво ти трябва? (What do you need?), Не ми трябва (I don't need it).

4. Naming the person. With a noun, keep the short pronoun as well: На Мария ѝ трябва почивка (Maria needs a rest). See doubling the object.

5. Things or actions. For an action, use трябва да without a pronoun: Трябва да тръгвам (I need to go). Трябва ми is for things, and трябва да is for actions.

6. Another way to say it. Имам нужда от means the same: Имам нужда от помощ (I need help). For don't need to, see не трябва да and няма нужда да.

Examples (6)

  1. Трябва ми помощ с домашното.

    I need help with the homework.

  2. Трябват ми пари за наема.

    I need money for the rent.

    Трябват is plural because пари is plural.

  3. Трябва ли ти нещо от магазина?

    Do you need anything from the shop?

  4. Какво ви трябва за партито?

    What do you need for the party?

  5. На Мария ѝ трябва малко почивка.

    Maria needs a little rest.

    Word by Word: To Maria to-her is-needed a-little rest.

  6. Утре ще ми трябва колата.

    I'll need the car tomorrow.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the person the subject, as in English.

    Аз трябвам помощ.
    Трябва ми помощ.

    Трябва does not take the person as its subject. The person is the short pronoun ми, and помощ is the subject.

  • Keeping трябва singular with a plural thing.

    Трябва ми пари.
    Трябват ми пари.

    Пари is plural and is the subject, so standard Bulgarian uses the plural трябват. The singular is common in casual speech, but it is not standard.

How It Connects

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

трябва миLevel 3Needing Something with Трябва Ми

Learn This First

Needing something combines трябва and the dative pattern.

Words in This Pattern

трябватрябвамми